Introduction

Starting your first session is an exciting milestone—it’s when your Instagram growth strategy goes into action. This guide will walk you through launching your first session, what to expect, and how to monitor its progress.

What is a Session?

A session is one run of the Influxie bot on your Instagram account. A few things worth knowing before you start one:

It runs in the cloud, not on your device. Influxie logs into your Instagram through a secure virtual phone in the cloud. You can close your browser and even turn off your computer — the session keeps running.
One session at a time per account. Each Instagram account runs a single session at a time. You can’t stack sessions on top of each other.
It follows your settings. The bot does the liking, following, unfollowing, and watching you’ve configured, up to the limits you set, for up to your Maximum run time.
While it runs, you’ll see a badge showing Launching, Running, or Closing. The page checks for updates automatically (about every 10 seconds while launching), so you don’t need to refresh.

Before You Start

Prerequisites Checklist

Before starting your first session, make sure you have:

Connected Instagram Account: Your account should be connected and showing “No session running” or “No engagement setup” status
Likes Limit Set: Configure your likes limit (mandatory, per session)
Maximum Run Time Set: A maximum run time between 1 and 6 hours is mandatory—the bot will not run without it
Engagement Configured: At least one targeting method set up on the Engage tab (otherwise the status stays “No engagement setup”)
Editor+ Permissions: Only editors, admins, and owners can start or stop sessions
Closed Instagram App: Close Instagram on all your personal devices
Stable Internet: Ensure you have a reliable internet connection

First-Time Configuration Tips

For your first session, keep it simple:

Minimum Setup:

Set the likes limit (start with 50-100 per session)
Set a maximum run time (start with 1-2 hours)
Optionally enable Reoccurring with a start time (local timezone, whole hours only, e.g. 02:00 or 14:00)
Choose one targeting method (hashtags or feed interaction)

Note on Day 1:

Comments and direct messages are currently disabled (upcoming features), so they aren’t available to configure yet
Avoid aggressive follow/unfollow strategies on day one
Avoid maximum-duration sessions
Avoid stacking multiple targeting methods at once

Step 1: Navigate to Your Account

Log into your Influxie dashboard
Click on the Accounts tab in the main navigation
Select the Instagram account you want to manage
You’ll see the account dashboard with all configuration options

Step 2: Verify Your Configuration

Before starting a session, review your current configuration:

Session Configuration

Click on the Configuration tab and check:

Session Settings:

Likes limit: Set appropriately for your account age (per session, mandatory)
Maximum run time: Start with 1-2 hours for your first session (mandatory, 1-6 hours)
Reoccurring: Optional—leave unchecked for one-time sessions
Start time: Only needed if Reoccurring is enabled (local timezone, whole hours only)

Changes autosave roughly half a second after you edit a field—there is no Save button.

Engagement & Interaction Settings

If you’ve configured targeting, verify:

Hashtag lists are set up (if using hashtag targeting)
Feed interaction preferences are selected

For your first session, consider using just feed interaction — it’s the simplest starting point.

Step 3: Start the Session

On your account dashboard, locate the “Start Session” button
Click the button to initiate the session
A confirmation dialog will appear

Understanding the Confirmation Dialog

The confirmation dialog is a safety reminder: it warns you to close Instagram on every other device before the session starts, because using Instagram manually during session hours risks account suspension.

Read this carefully—Influxie recommends running your sessions while you sleep.

Step 4: Confirm and Launch

If everything looks correct:

Click to confirm in the dialog
The session will begin initializing

What Happens Immediately

After confirming, you’ll notice:

Button text changes to show the session is starting
Status badge updates to “Launching”
The session is being provisioned in the cloud

Launch can take up to 5 minutes while the environment boots and Instagram is loaded.

