FAQ: What are the limits of the NodeXL Twitter data importers?
The use of NodeXL Pro Twitter data importers requires a Twitter account. Before your first data import you need to authorize NodeXL by entering a token number which is automatically sent to you during the authorization process.
Moreover Twitter’s public free API has many limits. Twitter controls its API and throttles it based on unknowable parameters. NodeXL Basic and Pro are both effected by these limits.
Data collected with the NodeXL Pro Twitter Search Network importer is available only from the past 8-9 days. Also, queries cannot return more than 18,000 tweets. You are able to get more data from within that time frame by using the SINCE: and UNTIL: operators – example:QUERYTERM since:2022-03-11 until:2022-03-13.
Using the NodeXL Pro User Network importer the maximum number of available tweets per user is 3.200 without any time limit, going backwards in time from the date of your query. Also the collection of follower network data with this importer is very slow.
That said, NodeXL can process any list of tweet IDs with the NodeXL Pro Tweet ID List importer without any time limit involved. If you are working with any Twitter tool that allows the export of Tweet IDs, you can paste that list into this importer and easily run social network and content analysis.
Academics can collect Tweet IDs via the new Twitter Academic Research Track without any costs. Such lists of Tweet IDs are also available from commercial data providers like Brandwatch, Radian6 and Crimson Hexagon – but not cheaply!