Support > Twitter API > Developer account
Developer account support
A developer account is used for managing your Twitter API access. Here we answer frequently asked questions on developer account management, access levels and functionality.
Frequently asked questions about developer accounts and access
How do I sign up for a developer account?
To sign up for a developer account:
- Log-in to Twitter and verify your email address. (Note that the email and phone number verification from your Twitter account may be needed to apply for a developer account, review on the Twitter help center: email address confirmation.)
- Click sign up at developer.twitter.com to enter your developer account name, location and use case details
- Review and accept the developer agreement and submit
- Check your email to verify your developer account. Look for an email from developer-accounts@twitter.com that has the subject line: "Verify your Twitter Developer Account" Note: the developer-accounts@twitter.com email is not available for inbound requests.
- You should now have access to the Developer Portal to create a new App and Project with Essential access, or will need to continue your application with Elevated access
- If you apply for Elevated, Enterprise or Academic Research access, please continue to check your verified email for information about your application.
To check if you have a developer account go to the developer portal dashboard to review your account status and setup.
What is the developer portal and how can I access it?
The developer portal is a self-serve user interface within developer.twitter.com where developers can manage their API access through Projects, and Apps. The developer portal is visible when a user is logged in (with Twitter) and has an approved developer account on developer.twitter.com. You can access the developer portal by clicking the "Developer Portal" link in the top right-hand corner of developer.twitter.com.
Can I resend the email verification?
Yes, you can request a new email verification here: https://developer.twitter.com/en/portal/petition/verification but please note this is limited to be re sent only every 15 min. First check your email to verify your developer account. This email has the subject line: "Verify your Twitter Developer Account"
Why can't I log in to my developer account?
The login for your developer account is your Twitter log in. If you are using sign in with Google or Apple, you will likely need to set up your contact email and phone number for additional verification before moving forward with a developer account. See Help with logging in.
For more troubleshooting, review the following steps:
- Ensure your Twitter account is in good standing. Resolve any suspensions or policy related issues before applying for a developer account. See help.twitter.com and specifically the Twitter API policy help form for any previous App related issues.
- Make sure that you have your email address and phone number set up on your Twitter account.
- Check if you have old, obsolete Apps that can be deleted. You can still review your current Apps without a developer account here: https://developer.twitter.com/en/apps
- Ensure any previously created Developer Apps are in good standing. Note that Apps that have not been used in a long time may be suspended due to inactivity, review our announcement on inactive Apps for more information.
What contact email is Twitter using to send communications about my developer account?
Check your current email address in your Twitter account settings. The email address associated with your Twitter account and that you verify to submit your application is the email that will be used for communications about the application status. At this time, the email for application-related correspondence cannot be changed after the application is submitted.
How long will it take to get a developer account?
Immediately after you sign up for a developer account, you will be able to create a Twitter App and Project with Twitter API v2 access. You will have the Essential access level and will be able to make requests immediately.
What are the different access levels to the Twitter API v2?
All Twitter API access requires a developers account, which can be created quickly by signing up. Essential access will be available immediately, and Elevated access can be requested.
- Essential: Free, instant access to the Twitter API. Includes 500k Tweets/month and a single App environment. 1 App, 1 Project.
- Elevated: Free access up to 2M Tweets/month, and 3 App environments. 3 Apps, 1 Project. Requires an approved developer account application.
- Enterprise: Includes 10+ million Tweets per month, 3+ apps, 1 Project. Requires an approved developer account application.
I just want Essential access, why was I redirected to apply for Elevated access?
There are some instances where the application for Elevated access is required. After submitting a request for Essential access, and verifying your email, you will either be approved for Essential access, or directed to the Elevated application for access.
Can I use the v1.1 version of the Twitter API with Essential access?
No, not at this time. Elevated access is required to make requests to the v1.1 version of the Twitter API. If an Essential access account requests a v1.1 endpoint, the error will likely be:
Request failed with code 403 - You currently have Essential access which includes access to Twitter API v2 endpoints only. If you need access to this endpoint, you'll need to apply for Elevated access via the Developer Portal. You can learn more here: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api/getting-started/about-twitter-api#v2-access-level (Twitter code 453)
How will I know if I have been approved?
Go to developer.twitter.com and click "Developer Portal" for the current status of your application.
Why was my Elevated access (or Academic Research) application rejected?
Developers use case applications are reviewed for compliance with the developer policy.
If your use case for the Twitter API violates our policy, your developer account will be rejected. There is currently no way to re-apply.
