Twitter says bots can use its API for free, with limitations

Twitter has shared more details about the upcoming changes to its API that will require most developers to pay in order to keep using its developer tools. In an update, the company said that there will be “a new form of free access” that will allow “Tweet creation of up to 1,500 Tweets per month.”

That clarification means that 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 on the platform. Previously, the future of these accounts was uncertain as many bot makers said 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.