Create a Twitter app for Genesys Cloud

Before you configure ACD messaging for Twitter Direct Message in Genesys Cloud, create a Twitter app. Use the Twitter’s developer site to create your Twitter app. The Twitter developer portal contains a set of self-serve tools that developers can use to create and manage apps.

Important: Since Twitter’s developer site is a third-party site, the configuration information in this article provides general instructions. These instructions may change. As a best practice, ensure that you review the third-party’s official documentation and confirm that you are follow the most recent process.

Sign up for developer account access

To create a Twitter app, you must have a developer account. Twitter provides three levels of developer access: Essential access (not available for integration with Genesys Cloud), Elevated access, and Academic research access.

Note: New developer accounts are created with essential access. However, we recommend that you apply for the free Elevated access, readily available on the Twitter developer portal. The Genesys Cloud platform currently supports Twitter Direct Messages Integrations using Twitter’s v1.1 API. Create an app, which has Elevated access to the project to continue further. To learn more about the different access levels, visit Twitter’s about Twitter API page. If you already have a Twitter developer account, determine your current access level by going to the main Dashboard page.

Create your Twitter app

After you set up your developer account with Elevated project access level, create your Twitter app for use with Genesys Cloud. 

Note: While you can use an existing Twitter app for communication with Genesys Cloud, Genesys recommends that you create a separate app for use with Genesys Cloud.
Pay particular attention to the preceding information, when setting up your app.

Keys and tokens

When creating your app, you will be presented with an API Key information. Save this information in a safe place as you will need to use this information when setting up your Twitter integration within Genesys Cloud.

Consumer API keys

  • API key
  • API secret key

After your app is created you will need to generate an access token and secret for your app.  Select your app and select the Keys and Tokens section.  Under the Authentication Tokens section select the Generate button to generate an Access token and Access token secret.  Save this information in a safe place as you will need to use this information when setting up your Twitter integration within Genesys Cloud.

Access token and access token secret

  • Access token
  • Access token secret

Note: Ensure that the tokens generated come with Read, Write, and Direct Message permissions enabled for your App, else the Twitter integration in Genesys Cloud cannot be successfully completed. More information available in the preceding section. Ensure that you save the API Keys and Access Token information while creating the app, as you cannot access it later. You can however regenerate the keys and tokens for your app, but may cause any existing integrations using your App to no longer work. For Genesys Cloud, any interactions with a Twitter app that has regenerated API Keys or Tokens will need to be re-created.

User authentication settings and app permissions

After you create the app, ensure that you enable OAuth 1.0a authentication to use it with Twitter API v1.1. Genesys Cloud platform uses this to support DM integrations.

To enable your app with OAuth 1.0a authentication, in the OAuth 1.0a settings, select the Read and write and Direct message permission. This option allows the Genesys Cloud platform integration to read and post direct messages to end-customers.

Note: Twitter requires that you complete the Callback URL and Website URL mandatory fields under the General Authentication Settings section. To save the OAuth settings, enter any URL in both fields. The information you enter does not impact the integration between your Twitter app and Genesys Cloud. 

Set up development environments

For Genesys Cloud to integrate with your Twitter app, set up a development environment and associate your app to each API endpoint. Set up your development environments in your Twitter developer portal, by going to Products > Premium > Dev Environments. To associate your app with each API endpoint, select the set up environment for each, create a development environment label, and associate your app.

  1. Ensure that the App Name corresponds to your Twitter app that you are configuring for ACD messaging for Twitter Direct Message in Genesys Cloud. For more information, see Configure ACD messaging for Twitter direct messaging.
  2. Enter the label information in the Environment Name field when you create a new Twitter integration in your Genesys Cloud Organization.

Note: In case you do not see development environments in the Twitter development portal, check if you have an upgraded developer access to Elevated as development environments are not available with Essential access. 

Twitter account setting

After you create your Twitter app for Genesys Cloud, it is important that you configure your business’s Twitter account to receive direct messages from anyone. If you fail to do so, customers who use your Twitter Direct Message app cannot contact your agents in Genesys Cloud. You can find the Allow Message Requests from anyone setting in the Privacy and safety section of your Twitter business account’s Settings and privacy menu.