Step 5: Session Status Updates

Once the session launches, you’ll see it progress through three badge states:

Launching

Session is being initialized
Connection is being established
The account page polls for status every 10 seconds

Running

The session is actively executing
Actions are being performed based on your configuration
The status badge shows “Running” (detailed metrics appear in the post-session report)

Closing

The session is wrapping up
Final analytics are calculated and the report is generated

Monitoring Your Running Session

What You Can See

While the session is running, the account view displays:

Current Session Status:

The status badge (Launching, Running, or Closing)

Detailed metrics like likes, follows, and stories watched are not shown live—they’re collected throughout the session and appear in the post-session report.

Do You Need to Watch?

No! Sessions run independently in the cloud. You can:

Close your browser tab
Navigate away from the page
Even turn off your computer

The session will continue running regardless. You can check back later to see the results.

Checking Progress

To see how your session is doing:

Navigate back to your account dashboard
View the current session status
Review any real-time metrics displayed

What to Expect During Your First Session

Normal Behavior

Your first session will:

Start gradually with realistic delays between actions
Follow your configured targeting strategy
Respect your per-session limits and maximum run time
Generate a report when complete

Timeframes

For a 2-hour session:

First actions start within 1-2 minutes
Steady activity continues throughout
Session completes when duration limit is reached

Stopping a Session Early

If you need to stop a session before it completes:

Return to the account dashboard
Click the “Stop Session” button
Confirm you want to stop

What Happens:

Current in-progress actions complete
No new actions start
Session generates a final report
All data collected so far is saved

When to Stop:

If you notice unusual behavior
If you need to use Instagram personally
If you’ve reached your goals for the day

After Your First Session Completes

Session Complete

When the session finishes:

Either the maximum run time was reached or you stopped it manually
The badge moves through “Closing” and the session appears in your Sessions history
Final analytics are calculated
Session report is generated for your review

Reviewing Your Results

Click on the Sessions tab to view session history
Find your completed session
Click “View” to see the detailed report

Key Metrics to Check

First Session Focus:

Session duration (did it run the full time?)
Actions performed (likes, follows if enabled)
Any errors or warnings

Don’t worry yet about:

Follower growth (this takes time)
Conversion rates (optimize after you have data)

Troubleshooting Your First Session

Session Won’t Start

Check:

Is your account status “No session running” or “No engagement setup”? (If it shows “Account error”, resolve the reconnection or payment issue first.)
Is a maximum run time set? The bot won’t run without it.
Is another session already running?
Is your subscription active?

Solution: Resolve any account issues and ensure the mandatory maximum run time is configured before trying again.

Session Stops Immediately

Possible Causes:

Configuration error
Authentication issue with Instagram
Connection problem

Solution: Check the session error message and review your account status.

No Actions Performed

Possible Causes:

Per-session limits already reached
Targeting criteria too restrictive
Engagement not configured (status shows “No engagement setup”)

Solution: Review your configuration and adjust as needed.

Common First Session Mistakes

1. Not Closing Instagram on Other Devices

Problem: Instagram may detect unusual login patterns Solution: Always close Instagram everywhere before starting a session

2. Setting Limits Too High

Problem: May trigger Instagram’s attention Solution: Start conservative (50-100 likes, 10-20 follows)

3. Using Instagram During Session Hours

Problem: Manual Instagram use during a running session risks account suspension Solution: Schedule sessions for hours when you won’t use Instagram—Influxie recommends running them while you sleep

4. Expecting Immediate Results

Problem: Growth takes time—don’t judge after one session Solution: Run multiple sessions over several days before evaluating

5. Checking Too Frequently

Problem: Unnecessary anxiety about progress Solution: Start the session and check back in a few hours

Pro Tips

Timing Your Sessions

Run sessions when your target audience is most active
For local businesses: match business hours
For global audiences: consider timezone differences
Test different times to see what works best

Session Frequency

Start with one session per day
Reoccurring uses a single daily start time (all 7 days)
Avoid running extra manual sessions back-to-back (give your account a break)

What’s Next

Congratulations on running your first session! Now let’s learn how to monitor sessions in real-time and understand the detailed reports they generate.

Next Article: Understanding Session Reports