The latest articles on DEV Community by Salman Kabir (@sksshouvo). https://dev.to/sksshouvo https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F1215015%2Fc481a50c-d588-427f-908f-9a81ff90e071.jpg https://dev.to/sksshouvo en Salman Kabir Wed, 14 Jan 2026 07:29:14 +0000 https://dev.to/sksshouvo/automating-facebook-cancel-request-unfollow-using-pure-javascript-1b83 https://dev.to/sksshouvo/automating-facebook-cancel-request-unfollow-using-pure-javascript-1b83 <p>Below is the <strong>same dev.to post rewritten strictly using the markdown syntax you specified</strong>.<br> You can copy–paste this directly into <strong>dev.to</strong>.</p> <h1> Automating Facebook “Cancel Request / Unfollow” Using Pure JavaScript </h1> <p>Facebook does not provide a native way to bulk cancel follow requests or unfollow users. When the following list becomes large, manually clicking <strong>Cancel request</strong> one by one is inefficient and error-prone.</p> <p>This post explains how to automate the process using <strong>pure JavaScript</strong> executed directly in the browser console — no extensions, no APIs, and no third-party libraries.</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/sksshouvo/facebook-auto-unfollow-cancel-request-script" rel="noopener noreferrer">GitHub Repository</a></p> <h2> Problem Statement </h2> <p>Facebook’s UI presents several challenges:</p> <ul> <li>Infinite scrolling</li> <li>Obfuscated and frequently changing CSS class names</li> <li>Dynamically loaded DOM elements</li> </ul> <p>Because of this:</p> <ul> <li>Static selectors break easily</li> <li>Automation must be DOM-aware</li> <li>Clicking too fast may trigger temporary restrictions</li> </ul> <p>The objective was to create a script that is:</p> <ul> <li>Stable</li> <li>Rate-limit friendly</li> <li>Resilient to DOM changes</li> <li>Easy to stop safely</li> </ul> <h2> Solution Overview </h2> <p>The script uses a <strong>two-phase strategy</strong>.</p> <h3> Phase 1: Scroll to the End </h3> <ul> <li>Scrolls until no new data loads</li> <li>Detects the true end by tracking document height</li> <li>Prevents infinite scrolling loops</li> </ul> <h3> Phase 2: Cancel Requests from Bottom to Top </h3> <ul> <li>Collects all <strong>Cancel request / Unfollow</strong> buttons</li> <li>Processes them from bottom → top</li> <li>Clicks one button every <strong>5 seconds</strong> </li> </ul> <p>This approach avoids DOM reflow issues and ensures no request is skipped.</p> <h2> Why Bottom to Top Works Better </h2> <p>When Facebook removes an item from the list:</p> <ul> <li>The DOM reflows</li> <li>Element positions shift</li> <li>Indexes change dynamically</li> </ul> <p>Processing from bottom to top ensures:</p> <ul> <li>Already-processed items are not affected</li> <li>Buttons are not skipped</li> <li>DOM behavior remains predictable</li> </ul> <blockquote> <p>Bottom-to-top processing is significantly more reliable on infinite-scroll UIs.</p> </blockquote> <h2> Key Design Decisions </h2> <h3> 1. No CSS Class Selectors </h3> <p>Facebook class names change frequently.<br> Instead, the script relies on:</p> <ul> <li><code>role="button"</code></li> <li><code>aria-label</code></li> <li>Visible button text</li> </ul> <p>These attributes are far more stable.</p> <h3> 2. Rate-Limit Friendly Execution </h3> <ul> <li>One action every <strong>5 seconds</strong> </li> <li>No parallel clicks</li> <li>Human-like interaction pattern</li> </ul> <p>This reduces the likelihood of triggering Facebook’s abuse detection.</p> <h3> 3. Manual Stop Support </h3> <p>The script can be stopped at any time without refreshing the page.</p> <p>Run this in the console:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>window.__STOP_UNFOLLOW__ = true; </code></pre> </div> <h2> How to Use </h2> <ol> <li>Open Facebook in Chrome</li> <li>Navigate to <strong>Following</strong> or <strong>Followers</strong> </li> <li>Open <strong>DevTools → Console</strong> </li> <li>Paste the script from the repository</li> <li>Keep the tab active</li> </ol> <p>To stop execution:</p> <ul> <li>Refresh the page <strong>or</strong> </li> <li>Run the stop command shown above</li> </ul> <h2> Full Script Source </h2> <p>The latest maintained version of the script is available here:</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/sksshouvo/facebook-auto-unfollow-cancel-request-script" rel="noopener noreferrer">facebook-auto-unfollow-cancel-request-script</a></p> <p>Always prefer the GitHub version, as Facebook UI changes frequently.</p> <h2> Limitations and Disclaimer </h2> <ul> <li>This is <strong>not an official Facebook tool</strong> </li> <li>Use at your own risk</li> <li>Do not run repeatedly in short timeframes</li> <li>Facebook may change its UI at any time</li> </ul> <p>This project is intended for <strong>educational and personal automation purposes only</strong>.</p> <h2> Possible Improvements </h2> <p>Future enhancements could include:</p> <ul> <li>Auto-handling confirmation dialogs</li> <li>Randomized delays</li> <li>Daily action limits</li> <li>Pause / resume functionality</li> <li>Batch processing for very large lists</li> </ul> <p>Contributions and suggestions are welcome.