threads
The deterministic read path for public Threads (Meta) data through UnifAPI.
This is a Data Skill: it does not run a marketing job on its own — it names
the concrete threads/... operations, response shapes, and gotchas so any
text-first listening or content workflow reads from one known recipe instead of
rediscovering the surface each time.
Read-only — eyes, not hands. It researches public Threads data and returns cited records; it never posts or replies, and UnifAPI never holds Threads credentials.
Use the unifapi skill for live evidence
Connect once through the shared unifapi skill (OAuth MCP), then call the
operations below. Profiles are keyed by {username}. Keep any billing
metadata so the output can state record cost.
Response contract
Single-entity endpoints return the object in data:
{
"request_id": "unif_...",
"data": {},
"billing": { "records_charged": 1, "balance_remaining": 99 }
}
List endpoints return an array in data plus pagination:
{
"request_id": "unif_...",
"data": [],
"pagination": { "has_more": false, "next_cursor": null },
"billing": { "records_charged": 1 }
}
When pagination.has_more is true, pass pagination.next_cursor as the next
request's cursor. Always preserve billing when reporting cost.
Core operations
| Need | Operation |
|---|---|
| Newest posts on a term | threads/search/recent (?q=...) |
| Most-seen posts on a term | threads/search/top (?q=...) |
| Profiles on a term | threads/search/profiles (?q=...) |
| Profile by handle | threads/users/{username} |
| A handle's posts | threads/users/{username}/posts |
| A handle's replies | threads/users/{username}/replies |
| A handle's reposts | threads/users/{username}/reposts |
Need a field not listed here? Use the unifapi skill's get_operation to read
the exact schema before calling — but pick the operation from this table, don't
discover blind.
Workflow
The deterministic recipes. Pick the one that matches the job; each names exactly what to call.
- Set the term. For brand or category listening, call
threads/search/recent?q=...(newest) andthreads/search/top?q=...(most-seen) together — recent catches the live conversation, top catches the takes that actually spread. Page vianext_cursor. - Find handles. Call
threads/search/profiles?q=...to surface accounts on the term, thenthreads/users/{username}for follower size andbiography. - Read a profile's activity. Call
threads/users/{username}/posts,.../replies, and.../repostsfor what a handle says, answers, and amplifies. - Cluster takes. Group
textacross the recent and top results into questions and opinions;like_countranks which takes resonate. - Cite everything. Every quote ties back to its post or profile; report
billing.records_charged(or estimate when billing metadata is absent).
Shape notes
ThreadsUser— keyed by{username}.full_name,biography,follower_count,is_verified,is_private.ThreadsPost—code(the URL segment),text,taken_at,like_count,image_url,video_url,user.
Gotchas
search/recentis the newest andsearch/topis the most-seen — use both for a balanced read; either alone skews recency or popularity.- Posts expose
like_countonly — there are no reply/repost counts on the post object. Gauge spread from thesearch/topranking, not a repost number. - A private handle (
is_private) limits what you can read — surface it. - A low balance can silently truncate list pages: check
billing.truncated_due_to_balance— when true the page is partial.
Output
Return the records the calling workflow needs, each cited to its post or
profile, plus a one-line cost note (records_charged). When this skill is used
directly, a compact listening brief is the default:
**"{term}" on Threads** — {N} recent / {N} top posts. Takes: {themes}. Loudest: "{quote}" ({likes} likes, by @handle). Evidence: {post URLs}. Records: ~{N}.
Related skills
- social-listening-brief (Social Listening), content-opportunity-brief (Content Strategy) — listening and content-idea work on top of this read path.
- unifapi — the shared data skill: connect MCP and look up exact schemas with
get_operation.