The company is delaying the shutdown of its free API for a few more days.
Twitter has released additional information about upcoming API changes that will require most developers to pay in order to continue using its developer tools. In an update, the company stated that “a new form of free access” will be available, allowing “Tweet creation of up to 1,500 Tweets per month.”
Because of this clarification, many of Twitter’s so-called “good” bots — the automated accounts that tweet everything from historical photos to helpful reminders — will be able to continue operating on the platform. Previously, the future of these accounts was unknown because many bot developers stated that they would not pay for API access.
However, the 1,500 monthly limit on tweet creation could still impact bots that tweet most frequently. Fifteen hundred tweets a month works out to roughly 50 tweets a day, which could be problematic for Twitter’s most active bots. The company also granted a short reprieve for developers about to lose API access, saying that it had extended the current version of the API until February 13th.
After that, developers wishing to access the “paid basic” tier of Twitter’s API will need to pay $100 a month, according to Twitter. The company also confirmed that it would be ending the Premium API, and that subscribers would have the option to apply for the Enterprise version of the service. The company still hasn’t weighed in on what, if any, options will be available to researchers currently using Twitter’s developer tools for their projects.
