Why can’t I post on X? Causes and fixes for “This request looks like it might be automated”
Table of Contents
When trying to publish a post on X, some users are increasingly reporting that they see messages such as:
- Something went wrong, but don't fret — let's give it another shot.
- This request looks like it might be automated. To protect our users from spam and other malicious activity, we can't complete this action right now. Please try again later.
and are unable to post.
This error may mean you have been caught by X’s new posting frequency limits or anti-spam measures.
In this article, I’ll explain why these errors appear and what you can do when you can’t publish a post.
You may have hit the 50-posts-per-day limit
If you see errors such as [Something went wrong, but don't fret — let's give it another shot.] or [This request looks like it might be automated.] and can no longer publish posts, the first thing to check is how many posts you have made that day.
X recently lowered the posting frequency limit for original posts to 50 per day for some accounts.
According to X’s English help page, unverified accounts are limited to 50 original posts per day and up to 200 replies per day.
It also says that the daily posting limit is further broken down into smaller limits enforced in 30-minute intervals.
On X, verified accounts are those with a badge such as a blue or gold checkmark, while unverified accounts are those without a badge.
In other words, accounts without a badge, including free accounts, can only publish up to 50 posts per day.
For more details on X’s daily posting limits, see the article below.
Once your daily post count reaches around 50, you may start seeing errors like the following and become unable to post:
- [Something went wrong, but don't fret — let's give it another shot.]
- [This request looks like it might be automated. To protect our users from spam and other malicious activity, we can't complete this action right now. Please try again later.]
The first message does not appear only when you have reached the daily post limit. It can also appear when X is experiencing an outage.
The second message in particular appears when X determines that your recent activity may be automated or treats it as spam, but it can also show up when your posting frequency is too high.
If you have posted a lot in a day or made multiple posts in quick succession, you may fall under these new limits and temporarily lose the ability to publish posts.
What to do when you can’t post
If you see errors like the ones above and can’t publish a post, try the following:
Wait a while before posting again
First, wait a bit and then try posting again.
If you have hit the daily posting limit or the 30-minute interval limit, you should be able to post again after some time has passed.
For example, if you have reached the 50-posts-per-day limit, you should be able to publish another 50 posts after waiting one day.
Similar errors can also appear when X is experiencing an outage, and in that case as well, waiting may resolve the issue.
Avoid posting the same wording repeatedly
Even if you have not reached the daily or 30-minute posting limit, X may still show errors such as [Something went wrong, but don't fret — let's give it another shot.] or [This request looks like it might be automated.] when you try to repeatedly post very similar content.
If you have been posting the same or nearly identical wording repeatedly, try posting something different.
Try turning off Wi-Fi or deleting drafts
If you are unable to post after only a few posts, despite clearly not having reached 50, switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data or deleting drafts from the web version of X may sometimes resolve the issue and allow you to post again.
Details for each case are introduced in these articles.
Consider subscribing
The limit of 50 original posts per day and 200 replies per day applies only to unverified accounts.
By subscribing to at least the Premium plan of X Premium, you can become a verified account and publish more posts.
X Premium, X’s paid subscription service, offers three plans: Basic, Premium, and Premium+.
Note, however, that the cheapest Basic plan does not include a blue checkmark. That means the account is treated as unverified, and the same limits as a free account still apply.
Conclusion
If X shows messages such as [Something went wrong, but don't fret — let's give it another shot.] or [This request looks like it might be automated.] and you cannot publish a post, you may have hit the posting limits for unverified accounts.
X recently lowered the posting frequency limit for unverified accounts to 50 original posts per day and 200 replies per day.
If you post frequently, there is a good chance you have reached this new limit.
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I've been using JavaScript more than my native language since birth. I am nowhere and everywhere on the internet.
I build web apps and browser extensions in TypeScript as a web frontend programmer. I released Shadowban Scanner, a tool that detects shadowbans on X, and Restore Link Card, a tool that brings back link cards. Media outlets in Japan and abroad covered both tools. For iGEM 2023, I built the Wiki for Team Japan-United and helped the team win the Grand Prize. On my blog, I cover news about X and social media, test and troubleshoot bugs, and share frontend development insights.
