After 30 days, older versions of Twitter’s API would no longer respond.
Twitter has now verified some facts and prices for the new API version.
Twitter Dev on Twitter: "Today we are launching our new Twitter API access tiers! We're excited to share more details about our self-serve access. 🧵 / Twitter"
Today we are launching our new Twitter API access tiers! We're excited to share more details about our self-serve access. 🧵
The changes were earlier delayed when the company announced that it was banning third-party clients as a component of a larger update of its developer features.
The company, as expected, keeps a free tier with limited functionality, though it offers far less than its previous.
Accounts can publish up to 1,500 tweets each month under the new free tier, which is meant for bots and other “testing” purposes, but they will not have access to any other features.
It could be a lifeline to some of Twitter’s most famous bot accounts, but at about 50 tweets per day, it could prove enough for those who publish more constantly.
The new “basic” tier, which costs $100 per month, offers a bit more: developers can publish up to 3,000 tweets per month at the user level and up to 50,000 tweets per month at the app level.
It also offers a monthly read limit of 10,000 tweets, which is far less than what was available in the past.
Meanwhile, a commercial tier is meant for companies that want a greater level of accessibility, though specifics on that tier remain a mystery.
The commercial tier will have “commercial-level access that meets your and your customer’s specific needs,” as well as other features, according to Twitter’s developer page.
Companies can apply for commercial access, but Twitter has only said that there would be “monthly subscription tiers.”
It’s also unclear what will happen to researchers and academics that depend on Twitter’s API for their research.
The company said in a series of tweets that it was “looking for new ways to continue serving this community,” but did not confirm.
Twitter Dev on Twitter: "For Academia, we are looking at new ways to continue serving this community. In the meantime Free, Basic and Enterprise tiers are available for academics. Stay tuned to @TwitterDev to learn more. / Twitter"
For Academia, we are looking at new ways to continue serving this community. In the meantime Free, Basic and Enterprise tiers are available for academics. Stay tuned to @TwitterDev to learn more.
According to Wired, the company previously promised some companies that API access could cost up to $42,000 per month, but that plan does not seem to have happened, at least not yet.
The new info also means that many services that depend on Twitter’s older APIs could soon stop performing.
The company confirmed that its existing APIs, which are used by many developers, researchers, and other services, will be discontinued over the next 30 days.
“We advise that you move to the new tiers as soon as possible to guarantee a smooth transition,” the company advised.
It’s unclear how many developers will be ready to pay for stripped-down versions of the APIs.
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