How to Scrape Twitter (X) Data With an API in 2026

To scrape X (Twitter) data with an API in 2026, you send one authenticated POST request describing what you want (a profile's followers, a search query, or a tweet's repliers) and get back clean JSON. No headless browser, no proxy rotation, no HTML parsing. This guide shows the exact request in curl, Node.js, and Python using the XAutoDM API.

The official X API priced most builders out, and raw scraping of a login-walled platform is a maintenance treadmill. A purpose-built X data API sits in the middle: the public data you need, one key, usage-based pricing.

What you can pull

The XAutoDM API exposes X's public data through a single

• followers / following of any handle
• repliers to a tweet (everyone who replied)
• retweeters of a tweet
• search results for a keyword or advanced query
• list_members of a public List

Every result is a profile object with the fields that matter for outreach: handle, name, bio, follower counts, verified status, and

Authentication

You need an API key. The XAutoDM API is in early access, so you request a key on the API page and authenticate with a bearer token:

Authorization: Bearer xad_live_...

Scrape a profile's followers (curl)

curl -X POST https://app.xautodm.com/api/v1/scrapes \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer xad_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "source_type": "followers",
    "source_value": "https://x.com/naval",
    "count": 500,
    "filters": { "canDmOnly": true }
  }'

The

The same call in Node.js

const res = await fetch("https://app.xautodm.com/api/v1/scrapes", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": "Bearer xad_live_...",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    source_type: "search",
    source_value: "growth marketing agency",
    count: 200,
    filters: { canDmOnly: true },
  }),
});
const { data } = await res.json();
console.log(data.length, "profiles");

Swap

And in Python

import requests

resp = requests.post(
    "https://app.xautodm.com/api/v1/scrapes",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer xad_live_..."},
    json={
        "source_type": "repliers",
        "source_value": "https://x.com/user/status/1234567890",
        "count": 200,
        "filters": {"canDmOnly": True},
    },
)
for profile in resp.json()["data"]:
    print(profile["username"], profile["followers"], profile["canDm"])

Here

What the response looks like

Each profile comes back as structured JSON, roughly:

{
  "username": "someone",
  "name": "Some One",
  "bio": "Founder, building in public",
  "followers": 4213,
  "verified": false,
  "canDm": true
}

Clean fields, no scraping glue code. You filter, dedupe, and load them straight into your CRM or outreach flow.

Pagination and pacing

Ask for what you need with

From data to booked calls

Scraping is step one. The reason to pull DM-able X leads is to reach them, and the same platform closes the loop: the XAutoDM API can send paced, personalized DMs and run follow-up sequences under the same key and safety rails. Before you build a sender, read our guide on X DM limits so your outreach stays under the caps, and see the full API overview for early access.

Want the endpoint and a key? Request early access on the XAutoDM API page. No official X API needed.