Earlier this month, Automattic, the operator of popular blogging software, WordPress, revealed that new blog posts can no longer be automatically mirrored or shared on Twitter due to recent API changes. Twitter recently abolished free API access and started charging for its services. As such, it became impossible for the two companies to reach a mutual agreement. The social media platform has recently made changes regarding API access. Consequently, the automated function of linking blog entries and mirroring them on Twitter is no longer functional. Nonetheless, blog authors can still share their posts manually on Twitter.
Previously, the feature was implemented in WordPress plugin Jetpack Social. Consequently, API access was required to link and mirror blog entries in tweets, including images and videos. However, API access was deactivated at the beginning of April, before being reactivated. Automattic attempted to negotiate with Twitter following the announcement of new API access prices. Still, it failed to reach an agreement, leading to the function being switched off.
W3Techs reports that more than 40% of all websites use WordPress. Therefore, the impact of the changes is significant and could affect a range of social media teams, media outlets, and other services that use Twitter. While individuals are less affected by the changes, outlets and services are still exploring options to adapt to the new environment.
Automattic is currently ensuring that blog posts can still be automatically distributed to various social media platforms such as Facebook, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. Moreover, Automattic is working on connecting the feature to Instagram and Mastodon. Mastodon is a Twitter alternative that can be linked closely to a WordPress blog. With the “ActivityPub for WordPress” plugin, posts can be read, subscribed to, and commented on in the Mastodon network, the entire Fediverse. Automattic purchased the tool a few weeks ago.
