After opening its developer API to select companies for testing in March, Meta’s Twitter/X competitor Threads is now introducing developer documentation and one registration form for those interested ahead of the public release of the API, scheduled for June.
The new documentation details the current limitations of the API and its endpoints, among other things, which could help developers launch their Threads-connected apps and any other projects that integrate with the new social network.
For example, those who want to track the analytics around Threads posts can use an Insights API to retrieve things like views, likes, replies, reposts, and quotes. There are also details on how to publish posts and media via the API, retrieving responses, and a number of troubleshooting tips.
The documentation indicates that Threads accounts are limited to 250 API posts in a 24-hour period and 1,000 replies — a measure to curb spam or other excessive use. It also offers image and video specifications for media uploaded with users’ posts, and notes that Threads’ text post character counts have a strict 500-character limit — longer than the old Twitter’s 280 characters, but far fewer than the 25,000 characters that offers X to paid subscribers or the maximum 100,000 characters it allows for articles published directly on its platform.
Whether Meta will ultimately favor certain kinds of apps over others remains to be seen.
So far, beta testers of the Threads API have included social tool builders such as Sprinklr, Sprout Social, Social News Desk, Hootsuite, and tech newsboard Techmeme.
Although Threads has begun integrating with the wider fediverse — the network of interconnected social services that includes Mastodon and others — it doesn’t appear that fediverse sharing can be turned on or off via the API itself. Instead, users still need to visit their settings in the Threads app to publish to fediverse.
Meta says the new documentation will be updated over time as it gathers feedback from developers. Additionally, anyone interested in building with the new API and providing feedback can now request access via a registration page — which could also help Meta keep track of apps that are getting ready to release alongside the public release of the API.
