A working example of Twitter's new application-only auth, written in PHP.

twitter-application-only-auth.php

<?php

//This is all you need to configure.
$app_key = '';
$app_token = '';

//These are our constants.
$api_base = 'https://api.twitter.com/';
$bearer_token_creds = base64_encode($app_key.':'.$app_token);

//Get a bearer token.
$opts = array(
  'http'=>array(
    'method' => 'POST',
    'header' => 'Authorization: Basic '.$bearer_token_creds."\r\n".
               'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8',
    'content' => 'grant_type=client_credentials'
  )
);

$context = stream_context_create($opts);
$json = file_get_contents($api_base.'oauth2/token',false,$context);

$result = json_decode($json,true);

if (!is_array($result) || !isset($result['token_type']) || !isset($result['access_token'])) {
  die("Something went wrong. This isn't a valid array: ".$json);
}

if ($result['token_type'] !== "bearer") {
  die("Invalid token type. Twitter says we need to make sure this is a bearer.");
}


//Set our bearer token. Now issued, this won't ever* change unless it's invalidated by a call to /oauth2/invalidate_token.
//*probably - it's not documentated that it'll ever change.
$bearer_token = $result['access_token'];

//Try a twitter API request now.
$opts = array(
  'http'=>array(
    'method' => 'GET',
    'header' => 'Authorization: Bearer '.$bearer_token
  )
);

$context = stream_context_create($opts);
$json = file_get_contents($api_base.'1.1/statuses/user_timeline.json?count=1&screen_name=lgladdy',false,$context);

$tweets = json_decode($json,true);

echo "@lgladdy's last tweet was: ".$tweets[0]['text']."\r\n";



?>

This code doesn't work for me.

I get the following error:

Something went wrong. This isn't a valid array:

It worked for me you have to put api_key and api_secret (app_token) , also this approach only works if you want to get application level data or data of application account

Thank you! This is just what I needed.

This code is way much organised and easier to learn than all those libraries put out there...(GOD BLESS YOU)...this is what, we need Steps to getting things done not libraries of code you cannot understand.

Awesome Solution, man. Thanks a lot.

I have gone through lot of Documentation but understand nothing, Come across this page now I understand most of things. You are the BEST!! 👍

This is awesome! Thanks a ton.

how to respond to a twitt from a friend from this code .?

I'm getting a 401 HTTP error? Any idea