Table of Contents
Twitter is an American online news and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as "tweets". As of 2016, Twitter had more than 319 million monthly active users and is one of the top 10 most visited websites.
Setting Up Twitter
Apply for a Twitter Developer account
Step 1: Apply for a Twitter Developer account
Use a Twitter account to sign up for a developer account.
Step 2: Fill in the required details
As part of the approval process, Twitter needs to understand the usage of API before approving the developer account. Please provide a clear and thorough explanation to prevent any misunderstanding or rejections.
Step 3: Submit and wait for the approval
If all is good, you should receive an email on the approval of the developer account. You can continue with setting up Twitter for respond.io.
Creating a Twitter App
Step 1: Log in to Twitter app
Head over to the Twitter App Dashboard and log in with your Twitter Developer Account.
Step 2: Create a Twitter App
Press the Create App button to create a new Twitter App. You should be prompted to fill in some information about your new Twitter App under the Application Details section.
Step 3: Name the Twitter Application
Name the Twitter application and press Complete to create the app.
Step 4: Navigate to the User authentication settings section
On the Twitter App Dashboard, locate the User authentication settings section. Press Edit to make changes.
Step 5: Enabling Permissions
Enable the OAuth 1.0a settings and select the Read + Write + Direct Messages option under the App permissions section.
Step 6: Set the respective URL under General Authentication Settings Section
Add the following URL to the corresponding fields on the Twitter platform.
Callback URI / Redirect URL: https://app.respond.io/twitter/redirect
Website URL: https://www.respond.io
Step 7: Save Changes
Press Save at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
Setting up a Dev Environment
In order for the respond.io platform to connect to your Twitter App, you will need to create a development environment on Twitter.
Step 1: Navigate to the Twitter Dev Environment
Locate the Account Activity API section and press Set up Dev Environment.
Step 2: Enter a label and select the app
Enter a dev environment label and select the Twitter app from the dropdown.
Step 3: Complete Setup
Press Complete Setup to create the dev environment. Be sure to take note of the dev environment as it will be needed to configure the platform.
Connecting Twitter
Step 1: Navigate to Channel Settings
From Settings Module, navigate to the menu item, Channels.
Step 2: Add Channel
Press Add Channel and choose Twitter. The Connect your Channel dialog should open up.
Step 3: Sign in to Twitter Developer Dashboard
Sign in to the dashboard using your Twitter developer account.
Step 4: Navigate to Twitter Apps
Find your Twitter app here.
Step 5: View app details
Press details from the app record.
Step 6: Navigate to the User authentication settings section
On the Twitter App Dashboard, locate the User authentication settings section. Press Edit to make changes.
Step 7: Enabling Permissions
Enable the OAuth 1.0a settings and select the Read + Write + Direct Messages option under the App permissions section.
Step 8: Locate the API Key
Select the Keys and Tokens tab. Locate the API Key and add it to the corresponding field on the respond.io platform.
Step 9: Follow through the instructions
After you have filled in the API key value, follow through with the instructions by pressing NEXT.
Step 10: Locate the Access Token and Access Token Secret
Following from Step 8, at the same tab, locate the Access Token and Access Token Secret at the bottom of the screen.
Step 11: Generate Access Token and Access Token Secret
Press Generate to generate both Access Token and Access Token Secret. Once both are generated, add them to the corresponding field on the respond.io platform.
Step 12: Follow through the instructions
After you have filled in both values, follow through with the instructions by pressing NEXT.
Step 13: Add Dev Environment Label
Add the Dev Environment Label to the corresponding field.
Step 14: Enable receiving direct messages from anyone
Navigate to Twitter Account's Privacy and Safety and enable the Receive messages from anyone option under the Direct Messages section.
Step 15: Complete setup on the respond.io platform
Press DONE to complete the setup.
Channel Configuration
Step 1: Navigate to Channel Settings
From Settings Module, navigate to the menu item, Channels.
Step 2: Locate the Twitter channel
Once you have located the Twitter channel, press Configure.
Step 3: Make the necessary configuration
You can configure the following:
- Channel name - Name used internally to identify the account.
Step 4: Update the configuration
Press Done to update the channel configuration.
Broadcast Capabilities
Twitter has no limitation on the content or number of broadcasts businesses can send.
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Unable to send or receive messages via Twitter API
Deprecation of Free Twitter API Access
This is most likely caused by the discontinuation of free Twitter API access. Twitter has recently announced that they will no longer provide free access to their API, effective February 13, 2022. This means that any applications or services that were using the Twitter API for free will no longer be able to access the API. To continue using the Twitter API, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan. Twitter is still finalizing information regarding the deprecation of free Twitter API access, and we will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available from Twitter.
API version and Access Level
The respond.io platform uses the API v1.1 for direct messaging purposes, which requires the Elevated access level. We recommend you check the access level of your developer account. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Navigate to Twitter Developer Portal
Navigate to the Developer Portal page on Twitter.
Step 2: Verify the access level
Click on Twitter API v2 on the side menu. Verify if you have the Elevated access level. If you are not under the Elevated access level, proceed to apply for the Elevated access level.
