Run like this: uv run https://gist.githubusercontent.com/simonw/848a3b91169a789bc084a459aa7ecf83/raw/397ad07c8be0601eaf272d9d5ab7675c7fd3c0cf/follow_theirs.py

follow_theirs.py

# /// script
# dependencies = [
#   "atproto"
# ]
# ///
from atproto import Client
import getpass
import time


def follow_user_follows(client, target_user):
    "Follow everyone the target_user is following."

    cursor = None
    total_followed = 0

    while True:
        # Step 1: Fetch a batch of accounts the target user is following
        # https://docs.bsky.app/docs/api/app-bsky-graph-get-follows
        response = client.app.bsky.graph.get_follows(
            {"actor": target_user, "limit": 100, "cursor": cursor}
        )

        # Step 2: Iterate through the accounts
        for follow in response.follows:
            try:
                # Step 3: Follow each account
                client.follow(follow.did)
                print(f"Following {follow.handle}")
                total_followed += 1

                # Step 4: Add a delay to respect rate limits
                time.sleep(2)
            except Exception as e:
                print(f"Error following {follow.handle}: {str(e)}")

        # Step 5: Check for more accounts to follow
        if not response.cursor:
            break
        cursor = response.cursor

        # Step 6: Print progress
        print(f"Followed {total_followed} users so far")

    # Step 7: Print final result
    print(f"Finished following {total_followed} users")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Step 8: Set up credentials
    USERNAME = input("your_username.bsky.social ")
    APP_PASSWORD = getpass.getpass("your_app_password ")
    TARGET_USER = input("target_user.bsky.social ")

    # Step 9: Initialize and authenticate client
    client = Client()
    client.login(USERNAME, APP_PASSWORD)

    # Step 10: Execute the follow process
    follow_user_follows(client, TARGET_USER)

uv run https://gist.githubusercontent.com/simonw/848a3b91169a789bc084a459aa7ecf83/raw/397ad07c8be0601eaf272d9d5ab7675c7fd3c0cf/follow_theirs.py

To clarify: this is a fork of the original script by Hamel here: https://gist.github.com/hamelsmu/fb9ed633de7d784619e4b6da5039e6ae

I added the inline dependency metadata and the input() and getpass() bits.

You can see the changes I made here, I also ran it through Black: https://gist.github.com/simonw/848a3b91169a789bc084a459aa7ecf83/revisions

This skips the actual following:

        # Step 2: Iterate through the accounts
        for follow in response.follows:
            print(follow)
            continue  # never follows
            try:
            ...

This skips the actual following:

Oops! Fixed that now, thanks.

One small suggestion: it might be worth mentioning in the README that users should create a Bluesky App Password before running the script.

I initially misunderstood the prompt and entered the name of my app password instead of my Bluesky handle, then got a 401 AuthenticationRequired error. It also wasn't immediately obvious to me where to create an App Password.

A short note like "Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → App Passwords and create an App Password for this script (don't use your main account password)" could save first-time users a bit of confusion.