Twitter Following and Update Limits

Officially the Following and Update Limits for Twitter are:

1,000 total updates per day, on any and all devices (web, mobile web, phone, API, etc. )

1,000 total direct messages per day, on any and all devices

100 API requests per hour

Following limits are different for everyone, and is based on a ratio that changes as the account changes. If you hit a follow limit, you must balance your follower/following ratio in order to follow more people- basically, you can't follow 50,000 people if only 23 people follow you.

 

Why does Twitter have limits?

Twitter limits alleviate some of the strain on the invisible part of Twitter, which prevents error pages and down time on the visible part. For the sake of reliability (fewer robots and whales) we've placed limits on actions like following, API requests per hour, and number of updates per day. This doesn't restrain reasonable usage, and will not affect most people.  Although the limits are a recent addition to Twitter, we've always been about limits, starting with 140 characters per update.  We embrace the idea that constraint inspires creativity.

What are the limits?

We're starting with a few limits based on various parameters, and we'll be adding more as time goes on. We reveal some limits only when you reach them, and tell you about others in advance. Twitter currently applies limits to any person who reaches:

• 1,000 total updates per day, on any and all devices (web, mobile web, phone, API, etc. )
• 1,000 total direct messages per day, on any and all devices
• 100 API requests per hour

We've also placed limits on the number of people you can follow. The number is different for everyone, and is based on a ratio that changes as the account changes. If you hit a follow limit, you must balance your follower/following ratio in order to follow more people- basically, you can't follow 50,000 people if only 23 people follow you. Based on current behavior in the Twitter community, we've concluded that this is both fair and reasonable.

What if I hit a limit?

People using multiple API clients at once may see the per hour API request limit, as usual.  (You can request whitelisting if your app can't function with limits.)  Aside from that, most people will not be affected. If you do reach a limit, we'll let you know with a handy error message letting you know which limit you've hit. With the exception of the follow limit, all limits are time based, so you'll be able to try again in 24 hours.  If you have problems with limits, visit our troubleshooting page for more information.

Comments

AllanGoesDMB

Some of it you say here is rubbish - I follow 191, and is followed by 198, and I just met the LIMIT, when I tried to follow one, that just had started following me... Hmmmmmmmmmmm... Could there be a malfunction in your programming?

Feb-09 2009 21:13.

sturg58

I have so many emails of people following me that I can't count the pages; yet when I try to click from email to site and add follow: am lucky if I can add 1  it has been this way for days.... Some these people will be really neat to  chat with and want them to know I want to chat or share similiar likes, concerns and such but It is really getting flustrating since I am following the email that have came to me tell me they are following me! So what do I do to make it work or fix what ever is going on!  I am confused and fairly new to internet things as this.

I have been with myspace for years and keep adding to them and now am on several others I have just started like facebook, and fanbox...  I never had a problem adding someone else on their.... if I found people on a group and wanted to add them to me then it worked... now I have added some and am stunded cause add doesn't work and doesn't tell me anything after following an email.... I have had some come back saying no longer on and such!

I tried to leave a comment or message for someone and when I pushed send it came back to many tweets to try again... That was one on an email following me I wanted to add but couldn't who had information about Vit B6 being made into a drug and not going to have out ..... she had the web site to find the information and wanted to thank her since I use B 6 for muscle spasms.!

So what do I do or can I do???? I am trying to teach other older people how to use the site... looks bad when it don't work for me!   I have lots of friends who I have told to come to twitter... we have been on facebook and chatting and wanted to do the same here?  but not if you can't add each other... I don't want to make people mad for not getting back to some... the emails have been here for two months and this has been happening... just never took the time to figure out where to go to ask for H E L P !

Thanks for you attention and help....

Linda

Feb-14 2009 11:52.

jonlyles

What is a reasonable ratio of following/followers? I have 1,555 followers, and am following 2,000 so my ratio is 77.75%. Am I really a red flag for Twitter?

Feb-16 2009 09:32.

dmorelandphotog

I have 2001 followers and had 800 people following - now i'm losing followers because i can't follow back and i can't follow some people that i would love to maintain contact with....how is this ratio determined if it's different for everyone and why can't it just be turned off?  Isn't the purpose of social networks to allow you to be social?  If someone finds someone else uninteresting then allow that person to unfollow the other, but this limit thing is crazy.

Feb-17 2009 18:49.

druiven

i follow only 15 and have 15 followers, but i hit the limit???, are other spamming with my user name? I recieved e-mail of unknow people who want to follow me, and well i do not think i am that interesting. So do others recieve e-mails from some kind of program that i am follwing them without me knowing it? so i hit the Limit.

Feb-19 2009 04:48.

WritingDad

Finding it odd that I'm running up against the follow limit here.  I'm following 48 and have only 40 followers.  I have several new followers recently and at least one who I *was* following but the system doesn't want to let me follow any of them back.  Difficulty here.

Feb-20 2009 11:06.

nathanlindorff

I am having the same problem as WritingDad. I currently follow 15, and have 6 followers, and I have eventually worked out that I have reached the limit. 2 people I followed have also dropped off and cannot refollow. The ticket I initially raised is 33842.

Feb-20 2009 15:09.

BobBabcockNow

The staff running this board really needs to get a life! I got blocked for a week because I found a bunch of listings of people/organizations I'm interested in? I haven't been able to find any specific rule and there was no warning that this could be a problem resulting in the account suspension - until it was suspended. Gimmee a break!

Mar-01 2009 23:43.

Cachceebusiness

Twitter, come on guys! You created a social network, but i cant approve people who want to follow me? I understand if I am just out there clicking oneveryone... but what about those who request to be part of my social network, AND I AGREE>? You need to fix this. Get on the ball, before another company does. Thanks.

Mar-02 2009 07:59.