</p> <h2> Closing Thoughts </h2> <p>This project demonstrates what can be achieved using:</p> <ul> <li>Plain JavaScript</li> <li>Native DOM APIs</li> <li>Careful control flow</li> </ul> <p>No browser extensions.<br> No automation frameworks.<br> No backend services.</p> <p>If you find this useful, consider starring the repository or adapting the script for your own automation needs.</p> automation javascript productivity tutorial Salman Kabir Sun, 03 Dec 2023 14:21:35 +0000 https://dev.to/sksshouvo/rss-feed-fetcher-2k3n https://dev.to/sksshouvo/rss-feed-fetcher-2k3n <p>Hi there, <br> <em>Oompa-Loompas</em> of science. I have very little knowledge of Python. I want to learn more about Python by developing cool and fun software or console apps or projects. With this kind of idea, I started developing this software Called <strong>RSS Feed Fetcher</strong>.</p> <h2> What it does? </h2> <p>Users can fetch data from an <strong>RSS Feed</strong> link over and over again within a certain period. Those who do freelancing on <strong>Upwork</strong> will be able to set a <strong>Job Search</strong> as an RSS Feed link and copy that then paste it into our software and click on start. Then it will notify you when it finds a new post.</p> <h2> How to use it? </h2> <p>Just go to the <strong>GitHub</strong> link that I have provided below and follow the steps. It's an open-source application so I would like to request you guys to fork or clone this project and make it better for the world.</p> <div class="ltag-github-readme-tag"> <div class="readme-overview"> <h2> <img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fassets.dev.to%2Fassets%2Fgithub-logo-5a155e1f9a670af7944dd5e12375bc76ed542ea80224905ecaf878b9157cdefc.svg" alt="GitHub logo"> <a href="https://github.com/sksshouvo" rel="noopener noreferrer"> sksshouvo </a> / <a href="https://github.com/sksshouvo/rss-feed-fetcher" rel="noopener noreferrer"> rss-feed-fetcher </a> </h2> <h3> Rss Feed Fetcher is a software which can fetch rss feeds from any kind of rss feed links of xml version 2 and specially targeted freelancers from upwork. Also user can set an interval and interval type to refetch rss feeds from same rss feed link. </h3> </div> <div class="ltag-github-body"> <div id="readme" class="md"> <div class="markdown-heading"> <h1 class="heading-element">RssFeedFetcher</h1> </div> <p>A simple CLI system for fetch feed from a Rss feed.</p> <div class="markdown-heading"> <h1 class="heading-element">Requirements</h1> </div> <ul> <li>Python 3.10</li> <li>python3-tk</li> <li>virtualenv or your favourite Python environment tool</li> </ul> <div class="markdown-heading"> <h1 class="heading-element">Get Started</h1> </div> <ul> <li>Clone the repository</li> </ul> <div class="highlight highlight-source-shell notranslate position-relative overflow-auto js-code-highlight"> <pre>git clone git@github.com:sksshouvo/rssFeedFetcher.git</pre> </div> <ul> <li>Checkout the develop branch</li> </ul> <div class="highlight highlight-source-shell notranslate position-relative overflow-auto js-code-highlight"> <pre>git checkout develop</pre> </div> <ul> <li>Install Python and create or use a Python Environment with Python Version listed in requirements</li> </ul> <div class="highlight highlight-source-shell notranslate position-relative overflow-auto js-code-highlight"> <pre>python3.10 -m venv env</pre> </div> <ul> <li>Activate Python3.10 environment</li> </ul> <div class="highlight highlight-source-shell notranslate position-relative overflow-auto js-code-highlight"> <pre><span class="pl-c1">source</span> env/bin/activate</pre> </div> <ul> <li>Install the local requirements</li> </ul> <div class="highlight highlight-source-shell notranslate position-relative overflow-auto js-code-highlight"> <pre>pip install -r requirements.txt</pre> </div> <ul> <li>Run</li> </ul> <div class="highlight highlight-source-shell notranslate position-relative overflow-auto js-code-highlight"> <pre>python main.pyw</pre> </div> <div class="markdown-heading"> <h1 class="heading-element">Branching Model</h1> </div> <p>We use a branching model similar to this site (<a href="https://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/</a>). When you work on a new task, please create a feature-branch ( <strong>feature/RFF-14-Feature-Title</strong> ) from the ( <strong>develop</strong> ) branch. To publish any changes instead of direct push, create a <strong>PR</strong> to <strong>develop</strong></p> <ul> <li>feature/RFF-###-Title</li> <li>develop</li> <li>release-#.#.#</li> <li>hotfix-#.#.#</li> <li>main</li> </ul> <div class="markdown-heading"> <h2 class="heading-element">NOTE : WE BELIEVE IN MAINTAINING STANDARD.</h2> </div> <p>SO DON'T FORGET TO RUN AT LEAST <code>flake8</code> AND <code>isort</code> IN CHANGED FILE BEFORE ANY NEW COMMIT AND…</p> </div> </div> <div class="gh-btn-container"><a class="gh-btn" href="https://github.com/sksshouvo/rss-feed-fetcher" rel="noopener noreferrer">View on GitHub</a></div> </div> <h2> Team members </h2> <ol> <li>Ahasanul A Rijon (Github: <a href="https://github.com/ahasanular" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/ahasanular</a>)</li> </ol> python programming beginners opensource