Threads finally launches its API for developers

Meta said today that it finally launched its much-awaited API for Threads so developers can build experiences around it.

Mark Zuckerberg posted about the API launch, saying, “The Threads API is now widely available and coming to more of you soon.”

In a blog post, Threads engineer Jesse Chen said that with the new API, developers can publish posts, fetch their own content, and deploy reply management tools. That means developers can let users hide/unhide or respond to specific replies.

Making the Threads API announcement at the Cannes Festival, the company added that along with these features, it will also allow developers to tap into analytics with measurements such as the number of views, likes, replies, reposts, and quotes at the media and account level.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri also posted about the announcement, saying that this move will help “businesses and creators manage their Threads presence at scale.”

In October 2023, Mosseri mentioned the company’s work on the Threads API for the first time. The company launched the API in a closed beta with partners such as Sprinklr, Sprout Social, Social News Desk, Hootsuite, tech news board Techmeme and a few other developers. At that time, Chen said that Meta plans to make the API widely available to developers in June. The company has delivered on the promise.

With the new API launch, the company has also released a reference open source app on GitHub for developers to play around with.

Third-party developers building social networking tools faced a tough 2023, with social networks like Twitter (now X) and Reddit restricting or shutting down API access at different levels. Decentralized social networks such as Mastodon and Bluesky have taken a more developer-friendly approach. But Meta’s Threads is the biggest new social network with more than 150 million users. With Threads integrating with the fediverse and releasing an API, it gives a chance to third-party developers to build some great social media experiences.