To download your own tweets, now called posts, request your X (formerly Twitter) archive from Settings and privacy, complete the identity check, wait for X to prepare the export, then download the ZIP file while signed in. The archive contains posts and much more account data in HTML and JSON, and is the supported way to browse older history beyond the 3,200-post profile timeline.
Download your X archive step by step
The archive process is for the account holder. It does not provide a way to download another person’s private posts or bypass X access controls.
- Sign in to the correct account. Use the X account whose posts and data you want to save. Check the username and profile photo before continuing, especially if you manage multiple accounts.
- Open account data settings. Choose Settings and privacy, then open the account-information or data-download area. X uses separate instructions for desktop, iOS and Android, and labels can change as the interface is redesigned. Look for wording such as Download an archive of your data or Access your X data.
- Verify your identity. X may send a code to the email address or phone number attached to the account. Enter the code on the verification screen. If you no longer control that contact method, update or recover it before requesting the archive.
- Request the archive. Submit the request after verification. Confirm that the displayed email address is current; that is where X may send the ready notification.
- Wait for the notification. X says preparation may take a few days. There is no published service-level time in the help instructions, so request the archive before a legal, compliance or personal deadline.
- Download while signed in. Open the email or in-app notification, return to the archive page in the same browser where you are logged in, and select the download option. Save the ZIP file to a location you control.
The download is supplied by X as a ZIP archive. X describes it as viewable in a desktop web browser and says it includes machine-readable HTML and JSON files.
What is inside the archive?
This is a broad snapshot of your account, not a text file containing only tweets. X describes the snapshot as starting with your first post and potentially including:
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- Profile and account information
- Your posts and attached images, videos and GIFs
- Direct Messages
- Moments and Lists
- Follower and following lists
- Address-book data
- Inferred-interest and demographic information
- Advertising information
The exact files and categories can change. Treat the ZIP as sensitive personal data because it may include private conversations, contact information and account inferences in addition to public posts.
HTML versus JSON
The HTML portion is the easiest way to browse the export in a desktop browser. It generally presents navigation pages that link to categories and records. JSON is intended for machine processing: scripts can parse dates, IDs, text and media references without scraping a rendered page. Keep both formats; deleting one may remove useful context or make later processing harder.
How far back can you see?
Your profile timeline is not a complete historical database. X’s New user FAQ says the profile displays up to 3,200 of your most recent posts. For older history, X directs users to the archive, which provides a snapshot beginning with the first post. The 3,200 figure describes what the profile timeline shows; it is not a claim that the archive will contain every item under every circumstance.
If an old post is missing from the export, check that you requested the archive for the correct account, inspect both HTML and JSON, and look for media or conversation records stored in separate sections. Do not use a third-party tool that claims it can reveal protected posts without authorization.
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Open and search the downloaded files
- Locate the downloaded ZIP and copy it to a backup location before extracting it.
- Extract it with your operating system’s archive utility. On Windows, right-click and choose Extract All; on macOS, double-click the ZIP; on Linux, use your desktop archive manager or an equivalent unzip command.
- Open the extracted folder and start the main HTML index in a desktop browser. Use its navigation to reach posts, media, messages and account sections.
- For a quick text search, use the browser’s find command. For structured analysis, open the JSON files in a code editor or process them with a script.
- Keep the original ZIP unchanged. Make working copies if you plan to transform, filter or import the data.
Do not upload the archive to an online viewer unless you have checked its privacy policy and retention practices. The files can contain Direct Messages and other information that was not public on your profile.
Privacy and third-party downloader risks
The official archive is the safest documented route for your own account because it is requested inside X and delivered to the signed-in account holder. A browser extension, “tweet exporter” or analytics service may ask you to authorize an app instead.
Read the authorization screen
X’s third-party app documentation explains that permissions vary. An authorized app may be able to read posts, access Direct Messages, change account settings, or post and engage on your behalf. A tool that only promises a CSV of public posts should not need broad write or message permissions. If the requested scope is wider than the task, cancel authorization.
Check the developer’s terms
X notes that developers may handle information under their own business practices. Read the app’s terms and privacy policy, look for retention and deletion language, and confirm where exported data is stored. Avoid entering your X password into a downloader; use X’s authorization page instead, and only when the permissions are understandable.
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Revoke access you no longer trust
After an export, open X’s connected-app or authorized-app settings, review the list, and revoke applications you no longer use or cannot identify. Revocation stops future access; it does not necessarily delete copies the developer already downloaded, so request deletion from the developer when appropriate.
Public and protected posts
Public posts are visible to anyone. Protected posts are visible only to approved followers. The archive instructions covered here apply to the signed-in user’s own account. They do not authorize downloading another user’s protected posts, and no legitimate service should promise to bypass that restriction.
Troubleshooting the archive request
The verification code never arrives
- Confirm the email address or phone number shown in account settings.
- Check spam, junk and filtered-message folders.
- Wait before requesting another code repeatedly; multiple requests can make it unclear which code is current.
- If you have lost access to the contact method, complete X’s account-recovery process first.
The download button is missing
Make sure you are signed in to the same account that requested the archive and revisit the data-download page from account settings. The notification may indicate that preparation finished while your session expired. Sign in again rather than forwarding the download link to someone else.
The archive is still processing
X says preparation may take a few days. Check the account email and in-app notifications, and avoid assuming that a second request will make the first one faster. If you have a fixed deadline, retain screenshots or other records you are legally allowed to keep while waiting, but do not treat them as a replacement for the official archive.
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- Confirm the download completed and that the file size is not zero.
- Download it again over a stable connection.
- Use a current desktop archive utility and extract to a folder with sufficient free space.
- Keep the original file so support can inspect it if X reports a server-side problem.
Older posts do not appear in the profile
That is expected once you pass the profile timeline’s 3,200 most-recent-post display limit. Use the archive’s HTML navigation and JSON files instead.
Keeping the export safe and useful
- Store the ZIP and extracted folder in an encrypted drive or protected account.
- Limit access permissions if the files are on a shared computer.
- Make a second backup before editing or converting the data.
- Delete temporary copies and browser downloads when your project is complete.
- When importing posts into another system, preserve the original timestamps, post IDs and media files so the export remains auditable.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is to document an X page or archive view as an image or PDF rather than obtain the account data itself, ScreenshotNeo can capture a URL through one request. It accepts consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets; bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.
Example using cURL (see the ScreenshotNeo documentation for all options):
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://x.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://x.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://x.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);ScreenshotNeo also supports full-page captures with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element shots, device presets, custom viewports, retina scale, PDF page settings, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, waits, blocked resources, headers, cookies, user agents, authorization, timezone, geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, chosen cache TTLs, signed image links, asynchronous webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, usage reporting and an OpenAPI specification. Its parameter names are compatible with those used by other screenshot APIs.
The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots; every feature is included on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download someone else’s tweets with the archive tool?
No. The documented archive flow is for the signed-in account holder’s own data. It does not grant access to another person’s private or protected posts.
Does requesting an archive delete anything from X?
The archive request described here is a download request. It does not function as a deletion command; deletion and account-management actions are separate settings.
Is the archive only a collection of tweet text?
No. X describes a broader account snapshot that can include posts, media, Direct Messages, lists, follower data, address-book data and advertising or inferred-interest information.
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