Where Are My Tweets? Twitter Drops Embedding and API Access

Many radio stations that depend on Twitter’s widgets and API to display their tweets on their websites were dismayed this week as Twitter disabled their access.  In a process that started in February, Twitter has now disabled the ability to embed timeline widgets and tweets. Many radio stations, especially sports stations, rely on Twitter to better connect with their listeners.  Here’s what you’ll likely see if you’re using Twitter’s own timeline widget code.

While Twitter says that the changes were made to improve the security of their platform, it’s more likely a cost-saving measure that will drive many content creators from the platform to alternatives like Facebook Threads.

How the Changes Affect You

Here are some things you can no longer do without paying.

• Live feeds: You can no longer embed live feeds on your station website.  While we disagree with embedding social media feeds on station websites, this did allow listeners to see what was being said on Twitter in real-time.
• Tweets from favorite artists: Embedded tweets from artists is no longer an option.  This was a great way for listeners to see what their favorite artists were saying and to interact with them.
• Sharing tweets: Embed buttons allow listeners to share tweets on social media. This was a great way to promote tweets from radio stations and encourage listeners to share their favorite content.

Twitter API Options

Twitter has moved to a paid-tier model for their API.  In a nutshell, the free tier allows you to post and delete tweets and look up users.  You’ll need to pay up for everything else.

What Are Your Options?

Radio stations can do a few things to mitigate the impact of the changes to Twitter’s API.

1. Continue encouraging listeners to follow your station on Twitter and retweet their tweets there.
2. Try other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to connect with listeners.
3. Sign up for the “Basic” API tier for $100/month and continue business as usual.

Radio stations can also use Twitter’s API to create custom Twitter cards, which are embeddable HTML cards that display tweets, images, and other content. However, custom cards are not as widely supported as widgets, so they may not be a perfect solution.

What’s Next?

It is unclear whether Twitter will reverse the changes to its API that have disabled embedding widgets and tweets on websites. However, radio stations should continue to use Twitter to connect with their listeners, even if they cannot embed widgets or tweets on their websites.  Despite the changes to Twitter’s API, radio stations can still use Twitter to connect with their listeners and to build their audiences.