How Does the X Algorithm Work? What You Need to Know to Boost Engagement

X's For You feed shows posts from accounts you follow as well as accounts you don't. The most concrete information about how it works comes from X open-sourcing a large part of its recommendation system in 2023. The system may have changed since then, so read what follows as guiding principles rather than an exact formula.

How the feed is built

Candidate posts

The system first gathers a large set of candidate posts: from accounts you follow, and from accounts you don't follow that people with similar interests engage with.

Ranking

A model then predicts, for each post, how likely you are to engage with it, for example by liking, replying, reposting or looking at it for a while, and orders the feed accordingly.

Filters

Accounts you've blocked or muted and content that breaks the rules are removed, and diversity rules stop too many posts from the same account appearing in a row.

What the 2023 code revealed

Conversation is highly valuable

In the published weights, a reply, and especially a conversation in which the post's author also replied, was worth far more than a single like. Accounts that ask questions, start discussions and reply to responses therefore have an advantage.

Negative feedback is strong

Signals such as "Not interested", muting, blocking and reporting carried strongly negative weight. Clickbait or provocative content may earn short-term engagement but can damage an account's reach through these signals.

Tips you can apply today

• Join the replies: answer the replies to your own posts and write replies that add value to posts from accounts in your field.
• One post, one idea: short, clear posts are easier to read and share; use threads for longer explanations.
• Add images and video: visuals that make people stop scrolling help your post get noticed.
• Be careful with links: X's leadership has said openly that posts with external links can get less reach; this policy may change. Adding the link as the first reply under the post is a common workaround.
• Don't buy engagement: fake accounts and automation break X's platform manipulation and spam rules.

To turn these principles into a regular plan, see a 90-day content calendar for X, and to get your profile ready for visitors, how to optimise your X profile.

How Socitr can help

For a regular feed with ready-made post ideas, the 90-day content calendar for X can help, and for a consistent look, the X profile branding kit. Assess your account with the free Account Health Check. All products are in the X category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do hashtags increase reach on X?

One or two relevant hashtags can signal a post's topic, but lots of them hurt readability. Stating the topic clearly in the text is usually more effective.

Does a blue check (subscription) affect reach?

X says paid subscriptions include benefits such as prioritisation in replies and the feed. Since details change over time, check the current terms on X's subscription page.

Will deleting and reposting a post get it seen more?

Usually not. Repeatedly deleting and reposting the same text can look like spam; rewrite the idea from a new angle instead.