If you're automating Twitter, rate limits are your biggest enemy. Move too fast = rate limit. Take too many actions = account suspended. In this guide, you'll learn rate limit strategies for safe automation.
What is Rate Limiting?
Rate limit is the maximum number of actions you can perform in a given time period. Twitter uses these limits to detect bot behavior.
Note: Twitter doesn't publish official limits. Values vary based on account age and trust score.
BotWitter Rate Limit Settings
| Parameter | Description | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Limit | Max actions per day | 1-10,000 |
| Weekly Limit | Max actions per week | 1-100,000 |
| Cooldown | Seconds between actions | 1-3,600 |
| Bulk Cooldown | Seconds in bulk operations | 1-3,600 |
| Bulk Threshold | Items before bulk cooldown | 1-100 |
Safe Limits by Account Age
New Accounts (0-30 days)
| Action | Daily | Weekly | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOLLOW | 30-50 | 150-250 | 180s |
| LIKE | 100-200 | 500-1000 | 60s |
| RETWEET | 30-50 | 150-250 | 120s |
| TWEET | 10-20 | 50-100 | 300s |
| REPLY | 30-50 | 150-250 | 120s |
Established Accounts (6+ months)
| Action | Daily | Weekly | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOLLOW | 100-200 | 500-1000 | 60s |
| LIKE | 500-1000 | 2500-5000 | 15s |
| RETWEET | 100-200 | 500-1000 | 60s |
| TWEET | 50-100 | 200-500 | 120s |
| REPLY | 100-200 | 500-1000 | 60s |
Cooldown Strategy
Cooldown is the waiting time between two actions. It's crucial for avoiding detection.
| Cooldown | Behavior | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5s | Too fast | High - Instant flag |
| 5-30s | Fast | Medium - Attention |
| 30-60s | Normal | Low - Acceptable |
| 60-120s | Slow | Very Low - Safe |
Action Risk Levels
Not all actions carry equal risk:
| Risk | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 🔴 High | FOLLOW | Most monitored action |
| 🔴 High | TWEET (spam) | Content analysis |
| 🟡 Medium | RETWEET | Coordinated RT detection |
| 🟡 Medium | REPLY | Spam comment detection |
| 🟢 Low | LIKE | Least risky action |
Strategy: Start with low-risk actions (LIKE) in the first 2 weeks. Gradually add higher-risk actions.
Bulk Cooldown System
How it works:
Actions 10+: Bulk cooldown (e.g., 180s)
This prevents rapid-fire actions in batch operations, which would trigger Twitter's coordination detection.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Result | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Same limits for all accounts | Pattern detection | Use tier system |
| Very low cooldown | Rate limit | Minimum 30s |
| No weekly limit | Peak day bans | Set weekly = daily × 5 |
| Continue after errors | Blacklisting | Pause on errors |
Golden Rule
When in doubt, slow down. Recovering an account is harder than increasing limits.