With its version 1.1 API release, Twitter said that it is introducing authentication on every API endpoint, a new per-endpoint rate-limiting methodology, and changes to its developer rules of the road.
Regarding the authentication changes, Michael Sippey, Twitter group product manager, explained that v1.1 will require every request to the API to be authenticated.
“For developers who are already using OAuth when making API requests, all of your authentication tokens will transition seamlessly from v1.0 to v1.1. If your application is currently using the Twitter API without using OAuth, you will need to update your application before March 2013”, Sippey explained in a blog.
With the per-endpoint rate-limiting changes, applications that use multiple endpoints will run into rate-limiting issues less frequently, Sippey related.
“Most individual API endpoints will be rate limited at 60 calls per hour per-endpoint. Based on analysis of current use of our API, this rate limit will be well above the needs of most applications built against the Twitter API, while protecting our systems from abusive applications. There will be a set of high-volume endpoints related to Tweet display, profile display, user lookup and user search where applications will be able to make up to 720 calls per hour per endpoint”, he wrote.
The changes to the developer rules of the road include providing mandatory “display requirements” instead of “display guidelines”, requiring pre-installed client applications to be certified by Twitter, and requiring developers to work with Twitter directly if they need a large amount of user tokens.
“Beyond API v1.1, we look forward to creating new ways for developers to not only build applications using data and content from Twitter, but to also build interactive Twitter Cards”, Sippey added.