If you do not provide more information about your use case, your application will become dormant and will automatically close as rejected. To reopen your application, respond to our email thread from developer-accounts@twitter.com Note: the developer-accounts@twitter.com email is not available for inbound requests.
I think my application was closed before I responded to a request for more information. What can I do?
Developers can reopen a pending access application review by responding to the last email sent to your email address about your application and provide the details requested to continue the application process. Note: the developer-accounts@twitter.com email is not available for inbound requests. Access requests rejected for compliance reasons cannot be reopened.
What if I get rejected for Elevated or Academic Research access?
Applications may be rejected if they are found to be in violation of any section of the Developer Agreement and Policy, Automation Rules, Display Requirements, and/or the Twitter Rules.
We don’t currently allow you to appeal this decision. We are investigating options to allow people who feel they’ve been inappropriately rejected to appeal. Please stay informed of future updates.
Please do not write into the community forums asking about your rejection, as we cannot comment on rejections publicly.
Can I re-apply for Elevated or Academic Research access?
No, not at this time. If this changes we will announce through our multiple channels here: Stay Informed.
Is it possible to have multiple developer accounts?
At this time, a single Twitter user can have a single developer account or can be a member of an team account. Users that already have a developer account cannot sign up for another, nor can they be added to other developer accounts as team members.
How can I apply for Elevated access?
Apply for Elevated access. You may only apply for Elevated access once, please check your email for updates on your application status.
Why is my Elevated access application still in review? How much longer?
We work to review applications as quickly as possible. Check your email for updates and respond to any additional requests to move the process along more quickly, we may be waiting on you for more information. It is possible that reviewing Elevated access applications may take up to two weeks.
Can I get more than Elevated access?
Yes, Enterprise access is an option if you need more than 10M Tweets per month. If you need more than 2M Tweets per month, but are not ready for Enterprise access, sign up for our waitlist.
How can I apply for Enterprise access?
If my developer account application was approved during Early Access, do I need to sign up again?
No, developer applications that were approved during the Twitter API v2: Early Access phase will now have the Elevated access level.
If I already applied for v2 Early Access, do I need to re-apply for Essential or Elevated access?
If you already have v2 access and an approved developer account, there is no need to re-apply. Developers already using the Twitter API v2 will automatically see their Projects upgraded to Elevated access the next time you visit the developer portal.
Do I need Elevated access?
If your use case requires your App to consume more than 2,000,0000 Tweets per month through the combination of the following endpoints, you may need to apply for Elevated access:
- Recent search: GET /2/tweets/search/recent
- Filtered stream: GET /2/tweets/search/stream
- User Tweet timeline: GET /2/users/:id/tweets
- User mention timeline: GET /2/users/:id/mentions
- Tweets liked by user: GET /2/users/:id/liked_tweets
If you need the ability to manage multiple application environments with the same use case, for example the ability to run a staging environment in parallel with your production environment, you may need to apply for Elevated access.
How do I apply for the Elevated access level?
Developers can apply for Elevated access with specific use case details. To ensure quick approval, please be as detailed as possible with your use case. Also, please pay close attention to the email address that is associated with the @user account that you used to apply. If our team needs additional details about your use case, we will reach out to this email address with questions.
What happens after I apply for Elevated or Academic Research access?
Twitter reviews applications to ensure compliance with the Developer Agreement and Policy, Automation Rules, Display Requirements, and Twitter Rules. Developer applicants will receive an email when the review is complete, or if more detail is needed about the described use case.
How will I be notified about my Elevated access application?
You will be notified with updates about your application via the email address you verified before submitting your application. We will continue to use this email for all correspondence about your application, even if you later change the email associated with your Twitter account in your Twitter account settings. Search your inbox (and spam folder) for an email from developer-accounts@twitter.com. Note: this email is not available for inbound requests. Please reply to the open thread to continue the case dialogue with our team.
When will I get Elevated access?
We aim to review all applications for Elevated access quickly. While in review, you will see “application under review” when you go to our developer portal. If it’s unclear how you intend to use the Twitter API, it may delay our review and prompt requests for more detail, which can delay access. Please make sure the information you provide is accurate and detailed, and monitor your email for updates or requests for more information. It is possible that reviewing Elevated access applications may take up to two weeks.
How can I check the status of my Elevated access application?
You will be notified with updates about your application via the email address you verified before submitting your application. There is no way to check the status of an application through the developer portal at this time, so please monitor your email for updates or requests for more information; those emails will continue to come from developer-accounts@twitter.com.
