Download your own X/Twitter account for archiving via X

X, formerly Twitter, allows you to request and download an archive of your own X data. It is the simplest and least time-consuming way to archive your own posts.

• no extra software or technical knowledge required to retrieve your own X content;
• all your own posts (including images) are downloaded; as well as retweets, likes, and received messages;
• the overview page of your X archive includes a handy search and filter function that lets you quickly search through your content.

• only your own content is downloaded. Shared posts and third-party comments are not included, nor are likes and reactions;
• the overview page cannot be used if your X archive is larger than 50 GB;
• privacy-sensitive data such as email addresses and phone numbers of your contacts may be present in the downloaded archive;
• the look-and-feel resembles X but is not identical.

Workflow

Step 1: log in to X

This workflow only works on the X website. Log in using your credentials at x.com

Step 2: request to download your X archive

• In the left sidebar, click More.

• Then choose Settings and privacy.

• Under Your Profile on the right, choose ‘Download an archive of your data’.

• X will ask you to verify your identity. Re-enter your password and choose whether to receive a security code via email or SMS. Once you enter the code, you can request your X data archive.

• X will compile the archive. You’ll receive an email and a smartphone notification when it’s ready. This may take more than a day — even for small accounts — so don’t worry if you don’t get a message right away. The archive can only be downloaded via the website.

Result

Once the archive is downloaded, you will receive a ZIP file containing the folders assets and data and a central Your archive.html file.

The assets folder contains all scripts and content X uses to create the overview page; the data folder contains all the data X has stored about you. The Your archive.html file can be used to browse your X archive (= the data folder) in a browser.

Tweets can be searched using a handy search and filter function.

Remove potentially sensitive data

The X archive includes all your data and all third-party data collected during your activity on Twitter and X. If you wish to transfer this data to an archival institution or make it available to others, it may be useful to delete certain items.

Delete the following files from the folder containing your X data:

• account-creation-ip.js: contains your IP address;
• block.js: contains accounts you’ve blocked;
• deleted-tweets.js and deleted-tweet-headers.js: contain your deleted tweets;
• device-token.js: may contain sensitive data;
• ip-audit.js: contains IP addresses;
• mute.js: contains accounts you’ve muted.

Authors

Nastasia Vanderperren with contributions from Rony Vissers (meemoo)