In a move that has left many bloggers and website owners scratching their heads, WordPress has announced it will drop Twitter sharing feature as API price soars. The announcement, titled ” Why Twitter Auto-Sharing Is Coming to an End,” was made by WordPress parent company Automattic in early April.
The move comes because of Twitter’s decision to change its terms and pricing of the Twitter API on short notice. Under Elon Musk’s leadership, Twitter has shuttered its free API offerings to developers and replaced them with exorbitantly priced paid Enterprise subscription tiers, which start at $42,000 per month. Automattic has stated that they cannot bear the increased cost without transferring a significant price increase to their users, which they consider an unfeasible option.
Despite their attempts to negotiate a path forward, Automattic was unable to reach an agreement with Twitter in time for the May 1 cutoff. As a result, the Twitter connection on Jetpack Social will cease to work, and blog posts will no longer be auto-shared to Twitter.
However, Automattic assured users that they will still be able to share their posts manually on Twitter by pasting the post link into the body of their tweet. They can also continue to auto-share their posts to Tumblr, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Soon, Automattic is planning to add the ability to auto-share to Instagram and Mastodon.
The news of WordPress dropping Twitter integration is a blow to many bloggers and website owners who rely on social media to promote their content. However, Automattic is committed to providing the best possible experience for its users and is not willing to compromise the value they receive from Jetpack.
In recent weeks, WordPress has joined the ranks of other major companies to drop Twitter. Microsoft recently removed Twitter from its Microsoft Ads service and Xbox gaming console, while Intercom, a popular customer service platform, dropped the Musk-owned platform from its tools as well.
When WordPress decided it will Drop Twitter Sharing Feature as API Price Soars it sparked a debate about the impact of Musk’s pricing changes on developers and small businesses. Many have argued that the new pricing tiers are out of reach for most developers and small businesses and will hurt innovation and competition in the industry.
Despite the backlash, Twitter has stood by its decision, stating that the new pricing tiers reflect the value of its platform and the services it provides to developers and businesses.
The future of Twitter integration on WordPress remains uncertain, but Automattic is committed to providing its users with the best possible experience and is actively exploring new social media integrations to replace Twitter. In the meantime, bloggers and website owners will have to manually share their posts on Twitter, a small inconvenience that they hope will be resolved soon.
Source: Wordpress News
