X/Twitter Search Operators for APIs (from:, since:, lang:)

Why operators beat keyword soup

A bare keyword like “CPI” returns noise: memes, replies, and unrelated brands. Operators narrow the query the same way X’s advanced search UI does — but through an API so you can automate it.

XFlux search accepts the query string in q. You do not need the official X API approval path to run these reads. Docs: /docs/guides/search.

Operators that matter for monitoring

from:username — only posts by that account (no @ required in most clients). Useful when you already know who to watch but want a one-shot pull instead of a monitor.

since:YYYY-MM-DD and until:YYYY-MM-DD — bound the window. Keep windows short when exploring; wide ranges burn quota and return stale noise.

lang:en (or other ISO codes) — cut cross-language spam. filter:replies / -filter:replies — include or exclude reply threads. min_faves / min_retweets — engagement floors when you care about reach, not volume.

Combine carefully: from:FederalReserve lang:en since:2026-09-01 is usually better than stuffing five unrelated keywords.

Example with XFlux

Bearer auth against https://www.xfluxapi.com/api/v1/search. URL-encode the query.

curl -G "https://www.xfluxapi.com/api/v1/search" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer xflux_YOUR_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "q=from:FederalReserve lang:en" \
  --data-urlencode "limit=10"

# Python
import os, requests
r = requests.get(
    "https://www.xfluxapi.com/api/v1/search",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['XFLUX_API_KEY']}"},
    params={"q": "CPI OR FOMC -filter:replies lang:en", "limit": 20},
    timeout=30,
)
r.raise_for_status()
print(len(r.json()["data"]))

Search vs account monitors

Search is on-demand: great for research, backfills, and agent tools (MCP xflux_search_tweets). Account monitors are for always-on “this @handle posted” with signed webhooks on paid plans.

Trading/macro keyword templates: /docs/guides/trading-keywords. Webhook delivery: /blog/twitter-account-monitor-webhook.