How to build user following in Bubble

The simplest and most reliable way to build “user following” in Bubble is to add a list of Users on each User called something like followers or following, and then use workflow actions to add/remove users from those lists. After that, you display the data using searches like “Current User's following” or “Do a search for Users where followers contains Current User”.

Data Structure

Create this inside your User data type:

• following (field type: User, field is a list)

This means each user stores a list of other users they follow.

Workflow: Follow a User

On the target user’s profile page, add a “Follow” button. Workflow when clicked:

• Action: Make changes to a thing
• Thing to change: Current User
• Change: following add This User

// Workflow action expression inside "Make changes to Current User"
following add This User   // This User = the profile's owner

Workflow: Unfollow a User

Use the same logic but remove:

// Workflow action expression
following remove This User

Displaying Followers

You don’t store a separate “followers” list. Instead, compute it:

• Data source of a repeating group: Do a search for Users
• Constraint: following contains Current Page User

This finds all users who follow the profile’s owner.

Conditionals (Follow / Unfollow Button)

On the button, use a condition:

• When Current User's following contains This User → Show “Unfollow” state

Privacy Rules

In Privacy for User, allow users to see:

• following (checked “View all fields” or expose only this field)

This is safe because it's public following info, like any social app.

This structure works reliably, scales well, and uses only standard Bubble features: lists, searches, Make Changes to Thing, and privacy rules.