TweetArchive/Guide

Guide · Updated November 13, 2026 · by Cedano Labs LLC

What is tweets.js and why isn’t it JSON?

tweets.js is the file in your X archive’s data folder that holds your posts. It is JSON wrapped in a JavaScript assignment — window.YTD.tweets.part0 = [ … ] — so the bundled viewer can load it, which is why JSON tools reject it. TweetArchive strips that prefix (without running the code), parses the JSON, and shows it as a timeline.

Step by step

1. Find the file

   Look in the archive’s data folder for tweets.js (sometimes tweet.js, or tweets-part1.js, tweets-part2.js for big archives).

2. Understand the prefix

   Everything before the first [ is a JavaScript assignment. The rest is JSON.

3. Skip the manual work

   Open the whole ZIP in TweetArchive; it reads every part in order and merges them.

4. Export clean data

   Download posts as CSV or JSON with IDs kept as text.

Honest limitations

• There is no official public specification of the archive format that we could read; TweetArchive follows what several independent parsers document and discovers file names instead of assuming one layout.
• Some archives omit @usernames for DM partners; those people appear as a numeric user ID.
• TweetArchive is not affiliated with X Corp. and does not log in to X for you.
• Post IDs are larger than JavaScript can store as numbers, so they must be kept as strings (id_str). TweetArchive does that.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it .js and not .json?

So the offline viewer page can load it with a script tag. The data itself is JSON after the prefix.

What fields does a post have?

Parsers document fields like id_str, full_text, created_at, favorite_count, retweet_count, entities, and in_reply_to_status_id_str.

Can I just delete the prefix?

Yes, deleting text up to the first [ usually gives valid JSON. Never run the file as code in a tool you don’t trust.

What about direct-messages.js?

Same pattern: window.YTD.direct_messages.part0 = [ … ].

Related

• How to download your official X archive
• Privacy: what TweetArchive does and doesn’t see
• How do I open my X (Twitter) archive ZIP?
• Your archive.html is not loading
• How do I view DMs in my X archive?
• How do I search X archive DMs as evidence?
• How do I export X archive photos with the real date?
• How do I export my X archive to PDF?
• My X archive is several GB and won’t open on Windows
• I deleted my X account and only have the archive
• X archive media dates are wrong
• Is it safe to upload my X archive to a website?
• How do I download my official X archive?
• How do I convert my X archive to CSV or JSON?
• How do I view threads in my X archive?

Sources

• The Verge: How to download an archive of your Twitter data (updated Nov 14, 2022)
• Ars Technica: How to download a backup copy of your Twitter data (Oct 28, 2022)
• twitter-archive-parser by Tim Hutton (GitHub)
• alkihis/twitter-archive-reader: file structures

TweetArchive is an independent tool made by Cedano Labs LLC. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by X Corp. “X” and “Twitter” are trademarks of X Corp., used here only to describe the archive format the tool reads. TweetArchive is not a forensic lab or a legal service, and its exports are not certified evidence. Markdown version: /what-is-tweets-js.md.