You will see the raw data. It is often gzipped and minified, but if you prettify it, you will see the exact logic:
Imagine the server telling your browser: "Alright, Browser. Step one is a 'TextInput' component. Step two is a 'DatePicker' for their birthday. If they are under 13, Step three is an 'Error Screen'. If they are over 18, skip to Step four." https twitter com i flow signup
This is called a flow. The backend tells the frontend what to ask, and the frontend just renders the components. This allows X to change the signup process (e.g., adding a "Prompt for Newsletter signup") without pushing a new version of their iPhone app or website. They just change the Flow definition on the server. Why the weird URL? Security and Bots You might ask: "Why can't I just curl https://twitter.com/i/flow/signup and create 1,000 accounts?" You will see the raw data
If it does, you can bet those questions will be served by the same old endpoint: https://twitter.com/i/flow/signup . Step two is a 'DatePicker' for their birthday
Because the /flow/ system is a fortress against bots. The endpoint usually requires a or a guest_token generated by the initial page load.
Have you ever tried to skip giving X your phone number, only to have the "Next" button greyed out? That is the Flow engine responding to a conditional rule: IF (email_provided AND NOT phone_provided) THEN (show_phone_screen = true) .
What is that /i/flow/ path? Why isn't it just /signup ? Today, we are pulling back the curtain on the "Flow" architecture. In the context of large-scale web applications (like X, Facebook, or Airbnb), a "Flow" is not just a page—it is a state machine .