Following and Update Limits
May 13th, 2009 Posted by Missie at 8:06 pm
Yes they do exist! Twitter has set some limits for API, direct message and total updates per day to help with the strain tweeters can put on the site. Unless you’re a serial spammer or obsessed with tweets, this won’t affect you as the limits are quiet substantial. Twitter embrasses the idea that constraint inspires creativity. Just look at the 140 character limit with tweets. It works like a gem.
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
There are also limits on how many people you can follow. The number is different for each user as it is based on a ration that changes as your account changes. The key here is to balance your follower/ following base ration in order to follow more people. So you can’t follow 40,000 people if you only have 17.
As most people won’t be affected, you won’t notice anything different. If you do however, twitter will give you a handy error message letting you know which limit you have hit. These limits are time based, so after 24 hrs you’ll be fine to tweet or follow again. Happy tweeting!
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
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8:43 pm on May 18th, 2009
I didn’t know this!! I was trying to follow as many people as possible a day to build my following.. know I know what the limits are! Thank youuuu..
3:34 pm on June 7th, 2009
Why is there an hourly limit on tweets? And what is that limit? How do I get back online?
9:59 am on June 8th, 2009
Hey DRCDIVA,
Twitter’s set some limit’s just to help with the strain of all the tweets on the system in one day. There’s a limit of 1,000 total updates per day, on any and all devices, but there is no set limit per hour. If you’re having some troubling getting back online, try logging out from twitter and logging back in.
If you’re reached the limit, you’ll see a message from twitter when you log in. You may have to wait up to 24 hrs to post any more tweets if you’re reached the limit.
Hope this helps,
Tweeterland