Template talk:Cite tweet

X vs. Twitter

I think that instead of saying "via Twitter", this template should say "via X (formerly Twitter)". GnocchiFan (talk) 12:20, 8 February 2025 (UTC)

It is line 156 in the sandbox if you want to tweak it and seek consensus to change. Rjjⁱⁱⁱ (talk) 16:23, 8 February 2025 (UTC)

If that is to be done, oughtn't the |via= value be chosen according to the date of the source? Before some date certain, it should be Twitter because X did not exist; X thereafter.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 16:46, 8 February 2025 (UTC)

The {{Cite tweet}} template should be forked to something like {{Cite X posting}} template, as Twitter no longer exists and we wouldn't want to change older Twitter citations throughout Wikipedia by forcing a new name on them. — Foxtrot1296 (talk) 21:17, 16 June 2025 (UTC)

@GnocchiFan, Rjjiii, Trappist the monk, and Foxtrot1296: I would support changing it to "via X (formerly Twitter)". Melbguy05 (talk) 00:17, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

There is general agreement here. Now someone needs to put code in the sandbox version of the module to display the correct text based on the date of the tweet. – Jonesey95 (talk) 16:35, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

In another discussion, I offered to do that. So far, no one has come forward with the date of transition. I'll refresh the offer. Identify the correct date when twitter transitioned to x, and I shall tweak the module to render 'via Twitter' or 'via X' according the the tweet's timestamp.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 17:01, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

If you believe our own article: "Twitter was rebranded to X on July 23, 2023, and its domain name changed from twitter.com to x.com on May 17, 2024." Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 18:51, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

So which of those dates it the date we should use to demarcate twitter from x?

—Trappist the monk (talk) 19:15, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

Surely the former for the text label; and the later for the domain in the link? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 22:14, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

Umm, that answer isn't an answer. This topic's question is: what do we put in |via=? If we are to write |via=Twitter for tweets before some date certain and |via=X for tweets after that date certain, we can only use one date for the avoidance of confusion. I asked for that date. Your answer seems to say: 'use both dates'. How does that work?

—Trappist the monk (talk) 22:52, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

It very much is an answer, and is indisputably correct.

You are referring to a text label, and I specified only one date which should be used in that label.

I also added that you will need to use the other date if you wish to correctly demarcate in the linked URL.

I trust that is now clear to you. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 11:31, 10 January 2026 (UTC)

We should not say "X (formerly Twitter)" if we are citing a tweet from before X was so called; doubly so if that tweet was deleted before that time. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:39, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

Agree with that if the coding is possible. Dates I found:

• Elon Musk posted on 23 July 2023 "And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds".
• Elon Musk posted on 24 July 2023 "X.com now points to https://x.com/. Interim X logo goes live later today."
• Former CEO of X Linda Yaccarino posted on 24 July 2023 ] "X is here! Let’s do this."
• Elon Musk posted on 17 May 2024 that "All core systems are now on http://X.com". Melbguy05 (talk) 05:11, 10 January 2026 (UTC)

@GnocchiFan, Rjjiii, Trappist the monk, Foxtrot1296, Pigsonthewing, and Jonesey95: There has been no progress in modifying the template over the last few days. What caused the update to be delayed? I added the dates when Twitter became X. thanks Melbguy05 (talk) 11:11, 14 January 2026 (UTC)

Because we've been occupied doing other things? Because real life has intervened? The sky is not going to fall. Relax.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 14:15, 14 January 2026 (UTC)

I am still open to pushing changes live if someone wants to work something out in the sandbox and get consensus for it. The sandboxes don't have template-editor protection. I have the sandbox module watch-listed, but I don't think anybody has been editing it recently. I have more things to do (both in general and on Wikipedia) than time to do them. Rjjⁱⁱⁱ (talk) 23:03, 14 January 2026 (UTC)

Edit request 8 March 2026

Description of suggested change: Per consensus from this recent Twitter RM that determined "X" is the new common name for the social network, it is reasonable to assume that quite a few users would be expecting to see that branding when they are looking for Twitter cites, especially ones added recently. I am requesting that the Twitter link for |via= on line 116 be updated to reflect this new consensus. I am not sure whether the bare "Twitter" mention before the link would also require updating, or if it suffices as it is.

Diff:

−

via = args_t.link == 'no' and 'Twitter' or '[[Twitter]]',

+

via = args_t.link == 'no' and 'Twitter' or '[[X (formerly Twitter)]]',

— Trailblazer¹⁰¹🔥 ^{(discuss · contribs)} 05:50, 8 March 2026 (UTC)

Done for twitter snowflake dates from 2023-07-23 per discussions above.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 11:55, 8 March 2026 (UTC)

Date in comment

@Trappist the monk: Minor request. The module's current code has:

if 20240517 > tonumber (test_date) then    -- the switch to x.com was completed 2025-05-17

Please correct the year in the comment to 2024. :) Opencooper (talk) 08:43, 15 March 2026 (UTC)