diff --git a/fedireads/activitypub_templates.py b/fedireads/activitypub_templates.py
index 8887e6f1d..cb799d2fb 100644
--- a/fedireads/activitypub_templates.py
+++ b/fedireads/activitypub_templates.py
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 ''' generates activitypub formatted objects '''
+from uuid import uuid4
+from fedireads.settings import DOMAIN
+
 
 def shelve_action(user, book, shelf):
     ''' a user puts a book on a shelf.
@@ -27,3 +30,15 @@ def shelve_action(user, book, shelf):
         }
     }
 
+
+def accept_follow(activity, user):
+    ''' say YES! to a user '''
+    uuid = uuid4()
+    return {
+        '@context': 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+        'id': 'https://%s/%s' % (DOMAIN, uuid),
+        'type': 'Accept',
+        'actor': user.actor['id'],
+        'object': activity,
+    }
+
diff --git a/fedireads/federation.py b/fedireads/federation.py
index e2d92708d..782e526e8 100644
--- a/fedireads/federation.py
+++ b/fedireads/federation.py
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt
 from fedireads.settings import DOMAIN
 from fedireads import models
 from fedireads import openlibrary
+import fedireads.activitypub_templates as templates
+import json
 import requests
 
 def webfinger(request):
@@ -52,13 +54,18 @@ def inbox(request, username):
         # return a collection of something?
         pass
 
-    activity = request.POST.dict()
+    activity = json.loads(request.body)
     if activity['type'] == 'Add':
         handle_add(activity)
 
+    if activity['type'] == 'Follow':
+        response = handle_follow(activity)
+        return JsonResponse(response)
+
     return HttpResponse()
 
 def handle_add(activity):
+    ''' adding a book to a shelf '''
     book_id = activity['object']['url']
     book = openlibrary.get_or_create_book(book_id)
     user_ap_id = activity['actor'].replace('https//:', '')
@@ -70,6 +77,31 @@ def handle_add(activity):
         added_by=user,
     ).save()
 
+
+def handle_follow(activity):
+    '''
+    {
+	"@context": "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
+	"id": "https://friend.camp/768222ce-a1c7-479c-a544-c93b8b67fb54",
+	"type": "Follow",
+	"actor": "https://friend.camp/users/tripofmice",
+	"object": "https://ff2cb3e9.ngrok.io/api/u/mouse"
+    }
+    '''
+    # figure out who they want to follow
+    following = activity['object'].replace('https://%s/api/u/' % DOMAIN, '')
+    following = models.User.objects.get(username=following)
+    # figure out who they are
+    ap_id = activity['actor']
+    try:
+        user = models.User.objects.get(activitypub_id=ap_id)
+    except models.User.DoesNotExist:
+        user = models.User(activitypub_id=ap_id, local=False).save()
+    following.followers.add(user)
+    # accept the request
+    return templates.accept_follow(activity, following)
+
+
 @csrf_exempt
 def outbox(request, username):
     user = models.User.objects.get(username=username)
@@ -106,19 +138,16 @@ date: %s''' % (inbox_fragment, DOMAIN, now)
         signature += 'signature="%s"' % b64encode(signed_message)
         response = requests.post(
             recipient,
-            data=action,
+            body=action,
             headers={
                 'Date': now,
                 'Signature': signature,
                 'Host': DOMAIN,
-                'Content-Type': 'application/json',
             },
         )
         if not response.ok:
             return response.raise_for_status()
 
-def handle_follow(data):
-    pass
 
 def get_or_create_remote_user(activity):
     pass
diff --git a/fedireads/migrations/0001_initial.py b/fedireads/migrations/0001_initial.py
index 48ca9c1ff..f3caea47c 100644
--- a/fedireads/migrations/0001_initial.py
+++ b/fedireads/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Generated by Django 2.0.13 on 2020-01-27 01:47
+# Generated by Django 2.0.13 on 2020-01-27 02:41
 
 from django.conf import settings
 import django.contrib.auth.models
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
                 ('date_joined', models.DateTimeField(default=django.utils.timezone.now, verbose_name='date joined')),
                 ('activitypub_id', models.CharField(max_length=255)),
                 ('private_key', models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)),
-                ('public_key', models.TextField()),
+                ('public_key', models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)),
                 ('api_key', models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=255, null=True)),
-                ('actor', django.contrib.postgres.fields.jsonb.JSONField()),
+                ('actor', django.contrib.postgres.fields.jsonb.JSONField(blank=True, null=True)),
                 ('local', models.BooleanField(default=True)),
                 ('created_date', models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
                 ('updated_date', models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)),
diff --git a/fedireads/models.py b/fedireads/models.py
index 8df1ea0a6..9c474f9c9 100644
--- a/fedireads/models.py
+++ b/fedireads/models.py
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ class User(AbstractUser):
     ''' a user who wants to read books '''
     activitypub_id = models.CharField(max_length=255)
     private_key = models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)
-    public_key = models.TextField()
+    public_key = models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)
     api_key = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, null=True)
-    actor = JSONField()
+    actor = JSONField(blank=True, null=True)
     local = models.BooleanField(default=True)
     created_date = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
     updated_date = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
diff --git a/fedireads/templates/user.html b/fedireads/templates/user.html
index 09c6dbec6..9c4413f3f 100644
--- a/fedireads/templates/user.html
+++ b/fedireads/templates/user.html
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 <div id="main">
     <div class="user-profile">
         <img class="user-pic" src="/static/images/profile.jpg">
-        <h2>{{ user.username }}</h2>
+        <h1>{{ user.username }}</h1>
         <p>Since {{ user.created_date }}</p>
         {% if not is_self %}
         {% if not following %}
@@ -19,11 +19,22 @@
         {% endif %}
         {% endif %}
     </div>
-    {% for book in books.all %}
-    <div class="book">
-        {{ book.data.title }} by {{ book.authors.first.data.name }}
+
+    <div>
+        <h2>Books</h2>
+        {% for book in books.all %}
+        <div class="book">
+            {{ book.data.title }} by {{ book.authors.first.data.name }}
+        </div>
+        {% endfor %}
+    </div>
+
+    <div>
+        <h2>Followers</h2>
+        {% for follower in user.followers.all %}
+        {{ follower.activitypub_id }}
+        {% endfor %}
     </div>
-    {% endfor %}
 
 </div>
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/fedireads/views.py b/fedireads/views.py
index bbf7c8f81..26fdbc1b2 100644
--- a/fedireads/views.py
+++ b/fedireads/views.py
@@ -57,12 +57,10 @@ def user_profile(request, username):
     ''' profile page for a user '''
     user = models.User.objects.get(username=username)
     books = models.Book.objects.filter(shelves__user=user)
-    following = user.followers.filter(id=request.user.id).count() > 0
     data = {
         'user': user,
         'books': books,
         'is_self': request.user.id == user.id,
-        'following': following,
     }
     return TemplateResponse(request, 'user.html', data)