When X (formerly Twitter) made their recommendation code public, it gave us a peek into why some posts go viral while others get buried. You don’t need to understand the code. What matters is knowing what the system rewards and what it punishes.

Here’s the playbook in plain English 👇

1. Warm up before you post

Spend 10–15 minutes liking and replying to posts from people you follow.

Why? It reminds the system that you have a close connection, so when you post, they’re more likely to see it right away. Early reactions = more reach.

2. Aim for more than just likes

Posts that only get likes don’t travel far. The system pays attention to replies, profile visits, bookmarks, link clicks too.

Design posts that invite different actions — ask a question, share a checklist people will save, or tease a link.

3. Get quick “social proof”

If people your followers also follow react to your post, it unlocks much bigger reach.

Tip: reply to or tag creators your audience knows. Even a single retweet or reply from them can open the doors.

4. Stick to a clear theme

The system tries to figure out “what community you belong to.” If one week you post about startups, the next about cooking, then about cats… it gets confused.

Pick a lane (e.g. SaaS, design, fitness) and stick with it long enough to be recognized as part of that space.

5. Spark conversations

The algorithm loves replies.

Instead of posting a statement, post a question. Instead of sharing a tip, ask others for theirs. And always reply quickly to the first comments you get — it shows life around your post.

6. Mix your formats

Don’t just post walls of text. Try:

A short hot take

A how-to thread

A clean graphic

A checklist or listicle

Variety keeps your audience engaged and signals quality to the system.

7. Don’t flood the feed

If you drop three posts in a row, the system hides most of them.

Better: if you have a lot to share, put them in a thread or add updates as replies to your own post.

8. Keep quality high

Use clear images or screenshots (no blurry or watermarked stuff).

Add captions/alt text when possible.

Keep your writing sharp and easy to scan.

Low-effort or spammy looking posts often get hidden.

9. Avoid negative signals

Getting muted, blocked, or marked “not interested” can quietly kill your reach.

Stay away from recycled spam, over-promoting yourself, or baiting outrage.

10. Build real connections

Make a habit of interacting with 5–10 people in your space every day. Not just likes — leave thoughtful comments.

The stronger your ties, the more the system pushes your posts to those circles, and then to the circles around them.

11. Prime → Post → Reply → Amplify

Your repeatable routine looks like this:

• Warm up by engaging.

• Post something clear and useful.

• Reply quickly to early comments.

• Nudge friends or mutuals to interact.

• Do this consistently and you’ll notice your reach stacking up.

Main components behind X algorithm:

1. People you follow (In-Network)

These are posts from accounts you already follow. The system looks at how often you like, reply, or click on their stuff. The closer the connection, the more likely their posts appear high in your feed.

2. Friends of friends (Out-of-Network)

This is how you discover new voices. If someone you follow likes or comments on a post, or if many people in your circle interact with the same account, that post can land in your feed even if you don’t follow the author.

3. Interest groups (SimClusters)

X automatically sorts people into thousands of “interest groups” based on who they follow and what they engage with. For example: startup builders, fitness fans, or gaming communities. If you stick to one theme, the system learns to associate you with that group and shows your posts to more people in it.

4. Scoring posts (Ranking)

Every post the system considers gets a score. That score is based on how likely you are to:

• Like it

• Reply to it

• Save/bookmark it

• Click a link

• Visit the author’s profile
  Posts predicted to spark more of these actions rise to the top.

5. Guardrails and filters

To keep feeds balanced and safe, the system:

• Avoids showing too many posts in a row from the same person.

• Downplays content that gets muted, reported, or marked “not interested.”

• Filters out blocked/muted accounts, spam, and harmful material.

The Bottom Line

Growing on X isn’t about tricks — it’s about sending the system the right signals: quality, consistency, variety, and real engagement.

If you make it easy for your followers to react, and give the system confidence about the kind of audience you serve, your posts will travel far beyond your own network.