Use X/Twitter Keyword & Hashtag Tweet Search with Python

Search X (Twitter) by keyword, phrase or hashtag and get tweet text, author, engagement metrics, media and language. Every row says which keyword found it. No login required.

1. Choose the data you need

Review the published README for supported collection modes, examples, and limits. The recipe below uses the current published input definition.

2. Prepare a source-based input

This JSON contains published prefills and required-field defaults. Review every value for your task before running it; it is not a promise of successful collection.

{
  "excludeReplies": false,
  "excludeRetweets": false,
  "keywords": [
    "apify"
  ],
  "language": "Any language",
  "maxTweets": 20,
  "onlyImages": false,
  "onlyVerifiedUsers": false,
  "onlyVideos": false,
  "searchType": "Top"
}

Download input.example.json and save your reviewed copy as input.json.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`keywords`	array	required	Words, phrases, hashtags or full X search queries to monitor. Each keyword is searched separately, and every result row tells you which keyword found it (searchTerm).
`maxTweets`	integer	optional	Stop after this many tweets for each keyword.
`maxItems`	integer	optional	Alias of Maximum tweets per keyword. The actor accepts either name.
`searchType`	string	optional	Top returns the most relevant and popular tweets. Latest returns the newest tweets first — best for real-time monitoring.
`sort`	string	optional	Alias of Result order. The actor accepts either name.
`language`	string	optional	Only return tweets written in this language. Leave the default to search all languages.
`dateFrom`	string	optional	Only return tweets posted on or after this date. Leave empty for no lower bound.
`dateTo`	string	optional	Only return tweets posted on or before this date. Leave empty for no upper bound.
`excludeRetweets`	boolean	optional	Skip retweets/reposts and keep only original posts.
`excludeReplies`	boolean	optional	Skip replies and keep only top-level posts.
`onlyVerifiedUsers`	boolean	optional	Only return tweets from verified (blue check) accounts.
`onlyImages`	boolean	optional	Only return tweets that contain at least one image.
`onlyVideos`	boolean	optional	Only return tweets that contain at least one video or GIF.
`minimumLikes`	integer	optional	Only return tweets with at least this many likes. Leave empty for no minimum.
`minimumRetweets`	integer	optional	Only return tweets with at least this many retweets. Leave empty for no minimum.
`minimumReplies`	integer	optional	Only return tweets with at least this many replies. Leave empty for no minimum.
`proxyConfiguration`	object	optional	Optional. Use a proxy if you run large jobs or see frequent IP-based rate limits.
`startDate`	string	optional	Deprecated — use 'Start date' instead. Kept so existing saved inputs keep working. Format: YYYY-MM-DD.
`endDate`	string	optional	Deprecated — use 'End date' instead. Kept so existing saved inputs keep working. Format: YYYY-MM-DD.

3. Start an Actor run

Set APIFY_TOKEN in your environment. Python 3.10 or newer is sufficient; this recipe uses no third-party packages.

Execution may incur charges. Review current pricing on Apify. The request asks for a 120-second timeout and a charge limit; these settings are subject to Apify’s pricing and do not guarantee an all-inclusive spending cap.

import json
import os
import urllib.request

# Save the schema-derived example as input.json; review and edit it first.
with open("input.json", encoding="utf-8") as stream:
    actor_input = json.load(stream)

token = os.environ["APIFY_TOKEN"]
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/XJyPDggYTy5zS42Q1/runs?timeout=120&maxTotalChargeUsd=0.50",
    data=json.dumps(actor_input).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + token, "Content-Type": "application/json"},
    method="POST",
)
# This starts a potentially billable run. Do not automatically retry this POST.
with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=40) as response:
    run = json.load(response)["data"]
print("Run ID:", run["id"])
print("Status:", run["status"])
# Inspect and download results in Apify Console once the run succeeds.

4. Inspect the actual results

Open the run in Apify Console and wait for a successful completion. Use the published output schema to locate results and the dataset schema to understand declared views. Missing or optional record fields must not be treated as guaranteed values.

Tweets found for your keywords — text, author, engagement metrics, media and the search term that found each row.

Questions before you run

Which inputs are required?

The published required fields are keywords

What does this guide verify?

The fields, prefills, and schema links are rendered from the published build. This is a usage recipe, not a paid live extraction test. Source availability and collection results can vary.

What if the run request times out?

Check Apify Console before retrying. The first request may already have created a run. Do not automatically repeat a run-creation POST.

Open on Apify Full Actor reference

Generated from source build JUGXgeVuZX6MAfJ01 and its README and schemas. Source changes regenerate this guide; no third-party editorial claims are inferred.