> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.x.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Integration Guide

> This guide covers the key concepts you need to integrate the Direct Messages lookup endpoints into. Reference for the X API v2 standard tier covering lookup.

export const Button = ({href, children}) => {
  return <div className="not-prose group">
    <a href={href}>
      <button className="flex items-center space-x-2.5 py-1 px-4 bg-primary-dark dark:bg-white text-white dark:text-gray-950 rounded-full group-hover:opacity-[0.9] font-medium">
        <span>
          {children}
        </span>
        <svg width="3" height="24" viewBox="0 -9 3 24" class="h-6 rotate-0 overflow-visible"><path d="M0 0L3 3L0 6" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.5" stroke-linecap="round"></path></svg>
      </button>
    </a>
  </div>;
};

This guide covers the key concepts you need to integrate the Direct Messages lookup endpoints into your application.

***

## Authentication

DM endpoints require user authentication to access private conversations:

| Method                                                                                                                         | Description    |
| :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------- |
| [OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code with PKCE](/resources/fundamentals/authentication#oauth-2-0-authorization-code-flow-with-pkce-2) | Recommended    |
| [OAuth 1.0a User Context](/resources/fundamentals/authentication)                                                              | Legacy support |

<Warning>
  App-Only authentication is not supported. All Direct Messages are private.
</Warning>

### Required scopes (OAuth 2.0)

| Scope        | Required for          |
| :----------- | :-------------------- |
| `dm.read`    | Reading DM events     |
| `tweet.read` | Required with dm.read |
| `users.read` | Required with dm.read |

***

## Conversation types

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="One-to-one" icon="message">
    Always has exactly two participants. Conversation ID format: `{smaller_user_id}-{larger_user_id}`
  </Card>

  <Card title="Group" icon="comments">
    Two or more participants. Membership can change over time.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Event types

| Event               | Description        | Key fields                     |
| :------------------ | :----------------- | :----------------------------- |
| `MessageCreate`     | A message was sent | `text`, `sender_id`            |
| `ParticipantsJoin`  | User joined group  | `participant_ids`, `sender_id` |
| `ParticipantsLeave` | User left group    | `participant_ids`              |

### Example events

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="MessageCreate">
    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "id": "1582838499983564806",
      "event_type": "MessageCreate",
      "text": "Hi everyone.",
      "sender_id": "944480690",
      "dm_conversation_id": "1578398451921985538",
      "created_at": "2022-10-19T20:58:00.000Z"
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="ParticipantsJoin">
    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "id": "1582835469712138240",
      "event_type": "ParticipantsJoin",
      "participant_ids": ["944480690"],
      "sender_id": "17200003",
      "dm_conversation_id": "1578398451921985538",
      "created_at": "2022-10-19T20:45:58.000Z"
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="ParticipantsLeave">
    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "id": "1582838535115067392",
      "event_type": "ParticipantsLeave",
      "participant_ids": ["944480690"],
      "dm_conversation_id": "1578398451921985538",
      "created_at": "2022-10-19T20:58:09.000Z"
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Fields and expansions

### Default fields

| Event type             | Default fields                        |
| :--------------------- | :------------------------------------ |
| MessageCreate          | `id`, `event_type`, `text`            |
| ParticipantsJoin/Leave | `id`, `event_type`, `participant_ids` |

### Available fields

| Field                | Description       | Events              |
| :------------------- | :---------------- | :------------------ |
| `dm_conversation_id` | Conversation ID   | All                 |
| `created_at`         | Event timestamp   | All                 |
| `sender_id`          | Who sent/invited  | MessageCreate, Join |
| `attachments`        | Media attachments | MessageCreate       |
| `referenced_tweets`  | Shared Posts      | MessageCreate       |

### Available expansions

| Expansion                | Returns                       |
| :----------------------- | :---------------------------- |
| `sender_id`              | User object for sender        |
| `participant_ids`        | User objects for participants |
| `attachments.media_keys` | Media objects                 |
| `referenced_tweets.id`   | Post objects                  |

### Example with expansions

<CodeGroup dropdown>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl "https://api.x.com/2/dm_events?\
  dm_event.fields=created_at,sender_id,attachments&\
  expansions=sender_id,attachments.media_keys&\
  user.fields=username,profile_image_url&\
  media.fields=url,type" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $USER_ACCESS_TOKEN"
  ```

  ```python Python SDK theme={null}
  from xdk import Client

  client = Client(bearer_token="YOUR_USER_ACCESS_TOKEN")

  # Get DM events with expansions
  for page in client.dm_events.list(
      dm_event_fields=["created_at", "sender_id", "attachments"],
      expansions=["sender_id", "attachments.media_keys"],
      user_fields=["username", "profile_image_url"],
      media_fields=["url", "type"],
      max_results=100
  ):
      for event in page.data:
          print(f"Event: {event.event_type} - {event.text}")
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript SDK theme={null}
  import { Client } from "@xdevplatform/xdk";

  const client = new Client({ accessToken: "YOUR_USER_ACCESS_TOKEN" });

  const paginator = client.dmEvents.list({
    dmEventFields: ["created_at", "sender_id", "attachments"],
    expansions: ["sender_id", "attachments.media_keys"],
    userFields: ["username", "profile_image_url"],
    mediaFields: ["url", "type"],
    maxResults: 100,
  });

  for await (const page of paginator) {
    page.data?.forEach((event) => {
      console.log(`Event: ${event.event_type} - ${event.text}`);
    });
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

***

## Pagination

DM events are returned in reverse chronological order (newest first):

<CodeGroup dropdown>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  # First request
  curl "https://api.x.com/2/dm_events?max_results=100" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $USER_ACCESS_TOKEN"

  # Subsequent request with pagination token
  curl "https://api.x.com/2/dm_events?max_results=100&pagination_token=NEXT_TOKEN" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $USER_ACCESS_TOKEN"
  ```

  ```python Python SDK theme={null}
  from xdk import Client

  client = Client(bearer_token="YOUR_USER_ACCESS_TOKEN")

  # The SDK handles pagination automatically
  all_events = []

  for page in client.dm_events.list(max_results=100):
      if page.data:
          all_events.extend(page.data)

  print(f"Found {len(all_events)} DM events")
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript SDK theme={null}
  import { Client } from "@xdevplatform/xdk";

  const client = new Client({ accessToken: "YOUR_USER_ACCESS_TOKEN" });

  async function getAllDMEvents() {
    const allEvents = [];

    // The SDK handles pagination automatically
    const paginator = client.dmEvents.list({ maxResults: 100 });

    for await (const page of paginator) {
      if (page.data) {
        allEvents.push(...page.data);
      }
    }

    return allEvents;
  }

  // Usage
  const events = await getAllDMEvents();
  console.log(`Found ${events.length} DM events`);
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  Events from up to **30 days ago** are available.
</Note>

***

## ID compatibility with v1.1

Conversation and event IDs are shared between v1.1 and v2 endpoints. This means you can:

* Use v2 to retrieve events, then use v1.1 to delete specific messages
* Reference conversation IDs from x.com URLs in API requests

***

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/x-api/direct-messages/lookup/quickstart">
    Make your first DM lookup request
  </Card>

  <Card title="Send DMs" icon="paper-plane" href="/x-api/direct-messages/manage/introduction">
    Send Direct Messages
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="/x-api/direct-messages/get-dm-events">
    Full endpoint documentation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Sample code" icon="github" href="https://github.com/xdevplatform/Twitter-API-v2-sample-code">
    Working code examples
  </Card>
</CardGroup>