read-x-articles

name	read-x-articles
description	Read X (Twitter) long-form Articles end-to-end from a shared x.com link, in any AI coding agent. Activates when a user drops an x.com or twitter.com URL (especially an X Article like /i/article/ID) and expects it read, or says "read this X post/article/thread". Resolves the canonical /i/article/ID URL (which serves plain text) instead of giving up on the login/JS wall that hits profile and /status/ pages. Includes browser-tool and API fallbacks.
version	1.0.0
author	Hermes Agent
license	MIT
compatibility	Cross-platform: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Gemini CLI, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, and any SKILL.md-compatible agent.
tags	["x","twitter","articles","web-extract","reading","long-form"]
platforms	["claude-code","codex","cursor","gemini-cli","openclaw","hermes-agent"]

Read X (Twitter) Articles

Turn any X link a user shares into the full article text. Do NOT default to "I can't read X" — X long-form Articles DO extract cleanly via the right URL.

When to Use

• A user drops an x.com/... or twitter.com/... link and expects you to read it.
• The link is an X Article (long-form essay/interview) — canonical path /i/article/<ID>.
• You need primary source text from an X essay/thread as material for work (e.g. writing, video scripts, analysis).
• Anyone claims "X content can't be read" — that is the signal to trigger, not capitulate.

The core insight (learned 2026-08-12)

• X Articles are readable end-to-end at the canonical https://x.com/i/article/<ID> when fetched by a JS-executing web-extractor / browser tool — that returns the FULL body, not a snippet.
• Bare HTTP fetch (urllib/curl) of the article often returns a login/JS shell. The canonical URL is necessary but a plain request is NOT sufficient — you need a render-capable tool. This is why web_extract (SE/agent-grade) succeeds where curl fails.
• /status/<id> posts and profile pages are JS-rendered and hit the login wall → they come back empty even to a browser. That is the apparent "can't read X." The fix is resolving the article URL AND using the right fetch tool, not giving up.
• Images matter. The article's cover, diagrams, charts, and screenshots can be essential to understanding it. Extract the media URLs and analyze them (vision) as part of the read — do not stop at the text.

Steps

1. Try first, judge later. When given any X link, immediately attempt it with a web-extract/browser tool. Declaring it unreadable before trying is the exact mistake this skill prevents.
2. Use the right fetcher: prefer the agent's web_extract-style tool or a browser render — NOT bare curl/urllib. If the only tool is a plain HTTP client, expect a login shell and fall back to a browser.
3. If it's a /status/ URL or returns a login/JS shell, resolve the canonical article URL:
   • The article ID often appears in the status link's query/path when the post is an article share.