How to Scrape Twitter/X in 2026: Public Data, Rate Limits, and What Still Works

Twitter/X scraping in 2026 is a minefield. After Elon Musk's aggressive API changes, rate limit crackdowns, and multiple lawsuits against scrapers, most of the old methods are dead. But public data extraction still works — if you know the current landscape. This guide covers what actually works right now, what got killed, and how to scrape Twitter/X data without getting your IP banned or your account suspended. The Current State of Twitter/X Data Access Let's be clear about what changed: Official API : The free tier is nearly useless (1,500 tweets/month read limit). Basic tier ($200/mo) gives you 10K tweets. Pro tier ($5,000/mo) for serious access. Aggressive bot detection : Twitter now uses advanced fingerprinting, behavioral analysis, and ML-based detection. Legal threats : Twitter/X has sued multiple scraping companies. They actively monitor for scraping activity. Login walls : Most content now requires authentication to view. What's still public and legal to access: Public profiles