In this guide, I’ll show you how to build a Twitter bot that automatically tweets from a CSV file at regular intervals. This project is perfect for automating your social media presence. Plus, I’ll share how I used ChatGPT to get the project structure and code, then downloaded the full project as a ZIP file using www.zipncode.com for easy setup.

Whether you’re using PyCharm or Visual Studio Code (VSC), we’ll also cover how to work in your favorite IDE.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know how to set up a bot that tweets every 10 minutes and dynamically updates the CSV file as it tweets.

Tools & Technologies You’ll Need

  • Python 3.8+
  • Twitter Developer Account (with API keys and tokens)
  • Tweepy – Python client for the Twitter API
  • dotenv – For securely storing environment variables
  • CSV File – Where your tweets will be stored
  • ChatGPT – To help get the project structure and code
  • www.zipncode.com – To download project ZIPs quickly
  • IDE – You can use PyCharm or Visual Studio Code (VSC) to work on the project

Step 1: Getting the Code from ChatGPT

To get started, I used ChatGPT to generate the project structure and code for a Twitter bot. ChatGPT can assist in writing Python code based on your specific requirements. Here’s what I asked for:

  1. Project structure to organize the code properly.
  2. Python code that reads tweets from a CSV file and posts them to Twitter at 10-minute intervals.

You can use ChatGPT to generate custom solutions, especially if you’re new to coding.

Step 2: Downloading the Project as a ZIP Using ZIPnCODE

Once you have your code, a quick way to set it up is to use www.zipncode.com. Here’s how I did it:

  1. I copied the project structure and code generated by ChatGPT.
  2. I went to www.zipncode.com and pasted the project structure and code.
  3. ZIPnCODE converted the structure into a downloadable ZIP file.
  4. I downloaded the ZIP, extracted it, and was ready to work on it in my IDE.

Step 3: Setting Up Your IDE (PyCharm or Visual Studio Code)

Using a good IDE makes coding much easier. I recommend PyCharm or Visual Studio Code (VSC), both of which are free and come with powerful features. Here’s how to get started:

Using PyCharm:

  1. Download and install PyCharm from here.
  2. Open PyCharm and create a new project by selecting the folder where you extracted your ZIP file.
  3. Ensure you have a virtual environment by navigating to File > Settings > Project: tweetbot > Python Interpreter, and set up the correct interpreter.
  4. Install dependencies using PyCharm’s terminal:bashCopy codepip install tweepy python-dotenv

Using Visual Studio Code:

  1. Download and install Visual Studio Code from here.
  2. Open the folder containing your project by navigating to File > Open Folder and selecting your project.
  3. Install the Python extension for VSC, which will help with debugging and running Python code.
  4. Use VSC’s integrated terminal to install dependencies:bashCopy codepip install tweepy python-dotenv

Now you’re all set up to start coding!

Step 4: Setting Up Twitter API Keys

Before the bot can interact with Twitter, you’ll need to set up a Twitter Developer Account and generate the necessary API keys.

Steps to Get Twitter API Keys:

  1. Go to the Twitter Developer Portal.
  2. Create a new project and app.
  3. In the Keys and Tokens section, generate the following:
    • API Key and API Secret Key
    • Bearer Token
    • Access Token and Access Token Secret
  4. Once you have the keys, store them in a file named .env in your project folder. The .env file should look like this:
bashCopy codeCONSUMER_KEY=your_consumer_key
CONSUMER_SECRET=your_consumer_secret
ACCESS_TOKEN=your_access_token
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your_access_token_secret
BEARER_TOKEN=your_bearer_token

Step 5: Writing the Bot Code

Here’s the basic structure of the bot using Python and Tweepy. It reads tweets from a CSV file, posts them at 10-minute intervals, and removes each tweet after it’s posted.

pythonCopy codeimport tweepy
import os
import csv
import time
from dotenv import load_dotenv

# Load environment variables from .env file
load_dotenv()

# Authenticate to Twitter using v2 API
def create_client():
    client = tweepy.Client(bearer_token=os.getenv("BEARER_TOKEN"),
                           consumer_key=os.getenv("CONSUMER_KEY"),
                           consumer_secret=os.getenv("CONSUMER_SECRET"),
                           access_token=os.getenv("ACCESS_TOKEN"),
                           access_token_secret=os.getenv("ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET"))
    return client

# Function to tweet using v2 API
def tweet_message_v2(client, message):
    try:
        client.create_tweet(text=message)
        print(f"Tweeted successfully: {message}")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error tweeting: {e}")

# Function to update the CSV file by removing the first row (used tweet)
def update_csv(csv_file):
    with open(csv_file, "r", newline='') as file:
        rows = list(csv.reader(file))

    if rows:
        used_tweet = rows[0]  # Get the first tweet
        remaining_rows = rows[1:]  # All remaining tweets after the first one

        # Rewrite the CSV without the used tweet
        with open(csv_file, "w", newline='') as file:
            writer = csv.writer(file)
            writer.writerows(remaining_rows)  # Write remaining rows back to CSV

        return used_tweet, len(remaining_rows)  # Return the used tweet and number of remaining tweets
    else:
        return None, 0

# Main function
def tweet_from_csv(client, csv_file):
    while True:
        used_tweet, remaining_tweets = update_csv(csv_file)

        if not used_tweet:
            print("All tweets have been posted.")
            break

        tweet_message_v2(client, used_tweet[0])  # Post the tweet
        print(f"{remaining_tweets} tweets left.")

        if remaining_tweets == 0:
            print("All tweets have been posted.")
            break

        print("Waiting 10 minutes before the next tweet...")
        time.sleep(600)  # Wait for 10 minutes (600 seconds)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    client = create_client()
    tweet_from_csv(client, 'tweets.csv')

Step 6: Running the Bot

Once everything is set up, open your IDE (PyCharm or VSC) and run the main.py script. The bot will:

  • Post a tweet every 10 minutes from the tweets.csv file.
  • Delete each tweet from the CSV file after posting.
  • Show you how many tweets are left.

Conclusion

By leveraging ChatGPT to get the project structure and code, and using www.zipncode.com to download the full setup as a ZIP file, I was able to build this Twitter bot in no time. Whether you’re automating your social media or just learning, this project is a great way to explore the power of Python and the Twitter API.

Now, it’s your turn to create your own Twitter bot! Have fun and tweet away 🚀.