PLANKNavigation warning
X unfollow rate limits and account safety
Search results offer plenty of daily unfollow limits. Most of those numbers are estimates from tool vendors or writers. X publishes a per-user API rate limit and a separate set of automation and authenticity rules.
X lists 50 DELETE requests per user per 15 minutes for its unfollow endpoint. X does not publish one universal safe number of unfollows per day.
The official X API unfollow limit
The X API rate-limit table lists the endpoint as DELETE /2/users/:source_user_id/following/:target_user_id. The per-user limit is 50 requests in a 15-minute window.
Each API request targets one account. The window applies to the authenticated X user across developer apps. If the same account uses several tools, those tools can consume the same user allowance.
| Number | What it means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| 50 per 15 minutes | The documented per-user request limit for the X API unfollow endpoint. | Permission to run every request as fast as possible. |
| No official daily figure | X does not list a general daily unfollow count in its public limits help page. | Proof that unlimited daily unfollowing is allowed. |
X returns rate-limit headers with API responses. A well-behaved client reads the remaining count and reset time, then stops until the window resets.
What is the Twitter unfollow limit per day?
X's public account limits page gives a daily limit for following new accounts. It does not give an equivalent universal daily unfollow figure.
Some services publish numbers such as 100, 150, or 800 unfollows per day. Those figures may describe the service's own pacing or experience. They are not a daily rule published by X. Treat them as vendor guidance and check the date.
Staying below 50 calls in one API window only avoids that endpoint's rate-limit response. X can still restrict activity that looks aggressive, automated, unrelated, or designed for follow churn.
X policy matters more than arithmetic
The X automation rules say developers may not follow or unfollow accounts in a bulk, aggressive, or indiscriminate manner. The authenticity policy also prohibits follow churn and the rapid following or unfollowing of many unrelated accounts, especially through automation.
A cleanup should have a clear purpose. Removing stale one-way follows after reviewing them is different from repeatedly following strangers and unfollowing anyone who fails to return the favor. X decides how it enforces its rules, and a tool cannot promise immunity from that decision.
User consent matters too. X requires an app to explain automated actions and receive express consent before acting through another user's account. Plank shows the selected count and asks for confirmation before it starts an unfollow job.
How Plank handles the API window
Plank uses X OAuth and the official manage-follows endpoint. The worker tracks the rate-limit data returned by X. When the remaining allowance is exhausted, the job moves to a paused state and a queue message waits for the reset time.
The job view reports progress, successful unfollows, failures, and a rate-limit pause. You can cancel a pending, processing, or paused job. If the job ends with selected accounts unprocessed, Plank refunds the unused unfollow credits. Dry runs do not use credits.
The queue handles the API clock. Review the selected accounts before you start the job.
What to do when X stops the job
- Read the status. A rate limit, expired OAuth token, policy restriction, and missing account are different problems.
- Wait for the stated reset. Repeated retries do not create a new allowance. They only make more noise in the log.
- Reconnect only for an auth error. If X revoked or expired the token, reconnect your account before you retry.
- Stop after an account restriction. Follow the instructions shown by X. A third-party tool cannot remove an X restriction.
Reviewed September 8, 2026 against the X API rate-limit table, X automation rules, and X authenticity policy.