Post to X for free — bring your own X API key

Why this matters

X (formerly Twitter) charges for API write access. Every video post made through the API costs API quota against the app that made the call. When Short Shorts AI posts to X on your behalf using our shared app, those costs accrue to the platform.

By connecting your own X developer app, you bring your own API quota. Your posts go through your app's plan — completely separate from ours. The Free X developer plan allows 1,500 posts per month at no cost. The Basic plan ($100/month) allows 3,000 posts per month. At 3 posts per day, the Free tier covers you entirely.

Step 1 — Create an X developer account

1. Go to developer.x.com
2. Sign in with your X account
3. Click Sign up for Free Account
4. Fill in the use case (select "Building tools for personal use" or "Content automation")
5. Accept the developer agreement

Step 2 — Create an app and get API keys

1. In the developer portal, go to Projects & Apps → New App
2. Name it anything (e.g. "My Shorts Poster")
3. Set the app type to Web App
4. Add callback URL: https://www.shortshorts.ai/api/auth/x/callback
5. Under App Settings → Keys and Tokens, copy your:
   • API Key (also called Consumer Key)
   • API Key Secret (also called Consumer Secret)

Step 3 — Enable OAuth 2.0

1. In App Settings, click User authentication settings → Set up
2. Enable OAuth 2.0
3. Type of App: Web App
4. Callback URI: https://www.shortshorts.ai/api/auth/x/callback
5. Website URL: https://www.shortshorts.ai
6. Permissions: enable Read and Write
7. Save

Step 4 — Connect in Short Shorts AI

1. Go to your Account page
2. Scroll to Bring Your Own Credentials → X
3. Paste your API Key and API Key Secret
4. Click Save and Connect — you'll go through X OAuth using your own app
5. After authorising, your X posts will use your own developer app and quota

X developer plan comparison

Most Short Shorts AI users will never exceed the Free tier. Even with X cross-posting enabled, 3 Shorts/day from every episode comes to well under 100 posts/month unless you're processing multiple episodes daily.

What happens to existing X connection?

When you connect via BYOX, your existing X connection is preserved for your regular posting. The new BYOX credentials are used for API calls going forward. If you disconnect your BYOX credentials, posting automatically falls back to the platform's shared API key.

Questions?

If you hit any issues with the X developer portal, reply to any Short Shorts AI email — we're happy to help you get set up. The one-time 20-minute setup gives you effectively free X posting indefinitely.