Run the small program on your own computer that reads X and Facebook for your phrases.

X and Facebook helpers

X and Facebook cannot be read from a server without being blocked, so a small Python program runs on your own computer. It opens real Google Chrome, logged in with the login you connected, searches for your phrases, and sends the posts it finds to ListeningKit.

clients/x_push.py reads X's Latest search.
clients/facebook_push.py reads Facebook's Recent posts search. It only sees what your account can see: public posts and posts in groups you have joined. Join the groups where your customers ask for help before you expect results.
clients/reddit_push.py is an optional extra for Reddit. Reddit is normally read by the server and does not need a helper.

Both helpers automate a logged-in session. That can go against X's and Facebook's terms, and the site may ask for a security check or lock the account. Use an account you can afford to lose, keep the interval at 5 minutes or more, and never run it against your main account.

Before you start

Python 3.10 or newer and Google Chrome installed on the computer that will run the helper.
The repo: git clone https://github.com/matthewdonsemail-lab/log and open a terminal in it.
One package: pip install playwright. It drives your installed Chrome, so there is no browser download.
The platform is connected (see Using ListeningKit) and you added at least one X or Facebook phrase on the Keywords page.

The proxy

Both helpers browse through a proxy that the operator of the site sets up. You never choose, type or see it: there is no proxy setting to fill in, and the helper fetches it by itself. If the site's operator has not set one up yet, the helper stops with "Reading is paused until the operator sets up the proxy". Nothing is wrong on your side; try again later. To keep the proxy's traffic small, the helper's browser does not download pictures, video or fonts.

1. Make an ingest key

The helper proves it is you with an ingest key.

In ListeningKit open Settings → Send posts in.
Type a name (for example "my laptop") and click Create key.
Copy it now. It is shown once. Only a fingerprint of it is stored.

The same page shows your endpoint, which looks like https://<deployment>.convex.site/ingest.

2. Try it without sending anything

$env:LISTENINGKIT_INGEST_URL = "https://<your deployment>.convex.site/ingest"
$env:LISTENINGKIT_INGEST_KEY = "lk_ingest_..."
python clients\x_push.py --phrases "need a bookkeeper" --count 5 --dry-run --verbose --show

export LISTENINGKIT_INGEST_URL="https://<your deployment>.convex.site/ingest"
export LISTENINGKIT_INGEST_KEY="lk_ingest_..."
python clients/x_push.py --phrases "need a bookkeeper" --count 5 --dry-run --verbose --show

A Chrome window opens and searches. --dry-run prints what it would send (for example "need a bookkeeper": would push 5 tweets) and sends nothing. Use facebook_push.py instead of x_push.py for Facebook.

3. Run it for real

Leave off --dry-run and --phrases so it uses the phrases you saved:

python clients/x_push.py --interval 300
python clients/facebook_push.py --interval 300

--interval 300 repeats every 5 minutes (the minimum allowed is 120 seconds; 300 or more is kinder to the account). Without it, it runs once and stops. On the Keywords page the phrase should now say checked … by your helper, and matches appear below.

Options

Option	What it does
`--phrases "a" "b"`	Search these instead of the phrases saved in ListeningKit.
`--count N`	Posts per phrase, 1 to 20 (default 20).
`--interval SECONDS`	Repeat every N seconds; 0 (default) runs once.
`--dry-run`	Show what would be sent; send nothing.
`--show`	Show the Chrome window instead of hiding it. Use it when something looks wrong.
`--verbose`	Say why a search failed (cookie values are always hidden).

At most 10 phrases are searched per round, with a short random pause between them.

What it tells you

Message	Meaning and fix
`No x account is connected`	Connect that platform in ListeningKit, then run again. Make sure you are using a key from the same ListeningKit account you connected with.
`X refused the saved login` / `Facebook refused the saved login`	The login expired or the site logged it out. Log in again, copy a fresh token, reconnect.
`Reading is paused until the operator sets up the proxy`	The site has no proxy configured yet. Nothing to fix on your side; the operator has to set one.
`asked us to slow down`	The site rate-limited it. The round stops and it tries again next time. Raise `--interval`.
`no new tweets` / `no new posts`	Nothing new contains your exact phrase. Try a more common phrase.
`could not read X (…)`	The page showed something unexpected. Re-run with `--verbose --show` and read the developer guide.

When you are done

Delete the key: Settings → Send posts in → Revoke. Do not paste an ingest key into chat, a commit or a document. A key lets whoever holds it send posts into your account.

X and Facebook helpers

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