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Salman Kabir
Salman Kabir

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Automating Facebook “Cancel Request / Unfollow” Using Pure JavaScript

#automation #javascript #productivity #tutorial

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Automating Facebook “Cancel Request / Unfollow” Using Pure JavaScript

Facebook does not provide a native way to bulk cancel follow requests or unfollow users. When the following list becomes large, manually clicking Cancel request one by one is inefficient and error-prone.

This post explains how to automate the process using pure JavaScript executed directly in the browser console — no extensions, no APIs, and no third-party libraries.

GitHub Repository

Problem Statement

Facebook’s UI presents several challenges:

  • Infinite scrolling
  • Obfuscated and frequently changing CSS class names
  • Dynamically loaded DOM elements

Because of this:

  • Static selectors break easily
  • Automation must be DOM-aware
  • Clicking too fast may trigger temporary restrictions

The objective was to create a script that is:

  • Stable
  • Rate-limit friendly
  • Resilient to DOM changes
  • Easy to stop safely

Solution Overview

The script uses a two-phase strategy.

Phase 1: Scroll to the End

  • Scrolls until no new data loads
  • Detects the true end by tracking document height
  • Prevents infinite scrolling loops

Phase 2: Cancel Requests from Bottom to Top

  • Collects all Cancel request / Unfollow buttons
  • Processes them from bottom → top
  • Clicks one button every 5 seconds

This approach avoids DOM reflow issues and ensures no request is skipped.

Why Bottom to Top Works Better

When Facebook removes an item from the list:

  • The DOM reflows
  • Element positions shift
  • Indexes change dynamically

Processing from bottom to top ensures:

  • Already-processed items are not affected
  • Buttons are not skipped
  • DOM behavior remains predictable

Bottom-to-top processing is significantly more reliable on infinite-scroll UIs.

Key Design Decisions

1. No CSS Class Selectors

Facebook class names change frequently.
Instead, the script relies on:

  • role="button"
  • aria-label
  • Visible button text

These attributes are far more stable.

2. Rate-Limit Friendly Execution

  • One action every 5 seconds
  • No parallel clicks
  • Human-like interaction pattern

This reduces the likelihood of triggering Facebook’s abuse detection.

3. Manual Stop Support

The script can be stopped at any time without refreshing the page.

Run this in the console:

window.__STOP_UNFOLLOW__ = true;
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

How to Use

  1. Open Facebook in Chrome
  2. Navigate to Following or Followers
  3. Open DevTools → Console
  4. Paste the script from the repository
  5. Keep the tab active

To stop execution:

  • Refresh the page or
  • Run the stop command shown above

Full Script Source

The latest maintained version of the script is available here:

facebook-auto-unfollow-cancel-request-script

Always prefer the GitHub version, as Facebook UI changes frequently.

Limitations and Disclaimer

  • This is not an official Facebook tool
  • Use at your own risk
  • Do not run repeatedly in short timeframes
  • Facebook may change its UI at any time

This project is intended for educational and personal automation purposes only.

Possible Improvements

Future enhancements could include:

  • Auto-handling confirmation dialogs
  • Randomized delays
  • Daily action limits
  • Pause / resume functionality
  • Batch processing for very large lists

Contributions and suggestions are welcome.

Closing Thoughts

This project demonstrates what can be achieved using:

  • Plain JavaScript
  • Native DOM APIs
  • Careful control flow

No browser extensions.
No automation frameworks.
No backend services.

If you find this useful, consider starring the repository or adapting the script for your own automation needs.

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