# Twitter User Following Scraper (`scrapium/twitter-user-following-scraper`) Actor
- **URL**: https://apify.com/scrapium/twitter-user-following-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Scrapium](https://apify.com/scrapium) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Lead generation, Social media
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet
## Pricing
from $3.99 / 1,000 results
This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event
## What's an Apify Actor?
Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".
## How to integrate an Actor?
If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.
In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):
```bash
npm install apify-client
```
In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):
```bash
pip install apify-client
```
In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):
````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash
In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).
If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).
For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.
For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).
# README
## Twitter User Following Scraper
A powerful Apify actor that scrapes Twitter (X) user following lists efficiently. Extract comprehensive profile data for all users that a specific Twitter account follows, including profile information, follower counts, verification status, and more. The actor saves data in real-time to the dataset, ensuring you can monitor progress and access results immediately.
### Why Choose Us?
- **Real-Time Data Saving**: Results are saved to the dataset as they're scraped, so you can access data immediately without waiting for the entire run to complete
- **Intelligent Proxy Management**: Automatic proxy fallback system ensures maximum success rate - starts with no proxy, automatically falls back to datacenter, then residential proxies if needed
- **Bulk Processing**: Process multiple usernames in a single run, saving time and resources
- **Comprehensive Data**: Extract complete profile information including follower counts, verification status, profile images, descriptions, and more
- **Flexible Input**: Accept usernames, full URLs, or keywords - the actor automatically extracts and processes them
- **Reliable & Robust**: Built with error handling and retry logic to ensure successful data collection
### Key Features
- ✅ **Real-Time Data Saving**: Watch results appear in the dataset as scraping progresses
- ✅ **Smart Proxy Fallback**: Automatic proxy switching (no proxy → datacenter → residential) with 3 retries
- ✅ **Bulk Username Support**: Process multiple Twitter accounts in one run
- ✅ **Flexible Input Formats**: Accept usernames, URLs (x.com/twitter.com), or keywords
- ✅ **Comprehensive Profile Data**: Extract 20+ fields per user including:
- User ID, name, screen name
- Profile and banner images
- Follower/following counts
- Verification status
- Bio/description
- Location and website
- Account creation date
- And more
- ✅ **Progress Tracking**: Real-time logs show pages fetched and users saved
- ✅ **Error Handling**: Robust error handling ensures maximum data collection success
### Input
The actor accepts the following input parameters:
#### Input Schema
```json
{
"startUrls": [
"jordanbpeterson",
"https://x.com/elonmusk",
"twitter.com/billgates"
],
"maxResults": 100,
"authToken": "",
"ct0": "",
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": false
}
}
````
#### Input Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| **startUrls** | Array | Yes | List of Twitter usernames, URLs, or keywords. Supports multiple formats:
- Username: `"jordanbpeterson"`
- Full URL: `"https://x.com/elonmusk"`
- Twitter URL: `"twitter.com/billgates"` |
| **maxResults** | Integer | No | Maximum number of following users to scrape per username. Default: `200`. Range: 1-10000 |
| **authToken** | String | No | Optional X/Twitter `auth_token` cookie. If not provided, the actor uses its built-in defaults. |
| **ct0** | String | No | Optional X/Twitter `ct0` (CSRF) cookie. If provided, it is also used as the `x-csrf-token` header. If not provided, the actor uses its built-in defaults. |
| **proxyConfiguration** | Object | No | Proxy settings. By default, no proxy is used. If Twitter blocks requests, the actor automatically falls back to datacenter proxy, then residential proxy with 3 retries |
#### Input Examples
**Single Username:**
```json
{
"startUrls": ["jordanbpeterson"],
"maxResults": 200
}
```
**Multiple Usernames:**
```json
{
"startUrls": [
"jordanbpeterson",
"elonmusk",
"billgates"
],
"maxResults": 500
}
```
**With URLs:**
```json
{
"startUrls": [
"https://x.com/jordanbpeterson",
"twitter.com/elonmusk",
"billgates"
],
"maxResults": 1000
}
```
### Output
The actor saves data to the Apify dataset in real-time. Each record contains comprehensive profile information for a following user.
