Twitter (X) API

Exhibit 25.5   Using Twitter API, to get all of the tweets from @spiderman. Source: Rob O’Leary

Twitter, or X as it is now called, provides multiple APIs, categorized into two main types:

• REST API: This allows access to past data, such as searching for existing tweets or retrieving a user’s timeline. However, it often limits the time span and quantity of tweets retrieved.
• Streaming API: Unlike REST API, the Streaming API enables real-time data collection, keeping the connection open to capture tweets as they are published.

As shown in Exhibit 25.5, the Twitter APIs process requests such as tweets from @spiderman, transferring them to the Twitter server, which then returns the requested information. They essential for tasks like tracking hashtags, analysing trends, and gathering tweets for sentiment analysis. For instance, a developer can use the Twitter API to pull tweets from a specific user’s timeline or filter tweets containing a particular keyword in real time.