If your account has been pending for a while, please search your email inbox for messages from developer-accounts@twitter.com and possible subject line "Twitter developer account application" and respond with any information that is requested.
Note: the developer-accounts@twitter.com email is not available for inbound requests. Please reply to the open email thread from developer-accounts@twitter.com to continue the case dialogue with our team.
Will I be alerted when my Elevated access application is approved?
You will receive an notification email to your verified email address.
If I was rejected for v2 Early Access, can I still access the Twitter API v2?
We are working on a solution to enable you to sign up for Essential or re-apply for Elevated access.
How can I get help with a pending developer account application?
Review your email for communication from developer-accounts@twitter.com for any requests for information for your specific account. If you are unable to debug, please contact developer account support.
Can I delete my developer account?
It's not possible to delete your developer account at this time. We have heard this feedback and will update the Twitter Developer Platform Roadmap when we have more information.
What is the difference between an individual and a team account?
Currently, the functionality multiple developers to access the same Project settings and Tweet cap as a 'team' is the only difference between an individual and team developer account.
How many developers can I have on my team account?
There currently isn't a limit on the number of developers on your team. To review team members, roles, and added dates, see the "team" page.
Why can't I see the "team" option on my account drop-down?
This means that you either have Essential access only, or applied as an individual account, as opposed to a team account.
Can I change my individual/personal account to a team/organization account?
Changing an individual setup to a team setup is not possible today. If this is an important feature, please upvote or add it to our product feedback forum.
Can a developer be on two different developer accounts?
This is not possible at this time. If you do need multiple accounts, please request or vote for this on our feedback forum.
Why can't I leave the team account?
If you have a developer role, you can leave the team at any time. If you have an admin role and are the only one on the team, you must first promote another member to this role before leaving.
Why can't I add a specific team member to my account?
When building out your developer/admin team, there are some things to consider:
Team members can only be added to an team account if:
- The invitee does not have access to your team account.
- The invitee is not a member of any other team account.
- The invitee is not suspended, muted, or blocked by the account admin.
- The invitee has not applied or been approved for their own team account.
- The invitee was invited to join the team account, but then the invite was revoked, the invitee cannot be re-invited for 24 hours.
- In the situation where the invitee does not have a verified email address with Twitter, a unique invitation link will be generated for admins to send to them directly.
If your team member never received an email, please ask them to double-check to see if they have an email address associated with their Twitter account, located in Twitter settings. We hope to expand the functionality of generating a unique invite link to pass to all members under the “Pending” tab if the member cannot find the email.
I’m a Verizon customer and I can’t log in to my account
If you’re a new or existing Verizon customer, you may not be able to log in to your account because you’re not receiving a login verification PIN via text message. Try logging out of your Twitter account and logging back in. You should then receive a verification PIN via SMS. If this doesn't resolve your issue, send a text message from your device with the message content, GO, to the Twitter shortcode 40404. This will opt you in to receive SMS from Twitter, which is consistent with your notification settings. More details can be found on this help page.
Frequently asked questions about Twitter Apps and Projects
Why is my "Create an App" button grayed out on https://developer.twitter.com/en/apps?
If you had worked with the Twitter API prior to 2018, you may review your older apps on https://developer.twitter.com/en/apps. If you plan to create a new App for new credentials, you must have an approved developer account. the "Create an App" button will be grayed out and you will see a warning screen that states:
Please apply for a Twitter developer account
You may continue managing your existing Apps but if you would like to create new Apps, use Twitter premium APIs or Twitter API v2, please apply for a developer account.
As a developer platform, our first responsibility is to our users: to provide a place that supports the health of conversation on Twitter. To continue to prevent misuse of our platform, we have introduced a few new requirements for developers.
What's the difference between standalone Apps and Projects?
Projects allow you to organize your work based on how you intend to use the Twitter API v2, so you can effectively manage your access, and monitor your usage. Each Project contains at least one App. Projects have specified access level such as Essential or Elevated access. Projects with Elevated access can have up to three connected Apps. An App must be connected to a Project in order to use Twitter API v2.
Standalone Apps are Apps that exist outside of the Project structure. These Apps can connect to v1.1, Labs, or Premium endpoints but can’t connect to v2 endpoints without being connected to a Project.
What is the relationship between my developer account, Projects and Apps?
Your developer account allows you to set up and manage you own Projects and Apps. Projects create the permissions for allowing Apps to connect to Twitter API v2 endpoints. Only Apps within Projects can access Twitter API v2. Projects each have a Tweet volume consumption limit for any connected Apps within the Project on a monthly basis. We have a documentation section specifically for Projects, Twitter Apps and the dashboard.
