<< Back to Twitter API Documentation

friendships/create

Allows the authenticating users to follow the user specified in the ID parameter.  Returns the befriended user in the requested format when successful.  Returns a string describing the failure condition when unsuccessful. If you are already friends with the user an HTTP 403 will be returned.

method status | report a bug

URL:

http://api.twitter.com/1/friendships/create/id.format

Formats: 

xml, json

HTTP Method(s):

POST

Requires Authentication (about authentication):

true

API rate limited (about rate limiting):

false

Parameters:

One of the following is required:

• id.  Required. The ID or screen name of the user to befriend. 
  • Example: http://api.twitter.com/1/friendships/create/12345.json or http://api.twitter.com/1/friendships/create/bob.xml

• user_id. Required. Specfies the ID of the user to befriend. Helpful for disambiguating when a valid user ID is also a valid screen name.

  • Example: http://api.twitter.com/1/friendships/create.xml?user_id=1401881

• screen_name. Required. Specfies the screen name of the user to befriend. Helpful for disambiguating when a valid screen name is also a user ID.

  • Example: http://api.twitter.com/1/friendships/create.xml?screen_name=101010 

• follow.  Optional. Enable delivery of statuses from this user to the authenticated user's device; tweets sent by the user being followed will be delivered to the caller of this endpoint's phone as SMSes.  See notifications/follow for more info.
  • Example:  http://api.twitter.com/1/friendships/create/bob.json?follow=true

Usage notes:

• This method is subject to update limits. An HTTP 403 will be returned if this limit as been hit.

Response (about return values): 

          XML example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<user>

<id>1401881</id>

<name>Doug Williams</name>

<screen_name>dougw</screen_name>

<location>San Francisco, CA</location>

<description>Twitter API Support. Internet, greed, users, dougw and opportunities are my passions.</description>

<profile_image_url>http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/59648642/avatar_normal.png</profile_image_url>

<url>http://www.igudo.com</url>

<protected>false</protected>

<followers_count>1031</followers_count>

<profile_background_color>9ae4e8</profile_background_color>

<profile_text_color>000000</profile_text_color>

<profile_link_color>0000ff</profile_link_color>

<profile_sidebar_fill_color>e0ff92</profile_sidebar_fill_color>

<profile_sidebar_border_color>87bc44</profile_sidebar_border_color>

<friends_count>293</friends_count>

<created_at>Sun Mar 18 06:42:26 +0000 2007</created_at>

<favourites_count>0</favourites_count>

<utc_offset>-18000</utc_offset>

<time_zone>Eastern Time (US & Canada)</time_zone>

<profile_background_image_url>http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_background_images/2752608/twitter_bg_grass.jpg</profile_background_image_url>

<profile_background_tile>false</profile_background_tile>

<statuses_count>3390</statuses_count>

<notifications>false</notifications>

<following>false</following>

<verified>true</verified>

<status>

<created_at>Tue Apr 07 22:52:51 +0000 2009</created_at>

<id>1472669360</id>

<text>At least I can get your humor through tweets. RT @abdur: I don't mean this in a bad way, but genetically speaking your a cul-de-sac.</text>

<source><a href="http://www.tweetdeck.com/">TweetDeck</a></source>

<truncated>false</truncated>

<in_reply_to_status_id></in_reply_to_status_id>

<in_reply_to_user_id></in_reply_to_user_id>

<favorited>false</favorited>

<in_reply_to_screen_name></in_reply_to_screen_name>

</status>

</user>

Usage examples: 

cURL (about cURL):

curl -u user:password -d "" http://api.twitter.com/1/friendships/create/dougw.xml

          Do you have an example to share in the language of your choice? Please share!

<< Back to Twitter API Documentation