X

X (formerly Twitter) is fast, text-first and conversational. It's still where a lot of real-time conversation happens in tech, news, sports, finance, gaming and some creative niches. It can be a great place to meet peers, collaborators and early fans. It has also changed a great deal in the last few years, so it's worth going in with clear eyes.

How the For You timeline ranks posts

X has published its ranking code. According to that published system, posts come from people you follow plus recommendations, and each post is scored on how likely you are to like, reply, repost, quote, share, click, follow the author, linger, or watch a video, minus the chance you'll mute, block, report or skip it^[1].

A few details from the published system matter for small accounts^[1]:

• Each additional post from the same person in a feed is scored a little lower, so posting ten times in a row doesn't help.
• There's a boost for authors who haven't had many impressions, which gives newer accounts a chance.
• Posts older than about two days drop out of For You, so timing and consistency matter.
• X notes the published weights may not match exactly what runs in production.

What tends to work

Earning on X

X's creator payouts changed in 2026. Its earlier revenue-sharing program closed in September 2026^[2], replaced by an Original Content Rewards program that pays based on views from paying users and requires a paid plan, a minimum number of verified followers and enough impressions from verified users; copied or reuploaded content doesn't earn^[3]. X's paid plans were reorganized in October 2026 into a bundle with xAI's other products^[4].

AI and X

X may label or remove media that's been deceptively altered or fabricated in ways likely to cause harm^[5]. As everywhere, be open about AI use, and keep your replies in your own words.

Free tool from the islandFreeBluSee what's trending across social media, so you can join conversations early with something useful to add.