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Configuring delays, wait times, and rate limit retries

Growbot's delay settings control how long it waits between actions and how it handles Instagram rate limits. Slower settings are safer.

Why

Instagram flags accounts that perform actions too quickly or too consistently. Growbot uses configurable delays between actions and randomization to make your activity pattern look more human. When Instagram does rate-limit you, Growbot's retry settings determine how long it waits before trying again.

How to use it

  1. Go to the Settings tab and open the Automation section.
  2. Delays (open by default):
    • Wait N seconds after follow/unfollow/like: the base delay between each action. Default is 180 seconds. Higher values are safer.
    • Randomize wait time by up to N%: adds random variation to each delay. Default is 50%. With a 180-second base and 50% randomization, actual waits range from 90 to 270 seconds.
    • Wait N seconds after loading additional account info: adds a pause after Growbot fetches profile details. Enable this if you are getting rate-limited during info loading.
  3. Active hours (off by default):
    • Only run actions during active hours: when checked, the Actions Queue only runs between Start and End on your computer's clock. Actions that come due outside those hours wait until they begin.
    • Leave it unchecked to let actions run at any time.
  4. Rate limits:
    • Retry N minutes after soft rate limit: how long to wait after a 403 error. Default is 10 minutes.
    • Retry N hours after hard rate limit: how long to wait after a more severe block. Default is 1 hour.
    • Retry N minutes after 429 rate limit: how long to wait after a "Too Many Requests" error. Default is 1 minute.
    • Retry N times after 404 error getting additional info: how many retries before giving up on loading a profile. Default is 10.

Tips

  • For new accounts, set the base delay to 90 to 120 seconds and randomization to 50%. This gives a safe range of 45 to 180 seconds between actions.
  • If you are hitting rate limits frequently, increase the base delay rather than just increasing the retry wait. Prevention is better than recovery.
  • The randomization percentage applies in both directions. A 180-second delay with 50% randomization means the actual wait is anywhere from 90 to 270 seconds, not 180 to 270.
  • Active hours apply to everything in the Actions Queue, including Run Now batches. If Run Now would start outside them, Growbot asks first.

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