What exactly is a Project?
A Project allows you to organize your work (based on use case) with the Twitter Developer Platform’s APIs, and are required when making requests to the Twitter API v2 endpoints. You are also limited to being able to retrieve a certain number of Tweets per month from specific endpoints at the Project-level.
Can anyone else see my Project name or information other than me?
Your Project name and description will only be visible to you or your team if you have a team account. It is important to note that if you implement third-party authentication (sometimes referenced as “sign in with Twitter”), your App’s description will be displayed publicly. You should review and update your App and Project description before implementing a sign in with Twitter authentication flow. Review our documentation on 'sign in with Twitter' to learn more.
How many Projects can I have?
This depends on what access levels you currently have access to.
You are allowed one Project with either Essential or Elevated access. This means that -- if you have Essential access and are approved for Elevated access, your Project will automatically upgrade to having Elevated access.
If you are approved for Academic Research access, you will be able to have one additional Project, for a total of two.
Can I have more than one App connected to a Project?
This depends on the access levels that you have access to.
- Essential access can only have one App per Project.
- Elevated access can have up to three Apps per Project.
- Enterprise access can have 3+ Apps per Project.
- Academic Research access can only have one App per Project.
Can I add existing Apps to a Project?
Yes, you can add an existing App (also known as standalone Apps) to your Project. When setting up your Project, you should see an option to add a standalone App to that Project.
Is there a way to check my progress towards the monthly Project Tweet cap?
There is a Project-level Tweet cap limiting the number of Tweets you can retrieve from several Twitter API v2 endpoints. This is set based on the access level (Essential, Elevated, etc)
You can check your progress towards the monthly cap from the Project section on the developer portal dashboard.
What are the Tweet caps per access level? Is there a way to get more?
Projects with essential access will have a monthly Tweet cap of 500,000 Tweets. Projects with elevated access will have a monthly Tweet cap of 2,000,000 Tweets. The existing Tweet caps are hard limits. In future releases, we will be launching elevated access options for the Twitter API v2 endpoints. You can sign up for our waitlist to learn more.
Why can't I edit a Project?
If your developer account was set up as a team account, you will not be able to edit a Project unless you are an administrator of the account.
If you have Academic Research access, you will not be able to edit the details of the Project you used to apply for access.
Why can I see an App in a Project, but none of its details?
If you are on a team, you may view the details of, edit, or manage keys for someone else's App in a team account's Project due to privacy reasons. In this case, you will only be able to see the App name and owner’s name so that you can contact them.
How do I transfer ownership of my Twitter App to another account?
You can transfer your Twitter App to another account by selecting 'I need to transfer an API key to another account' when filling out this form. Please note that if Apps are transferred from one account to another, the receiving account must have Elevated access in order to view the App within the developer portal.
Where are my keys and tokens?
You can access your keys and tokens inside of the Projects & Apps section of the developer portal, by clicking on an App. It is important to note that we recently stopped showing your keys and tokens in your Twitter developer App dashboard other than when you first generate or regenerate your credentials. You will need to store your keys and tokens securely. If you lost your keys and/or tokens, or believe that they have been compromised, you should regenerate your keys and tokens via the App dashboard. Note that regenerating your keys and tokens will invalidate any previous keys and tokens and you may need to rewrite and/or redeploy existing code.
Why are my App permissions set to Read-only?
The default permission settings for OAuth1.0 for a new App will be set to Read-only. Your App settings can be updated on the specific App settings from the projects and Apps page in the developer portal. Look for the gear icon to drill down into the specific App settings. You will need to Edit "User authentication settings" in order to use Read & Write or Read, Write & Direct messages permissions. The Keys & Tokens screen will allow you to regenerate your credentials for the new permission setting if you have updated your permissions on the App level. Review our documentation on App permissions.
Note that there are multiple types of Authentication with Twitter API, as listed in our documentation.
- OAuth1.0a (user context, used with v1.1 and v2)
- OAuth2.0 (Bearer token, app only, used with v1.1 and v2)
- OAuth2.0 (Authorization code flow with PKCE, used with v2 only)
How do I regenerate my credentials?
It is possible to regenerate keys and tokens (also known as credentials) from within the developer portal. Credentials should be regenerated if App permissions change so that the credentials are updated for the new permissions setting. For example, if an App permission is changed from "Read-only" to "Read & Write", you will need to re-authenticate your App users. App owner user context Access Token & Secret can be regenerated from the developer portal. There is no way to look up currently active credentials in the developer portal, they must be regenerated.
