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There are a few important concepts to understand when using the media upload endpoints. Uploading media with OAuth can be a bit tricky, so we’ve outlined some things to keep in mind as well as a working sample of how to use this endpoint here.

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Keep in mind

  • You may attach up to 4 photos, 1 animated GIF or 1 video in a Post.
  • Upload limits and Post-create limits are separately enforced. A media_id that finalized successfully can still be rejected by POST /2/tweets.
  • Limits follow the authenticated user (X Premium / verified status), not your developer API plan.
  • The image passed should be the raw binary of the image or binary base64 encoded, no need to otherwise encode or escape the contents as long as the Content-Type is set appropriately (when in doubt: application/octet-stream).
  • When posting base64 encoded images, be sure to set the “Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64” on the image part of the message.
  • Multi-part message boundaries must be on their own line and terminated by a CRLF.
  • For working examples of how to POST using this endpoint, we recommend testing with xurl. Also, take a look at the X Libraries available.
  • Use the media_id_string provided in the API response for Javascript and any other languages that cannot accurately represent a long integer.

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Media categories

The Media Category parameter defines the use case of the media file to be uploaded, and can affect file size limits or other constraints enforced for media uploads. It’s important to use the correct media category when uploading media to avoid problems when trying to use the media. It is an optional value passed in the INIT request as part of the upload flow. If media category is not specified, the uploaded media is assumed to be media for a Post (tweet_image, tweet_video, or tweet_gif), depending on the content type. The most common media categories are as follows:
  • tweet_image
  • tweet_video
  • tweet_gif
  • amplify_video
  • dm_image
  • dm_video
  • dm_gif
  • subtitles
Use tweet_video for a regular Post. Use amplify_video for Ads creatives. For Posts, Premium and default duration/size caps are the same for tweet_video and amplify_video. Using the wrong category (for example a DM category on a Post) is a common reason an upload succeeds and Post create then fails. If you are an Ads API partner please refer to these docs for more information on recommended media category for promoted video.

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Size and duration limits

These limits are enforced first by the upload endpoints, then again when you attach a media_id to a Post, DM, or similar entity.

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Default accounts (no X Premium)

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X Premium / verified accounts

Post-video caps match the X app. POST /2/media/upload/initialize accepts total_bytes up to 16 GB.

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Posting errors

When POST /2/tweets rejects a video for duration, the response is 403 Forbidden:
N is the posting user’s cap for that media (20 minutes by default, 125 minutes for Premium / verified Post video). Handle this error even after a successful finalize.

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Image specifications and recommendations

Image files must meet all of the following criteria:
  • Supported image media types: JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP
  • Image size: <= 5 MB
  • Animated GIF size: <= 15 MB

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Animated GIF recommendations

A GIF may fail during Post creation even if it is within the file size limit. Adhere to the following constraints to improve success rates.
  • Resolution: <= 1280x1080 (width x height)
  • Number of frames: <= 350
  • Number of pixels: <= 300 million (width * height * num_frames)
  • File size: <= 15 MB
In order to process larger GIFs, use the chunked upload endpoint with the media_category parameter. This allows the server to process the GIF file asynchronously, which is a requirement for processing larger files. Pass media_category=tweet_gif to enable async upload behavior for Posts with an animated GIF.

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Video specifications and recommendations

Use the chunked upload flow for all videos (POST /2/media/upload/initialize, /{id}/append, /{id}/finalize).
  • Video Codec: H264 High Profile
  • Frame Rates: 30 FPS, 60 FPS
  • Video Resolution: 1280x720 (landscape), 720x1280 (portrait), 720x720 (square). Subscribed users can upload a 1080p video and get 1080p playback. Unsubscribed users can upload a 720p video and get a 720p playback.
  • Minimum Video Bitrate: 5,000 kbps
  • Minimum Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps
  • Audio Codec: AAC LC
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square)

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Advanced

  • Frame rate: must be 60 FPS or less
  • Dimensions: must be between 32x32 and 1280x1024
  • File size: see size and duration limits (8 GB default for Post video; 16 GB for Premium / verified)
  • Duration: must be at least 0.5 seconds. Maximum depends on the authenticated user’s Premium / verified status and media_category — 20 minutes by default for Post video (tweet_video / amplify_video), 125 minutes for Premium / verified Post video. DM video remains 140 seconds default / 10 minutes Premium.
  • Aspect ratio: must be between 1:3 and 3:1
  • Pixel aspect ratio: must have 1:1
  • Pixel format: Only YUV 4:2:0 is supported
  • Audio must be AAC with Low Complexity profile. (High-Efficiency AAC is not supported)
  • Audio must be mono or stereo, not 5.1 or greater
  • Must not have open GOP
  • Must use progressive scan

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Additional Information

In the table below each row represents an upload recommendation, but is not a requirement. All uploads are processed for optimization across multiple platforms. For an example of how to upload media, please see the chunked media upload documentation.

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Troubleshooting

For issues with the Media APIs, browse the Media API category in the developer forums for an answer.