Meta’s X competitor Threads invites developers to sign up for API access, publishes docs

After opening its developer API to selected companies for testing in March, Meta’s Twitter/X competitor Threads is now introducing developer documentation and a sign-up sheet for interested parties ahead of the public launch of the API, scheduled for June.

The new documentation details, among other things, the current limitations of the API and its endpoints, which could help developers get started with their Threads-connected applications and any other projects integrating with the new social network.

For example, those who want to track analytics around Threads posts can use an Insights API to retrieve things like views, likes, replies, reposts, and quotes. You’ll also find details on how to publish posts and media via the API, retrieve responses, and a series of troubleshooting tips.

The documentation states that Threads accounts are limited to 250 posts published by the API in a 24-hour period and 1,000 replies – a measure to combat spam or other excessive usage. It also offers image and video specifications for media uploaded with user posts and notes that Threads’ text message character count has a hard limit of 500 characters – longer than the old 280 characters Twitter, but much smaller than the 25,000 characters that X offers to paying users. subscribers or the now 100,000 characters that it allows in articles published directly on its platform.

Whether or not Meta will favor certain types of applications over others remains to be seen.

So far, Threads API beta testers have included creators of social tools like Sprinklr, Sprout Social, Social News Desk, Hootsuite, and tech news forum Techmeme.

Although Threads has begun its integration with the broader fediverse – the network of interconnected social media services that includes Mastodon and others – it doesn’t appear that fediverse sharing can be enabled or disabled through the API itself . Instead, users still need to visit their settings in the Threads app itself to post to the fediverse.

Meta says the new documentation will be updated over time as it gathers developer feedback. Additionally, anyone interested in building with the new API can now request access via a sign-up page, which could also help Meta track which apps are preparing to go live alongside the public launch of the API. API.