To regenerate keys and tokens:
- Go to the developer portal
- Click on Projects & Apps on the left navigation
- Find the App name desired and click on it to show the Settings page for the App
- Switch from the "Settings" tab to the "Keys and tokens" tab
- Find the specific authentication needed and click Regenerate to create refreshed credentials
- Save these credentials securely
- The keys and tokens will now reflect the latest generated date, and permissions at the time of generation
I have a Twitter App that is owned by handle A, but I want to make a request on behalf of handle B. How do I do that?
It is true that you can generate an access token and secret within your Twitter App to be used by the owning user. You do not, however, need to have a developer account nor a Twitter App for you to generate an access token for them. Even if the user does have a developer account and Twitter Apps, you would not be able to use any of the access tokens that they generate from their Twitter Apps, because those tokens are meant to be used with their respective Twitter Apps.
To make a request on behalf of another user, you need to generate a new set of user access tokens that are specifically meant to be used by your Twitter App. To generate these access tokens, you must use the 3-legged OAuth flow and have the user authenticate or authorize your Twitter App. The third step in the 3-legged OAuth flow provides you a set of access tokens that you can use along with your consumer key and secret to make a request on behalf of that user with your Twitter App.
You should be able to do all of your development for a single organization with one developer account. If you have a single organization with multiple use cases, please create and use different Twitter Apps for those different use cases.
Why aren’t my Apps showing up in the developer portal?
Your Twitter Apps may have been provisioned through an account other than the one you’re logged in to or set up through automated means. Please submit a platform support request for further assistance.
I've been working with the Twitter API for a very long time, do I need to sign up for a developer account?
All developers will need to have a developer account to be able to utilize the benefits of Twitter API v2, create new Apps and Projects. To do this, you must first sign up for a developer account.If you have existing Apps, you will be able to view and edit them if you are logged into your Twitter account on developer.twitter.com.
I have a use case that requires more than 10 Apps. Why am I limited and how do I apply for an elevation?
We have limited accounts to a maximum of 10 Apps as an important step to combat spam and multi-key abuse. We recognize, however, that there are legitimate reasons for developers to have more than 10 Apps linked to their accounts. We suggest that you review our policy guidance on multiple Apps for the same use case to familiarize yourself with the types of App creation that are not policy-compliant. If, after reading this guide, you believe you may qualify for additional Apps beyond the 10 limit (or your current number of Apps, if it’s greater than 10) please complete the following steps:
If you haven’t already submitted a developer account application, please submit one. Please be as specific and detailed as possible to avoid additional requests for information and ensure a smooth review. You will also need to confirm your email address at the end of the application flow. Please make sure to pay attention to your email in case we need to clarify your use case.
While we review your developer account application, make sure we know the purpose of each of your individual Apps. Using developer.twitter.com, you can add a description of your App's use case(s) where it says “Tell us how this App will be used”.
Once you receive notice that your developer account is approved, you should submit an elevation request for each App that needs elevated App access:
Go to our API Policy Support Form
Open a case under the “I have an API policy question not covered by these points” category. (Be sure that you’re signed in from the @handle tied to the developer account that is requesting additional Apps.)
In the “Details” section of the form please provide the total number of Apps that you require, along with the specific use case for each App. We will not approve Apps that do not include a use case.
Submit the case, and complete instructions in follow up emails as requested.
Get support
The Twitter community forum is available for you to ask technical questions about the Twitter developer platform. This is a discussions forum where you will find questions by other developers and technical information on a variety of topics related to using the Twitter API.
We encourage you to join the conversation by responding to questions and engaging in conversations on our forum. Twitter employees are also there to moderate.
Before you post a question
- Search the Twitter developer documentation for information relating to your issue
- Search the community forum for similar questions by other developers
- Review the community forum guidelines
When you post a question, make sure to include the following information
- A description of the problem
- The API call being made (include headers, if possible)
- The Twitter response returned (include any error messages)
- What you expected to receive instead
- List of steps taken to troubleshoot the issue
- List of steps required to reproduce the issue
- If relevant, the time frame during which an issue occurred
- If relevant, the App ID, Tweet ID, etc.
- Any relevant code sample or screenshots
Please only include one topic/question per post.
For feature requests or missing functionality, please use our feedback platform instead.
For Policy-related issues, such as App suspension, please contact Policy support.
For Twitter-related issues, such as login and account support, please use the Twitter Help Desk.