#### Output Schema
```json
{
"username": "jordanbpeterson",
"id": "17995040",
"name": "Ben Shapiro",
"screen_name": "benshapiro",
"profile_image_url_https": "https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/...",
"profile_banner_url": "https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_banners/...",
"description": "Daily Wire co-founder, host of @benshapiroshow...",
"followers_count": 8010425,
"friends_count": 486,
"statuses_count": 204599,
"is_blue_verified": true,
"verified_type": null,
"created_at": "Tue Dec 09 16:40:22 +0000 2008",
"profile_url": "https://x.com/benshapiro",
"location": "",
"url": "https://t.co/kvSlznhfDe",
"favourites_count": 50,
"media_count": 8629,
"listed_count": 18882,
"fast_followers_count": 0,
"normal_followers_count": 8010425,
"profile_image_shape": "Circle"
}
```
#### Output Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| **username** | String | Source username whose following list was scraped |
| **id** | String | Twitter user ID |
| **name** | String | Display name |
| **screen\_name** | String | Twitter handle (without @) |
| **profile\_image\_url\_https** | String | Profile image URL |
| **profile\_banner\_url** | String | Profile banner image URL |
| **description** | String | Bio/description text |
| **followers\_count** | Integer | Number of followers |
| **friends\_count** | Integer | Number of accounts following |
| **statuses\_count** | Integer | Total number of tweets |
| **is\_blue\_verified** | Boolean | Whether account has blue verification |
| **verified\_type** | String/null | Verification type |
| **created\_at** | String | Account creation date |
| **profile\_url** | String | Full profile URL |
| **location** | String | Location from profile |
| **url** | String | Website URL from profile |
| **favourites\_count** | Integer | Number of liked tweets |
| **media\_count** | Integer | Number of media posts |
| **listed\_count** | Integer | Number of lists containing user |
| **fast\_followers\_count** | Integer | Fast followers count |
| **normal\_followers\_count** | Integer | Normal followers count |
| **profile\_image\_shape** | String | Profile image shape (Circle/Square) |
### 🚀 How to Use the Actor (via Apify Console)
1. **Log in** to [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) and navigate to **Actors**
2. **Find** the `twitter-user-following-scraper` actor and click on it
3. **Configure inputs**:
- Enter Twitter usernames or URLs in the `startUrls` field (one per line or as array)
- Set `maxResults` to limit how many following users to scrape per username
- Optionally configure proxy settings (recommended for large-scale scraping)
4. **Run the actor** by clicking the "Start" button
5. **Monitor progress** in real-time through the logs - watch as users are saved to the dataset
6. **Access results** in the **OUTPUT** tab - data appears in real-time as scraping progresses
7. **Export results** to JSON, CSV, Excel, or other formats from the dataset
#### Example Workflow
1. Enter usernames: `["jordanbpeterson", "elonmusk"]`
2. Set max results: `200`
3. Start the actor
4. Watch logs: See "Fetching page 1...", "Extracted and saved 20 users..."
5. Check OUTPUT tab: Results appear immediately as they're scraped
6. Export: Download complete dataset when finished
### Best Use Cases
- **Social Media Research**: Analyze who influential accounts follow to understand their network
- **Competitor Analysis**: Discover who your competitors follow to identify potential connections
- **Influencer Marketing**: Find accounts that follow specific influencers for targeted outreach
- **Network Mapping**: Build relationship graphs by analyzing following patterns
- **Lead Generation**: Extract contact information and profile data for business development
- **Market Research**: Understand audience interests by analyzing who they follow
- **Content Strategy**: Discover content creators and thought leaders in specific niches
### Frequently Asked Questions
#### How many users can I scrape per run?
The actor supports up to 10,000 users per username (configurable via `maxResults`). For multiple usernames, the total will be the sum of all scraped users.
#### Does the actor work without a proxy?
Yes! The actor starts with no proxy by default. It automatically switches to proxies only if Twitter blocks or rejects requests.
#### How long does scraping take?
Scraping speed depends on:
- Number of usernames
- Max results per username
- Twitter's response time
- Network conditions
Typically, 100 users take 1-2 minutes. The actor processes 20 users per page with a 1-second delay between pages.
#### Can I scrape private accounts?
No, the actor only scrapes publicly available following lists. Private accounts' following lists are not accessible.
#### Is the data saved in real-time?
Yes! Data is saved to the dataset immediately as each user is extracted. You don't need to wait for the entire run to complete to access results.
#### What happens if a request is blocked?
The actor automatically handles blocks with intelligent proxy fallback:
1. First attempt: No proxy
2. If blocked: Falls back to datacenter proxy
3. If still blocked: Falls back to residential proxy (with 3 retries)
#### Can I use this for commercial purposes?
Yes, you can use the scraped data for commercial purposes, but ensure you comply with:
- Twitter's Terms of Service
- Data protection regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
- Local laws regarding data collection and usage
#### How accurate is the data?
The actor extracts data directly from Twitter's API, ensuring high accuracy. All data reflects the current state of profiles at the time of scraping.
### Support and Feedback
For custom solutions, feature requests, or support, please contact us at:
📧 **Email**: dev.scraperengine@gmail.com
We're always happy to help and improve the actor based on your feedback!
### Cautions
⚠️ **Important Notes:**
- **Public Data Only**: This actor collects data only from publicly available sources. No data is taken from private accounts or password-protected content
- **Rate Limiting**: The actor includes built-in rate limiting (1 second delay between requests) to respect Twitter's servers
- **Legal Compliance**: The end user is responsible for ensuring legal compliance with:
- Twitter's Terms of Service
- Data protection and privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
- Anti-spam regulations
- Local data collection laws
- **Ethical Use**: Please use this actor responsibly and ethically. Do not use scraped data for spam, harassment, or other malicious purposes
- **Data Accuracy**: Profile data reflects the state at the time of scraping. Accounts may be deleted, suspended, or modified after scraping
***
**Version**: 0.1\
**Last Updated**: 2025\
**Maintained by**: Scraper Engine Team
# Actor input Schema
## `startUrls` (type: `array`):
🧾 Add one or more Twitter usernames (e.g., jordanbpeterson), profile URLs (e.g., https://x.com/jordanbpeterson), or keywords.
## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):
🎯 Maximum number of following users to scrape per username.
## `authToken` (type: `string`):
🔐 Your X/Twitter `auth_token` cookie value. If not provided, the actor uses its built-in default (which may stop working over time).
## `ct0` (type: `string`):
🧩 Your X/Twitter `ct0` (CSRF) cookie value. If provided, it is also used as the `x-csrf-token` header. If omitted, the actor uses its built-in default (which may stop working over time).
## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):
⚙️ Choose which proxies to use. Default is no proxy. If Twitter rejects or blocks a request, the actor falls back to datacenter proxy, then residential proxy with up to 3 retries. 🔄
## Actor input object example
```json
{
"startUrls": [
"jordanbpeterson"
],
"maxResults": 10,
"authToken": "",
"ct0": "",
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": false
}
}
```
# API
You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.
## JavaScript example
```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
token: '',
});
// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
"startUrls": [
"jordanbpeterson"
],
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": false
}
};
// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("scrapium/twitter-user-following-scraper").call(input);
// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
console.dir(item);
});
// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs
```
## Python example
```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("")
# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
"startUrls": ["jordanbpeterson"],
"proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": False },
}
# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("scrapium/twitter-user-following-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)
# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
print(item)
# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start
```
## CLI example
```bash
echo '{
"startUrls": [
"jordanbpeterson"
],
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": false
}
}' |
apify call scrapium/twitter-user-following-scraper --silent --output-dataset
```
## MCP server setup
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"apify": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=scrapium/twitter-user-following-scraper",
"--header",
"Authorization: Bearer "
]
}
}
}
```
## OpenAPI specification
```json
{
"openapi": "3.0.1",
"info": {
"title": "Twitter User Following Scraper",
"version": "0.1",
"x-build-id": "65n1cBQaFThjyE6Z6"
},
"servers": [
{
"url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
}
],
"paths": {
"/acts/scrapium~twitter-user-following-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
"post": {
"operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-scrapium-twitter-user-following-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK"
}
}
}
},
"/acts/scrapium~twitter-user-following-scraper/runs": {
"post": {
"operationId": "runs-sync-scrapium-twitter-user-following-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK",
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
}
}
}
}
}
}
},
"/acts/scrapium~twitter-user-following-scraper/run-sync": {
"post": {
"operationId": "run-sync-scrapium-twitter-user-following-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK"
}
}
}
}
},
"components": {
"schemas": {
"inputSchema": {
"type": "object",
"required": [
"startUrls"
],
"properties": {
"startUrls": {
"title": "🔎 Twitter Usernames, URLs, or Keywords",
"type": "array",
"description": "🧾 Add one or more Twitter usernames (e.g., jordanbpeterson), profile URLs (e.g., https://x.com/jordanbpeterson), or keywords.",
"items": {
"type": "string"
}
},
"maxResults": {
"title": "📊 Maximum Results per Username",
"minimum": 1,
"maximum": 10000,
"type": "integer",
"description": "🎯 Maximum number of following users to scrape per username.",
"default": 10
},
"authToken": {
"title": "🍪 X auth_token Cookie (Optional)",
"type": "string",
"description": "🔐 Your X/Twitter `auth_token` cookie value. If not provided, the actor uses its built-in default (which may stop working over time).",
"default": ""
},
"ct0": {
"title": "🛡️ X ct0 Cookie (Optional)",
"type": "string",
"description": "🧩 Your X/Twitter `ct0` (CSRF) cookie value. If provided, it is also used as the `x-csrf-token` header. If omitted, the actor uses its built-in default (which may stop working over time).",
"default": ""
},
"proxyConfiguration": {
"title": "🌐 Proxy Configuration",
"type": "object",
"description": "⚙️ Choose which proxies to use. Default is no proxy. If Twitter rejects or blocks a request, the actor falls back to datacenter proxy, then residential proxy with up to 3 retries. 🔄"
}
}
},
"runsResponseSchema": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"data": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"id": {
"type": "string"
},
"actId": {
"type": "string"
},
"userId": {
"type": "string"
},
"startedAt": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time",
"example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
},
"finishedAt": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time",
"example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
},
"status": {
"type": "string",
"example": "READY"
},
"meta": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"origin": {
"type": "string",
"example": "API"
},
"userAgent": {
"type": "string"
}
}
},
"stats": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"inputBodyLen": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 2000
},
"rebootCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"restartCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"resurrectCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"computeUnits": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
},
"options": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"build": {
"type": "string",
"example": "latest"
},
"timeoutSecs": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 300
},
"memoryMbytes": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 1024
},
"diskMbytes": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 2048
}
}
},
"buildId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultDatasetId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultRequestQueueId": {
"type": "string"
},
"buildNumber": {
"type": "string",
"example": "1.0.0"
},
"containerUrl": {
"type": "string"
},
"usage": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 1
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_SERPS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
},
"usageTotalUsd": {
"type": "number",
"example": 0.00005
},
"usageUsd": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
"type": "number",
"example": 0.00005
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_SERPS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
```