Another Problem

I manually executed the code below just to see if the count is affected, and for some reason it's not, and just stays at 1.

$user_id = 1;
$author_id = 118;
wp_set_object_terms( $user_id, $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers', true );

Okay I fiddled with (4) and used your code, am I on the right track? Also where do I place the die for the ajax? Thanks

Okay I fiddled with (4) and used your code. For some reason the default follower count is still 1. Also where do I place the die for the ajax? Thanks

/**
* (1) Enqueue scripts for follow system
*/
function follow_scripts() {
wp_enqueue_script( 'jk_follow_post', get_template_directory_uri().'/js/post-   like.min.js', array('jquery'), '1.0', 1 );
 wp_localize_script( 'jk_like_post', 'ajax_var', array(
    'url' => admin_url( 'admin-ajax.php' ),
    'nonce' => wp_create_nonce( 'ajax-nonce' )
        )
    );
}
/**
* (2) Save follow data
*/
add_action( 'wp_ajax_nopriv_jk-author-follow', 'jk_author_follow' );
add_action( 'wp_ajax_jk-author-follow', 'jk_author_follow' );
function jk_author_follow() {
$nonce = $_POST['nonce'];
if ( ! wp_verify_nonce( $nonce, 'ajax-nonce' ) )
        die ( 'Nope!' );

if ( isset( $_POST['jk_author_follow'] ) ) {
    
    $author_id = $_POST['author_id']; // author id
    
    
    if ( is_user_logged_in() ) { // user is logged in
        $user_id = get_current_user_id(); // current user
        
        // create the term if it doesn't exist
        if ( !term_exists( $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers' ) ) {
            wp_insert_term( $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers' );
        }

        // follow the user, note the last argument is true
        $term_ids = wp_set_object_terms( $user_id, $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers', true );

        if ( is_wp_error( $term_ids ) ) {
            // There was an error somewhere and the terms couldn't be set.
            echo "error";
        } else {
            // Success!
        }
    }
}
}
/**
 * (3) Test if user already liked post
 */
function AlreadyFollowed( $author_id ) { // test if user is following author
$user_id = get_current_user_id(); // current user
$author_id = $_POST['author_id']; // author id
if ( is_user_logged_in() ) { // user is logged in
    if ( has_term( $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers', $user_id ) ) {
        // user_id is following author_id!
    }
}
}
/**
  * (4) Front end button
*/
function getFollowLink( $author_id ) {
$author_id = the_author_meta($userId);
$user_id = get_current_user_id(); // current user
if ( has_term( $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers', $user_id ) ) {
    $following = ' following';
}
echo '<a class="follow-button' .$following. '" data-author="' .$author_id. '">Follow</a>';
}
/**
 * (5) Add a shortcode to your posts instead
 * type [jkfollower] in your post to output the button
*/
function jk_follow_shortcode() {
return getFollowLink( get_the_ID() );
}
add_shortcode('jkfollower', 'jk_follow_shortcode');

/**
* (1) Enqueue scripts for follow system
*/
function follow_scripts() {
wp_enqueue_script( 'jk_follow_post', get_template_directory_uri().'/js/post-   like.min.js', array('jquery'), '1.0', 1 );
 wp_localize_script( 'jk_like_post', 'ajax_var', array(
    'url' => admin_url( 'admin-ajax.php' ),
    'nonce' => wp_create_nonce( 'ajax-nonce' )
        )
    );
}
/**
* (2) Save follow data
*/
add_action( 'wp_ajax_nopriv_jk-author-follow', 'jk_author_follow' );
add_action( 'wp_ajax_jk-author-follow', 'jk_author_follow' );
function jk_author_follow() {
$nonce = $_POST['nonce'];
if ( ! wp_verify_nonce( $nonce, 'ajax-nonce' ) )
        die ( 'Nope!' );

if ( isset( $_POST['jk_author_follow'] ) ) {
    
    $author_id = $_POST['author_id']; // author id
    
    
    if ( is_user_logged_in() ) { // user is logged in
        $user_id = get_current_user_id(); // current user
        
        // create the term if it doesn't exist
        if ( !term_exists( $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers' ) ) {
            wp_insert_term( $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers' );
        }

        // follow the user, note the last argument is true
        $term_ids = wp_set_object_terms( $user_id, $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers', true );

        if ( is_wp_error( $term_ids ) ) {
            // There was an error somewhere and the terms couldn't be set.
            echo "error";
        } else {
            // Success!
        }
    }
}
}
/**
 * (3) Test if user already liked post
 */
function AlreadyFollowed( $author_id ) { // test if user is following author
$user_id = get_current_user_id(); // current user
$author_id = $_POST['author_id']; // author id
if ( is_user_logged_in() ) { // user is logged in
    if ( has_term( $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers', $user_id ) ) {
        // user_id is following author_id!
    }
}
}
/**
  * (4) Front end button
*/
function getFollowLink( $author_id ) {
$following = '';
$author_id = get_query_var('author');
$user_id = get_current_user_id(); // current user
if (has_term( $author_id, 'wpse_180398_followers', $user_id )) {
    $following = ' following';
}
echo '<a class="follow-button' .$following. '" data-author="' .$author_id.  '">Follow</a>';
}
/**
 * (5) Add a shortcode to your posts instead
 * type [jkfollower] in your post to output the button
*/
function jk_follow_shortcode() {
return getFollowLink( get_the_ID() );
}
add_shortcode('jkfollower', 'jk_follow_shortcode');