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A colleague is unable to post links to his Blogspot-hosted site to Twitter. We both see the message that "This request looks like it might be automated. To protect our users from spam......"

I suspect this is a Twitter spam filter blocking links that refer to an IP address the filter has been told is a source of spam. He has attempted to contact Twitter but has yet to hear anything back.

Would moving the blog to his own domain and OFF of a shared server solve the problem?

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  • Just curious- have you checked to see if the parent domain and IP address has been blacklisted?? A bit of a long-shot, but that might explain a few things.
    – closetnoc
    May 10 '15 at 16:05
  • Here's the question. what's involved in the process of posting links to twitter? If it involves making a large number of requests in a short timeframe, then I can see twitter acting up. Also, is the computer system you're using set to post numerous of links for you?
    – Mike -- No longer here
    May 10 '15 at 17:08
  • Sounds like your not using there API...
    – Simon Hayter
    May 10 '15 at 23:00
  • @closetnoc Didn't think of that. Done. It's a Google IP on only one or two blacklists.
    – jclarkv
    May 11 '15 at 2:00
  • That may be it. Almost all sites including the big G get onto blacklists from time to time. Some blacklists are ill conceived. I got on a blacklist by just visiting a valid website hosted on a IP network where a router reported my access. It was not that I did something wrong, or the website, but a router that says I traversed an IP address block that may have an issue. I was able to get off the blacklist right away, however, the damage was done in that very important e-mails to my lawyer did not arrive on a Friday costing me days and money. I was not able to send e-mail again until Monday.
    – closetnoc
    May 11 '15 at 2:21
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For a long time now Twitter has been running links from tweets through a database of known potentially unsafe URL's. This is done to sites that are detected as being possible phishing sites aimed at stealing login information, sites that download malicious software to the end users computer, or spam sites that request personal information. Sites that are normally high quality but that have been compromised at some point with malware being embedded on the site can also be flagged as a potentially unsafe site.

If you manage a site which has been flagged as unsafe go Twitter, contact Twitter support. If you are completely sure that the URL being blocked is not being used for abuse on Twitter and is completely safe then you can fill out a support ticket. In the problematic link field you will need to enter the extended version of the end link you are having issues with rather than a shortened version of the link.

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