How the Twitter algorithm works in 2026 [6 strategies]

Social media platforms evolve quickly, and Twitter (rebranded as “X”) is no exception. Since the rebrand, the platform has shifted significantly toward a “pay-for-reach” model and integrated Grok AI into its core ranking logic.

Working with the Twitter (X) algorithm is important if you want to grow organically on the platform. In this post, we’ll cover how the algorithm has changed recently and the different factors it considers when ranking content.

We’ll also share tips on how to leverage those factors to your advantage and maximize social media engagement and visibility on the platform.

What is the Twitter (X) algorithm?

The Twitter (X) algorithm is the platform’s recommendation system that uses artificial intelligence (specifically Grok) to determine what content users see in their Feeds. Various factors, including relevance, subscription status, and the types of content you engage with determine the posts you see.

Like all social media algorithms, the mix of factors that rank posts is much more complex in practice and is constantly being refined. Marketers need to stay updated with all the latest changes to ensure their Twitter (X) marketing strategy is relevant and successful.

How has the Twitter (X) algorithm changed?

Back in 2017, Twitter (X) introduced the relevance model in its algorithm, replacing “While You Were Away” with “In Case You Missed It”. Those changes continue to resonate today with posts presented to users based on their relevance instead of in a chronological order.

Another big recent change to X is how it handles account size. While the platform previously aimed to simply highlight smaller voices, it now operates on a ‘meritocracy via subscription’ model.

The algorithm does highlight content from smaller accounts, but largely prioritizes those with X Premium. This means small creators can still go viral and grow valuable audiences, but they generally need to be verified subscribers to signal ‘credibility’ to the ranking AI.

Before we dive further into the details, it’s important to recognize that:

• The algorithm is pay-centric: Organic reach for non-premium accounts is significantly lower.
• The default is Algorithmic: The app defaults to the ‘For You’ (algorithmic) feed. The ‘Following’ (real-time) feed exists but is secondary.
• You train the AI: Your specific interactions (bookmarks, video watch time) train the Grok AI to place you in specific ‘SimClusters,’ which tweaks your feed far more effectively than manual settings.

How the Twitter (X) algorithm works in 2026

If you open your Twitter (X) app, you’ll see three distinct feeds on the platform:

• The ‘For You’ timeline
• The ‘Following’ timeline
• The Explore tab

Each one ranks content in a different way. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the Twitter (X) algorithm works across all three feeds.

How Twitter (X)’s ‘For You’ timeline algorithm works

The ‘For You’ timeline takes posts from accounts you follow and mixes them with recommendations from accounts you don’t. This feed is the default view and is heavily curated by the heavy ranker algorithm, which scores every post to predict how likely you are to engage with it.

Primarily, the algorithm looks at things like your past interactions, what similar users are engaging with and what’s trending. It then scores and ranks posts based on how likely you are to engage with them. This way, your timeline stays personalized and engaging.

How Twitter (X)’s ‘Following’ timeline algorithm works

The ‘Following’ timeline is a bit more straightforward. It shows you posts based in reverse chronological order from the accounts you follow.

However, note that X defaults users to the For You feed, meaning content in the Following tab receives significantly fewer organic impressions than before.

How Twitter (X)’s ‘Explore’ tab algorithm works

The ‘Explore’ tab helps you stay in the loop with what’s happening around the world and find new content beyond your usual feed.

As of 2025, the Explore tab became heavily integrated with Grok AI. Instead of just a list of hashtags, you will often see “Grok Analysis”—AI-written summaries that explain why a topic is trending, pulling context from thousands of posts instantly.

It aggregates and recommends content from various areas of the platform, including events, topics and videos. You can further toggle between several tabs here, including personalized (‘For You’) content, trending topics, news, sports and entertainment.

Top Twitter (X) algorithm ranking signals to look for

To crack the code of the Twitter (X) algorithm, you need to understand the key ranking signals it uses to determine what shows up in users’ Feeds. Thanks to the release of the platform’s open-source code, we now know the specific weight given to different interactions.

1. Recency

Even though Twitter (X’s) “For You” timeline no longer follows a reverse chronological order, the algorithm still takes into account how fresh a post is when deciding where to rank it.

People often want to see the latest and updated content, and the algorithm knows that. The algorithm applies a steep “time decay” factor, meaning a post loses half its potential visibility score every six hours. Aim to generate engagement immediately after posting.

2. Engagement

The Twitter (X) algorithm pays attention to how many likes, replies and reposts a post gets.

If a post is racking up a lot of engagement, the algorithm sees it as valuable and relevant, and it’s more likely to show that post to a wider audience.

However, not all engagement is created equal. The algorithm assigns specific multipliers to different actions. According to an analysis of the open-source recommendation code:

• Reposts (Retweets): ~20x the value of a Like.
• Replies: ~13.5x the value of a Like.
• Bookmarks: ~10x the value of a Like (often called the “silent like”).
• Likes: 1x (The baseline).

This means a post with fewer likes but high bookmarks and reposts will drastically outperform a post with only likes.

Engagement is like a quality stamp—it tells the algorithm, “Hey, this content is resonating with people!” That’s why posts that get conversations going and encourage interaction have a better chance of being bumped up in the rankings.

3. Account credibility & X Premium

If you’ve got a verified account and a good reputation on the platform, your posts are more likely to get a boost in people’s Feeds. It’s Twitter (X’s) way of making sure content from respected, influential accounts gets seen by more people.

This is now one of the strongest ranking signals. Subscribing to X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) is no longer just about a badge; it is a direct visibility multiplier. Premium subscribers can receive a 2x to 4x boost in reach compared to non-Premium accounts.

Also, replies from Premium users are algorithmically prioritized to appear at the top of conversation threads, making them much more visible.

4. Type of content

The Twitter (X) algorithm favors certain types of content over others, especially anything with rich media like GIFs, images, videos or polls. Posts with visual content generally drive more engagement, which is why they get a higher score in the ranking system.

While rich media is favored, there is a major caveat: The algorithm penalizes external links. Elon Musk confirmed that posts containing links that take users off-platform often see a reach reduction of 50-90%. X wants to keep users on the app, so text-only posts or long-form articles generally perform better than posts with outbound links.

5. Relevancy

The algorithm’s goal is to show people content that matches their interests, preferences and behavior on the platform. To figure out what’s relevant, Twitter (X’s) algorithm looks at a bunch of signals, like who you follow and the topics you like to interact with.

With Grok AI, relevancy is now determined by “SimClusters”—communities of users who discuss similar topics. The AI analyzes the semantic meaning of your post, not just keywords. If you post about “Java,” the AI knows from context whether you mean coffee or coding and shows it to the correct cluster.

What the Twitter (X) algorithm doesn’t show

The Twitter (X) algorithm filters out certain content from your feed that may negatively impact your user experience on the platform.

This includes spam or potentially harmful content, posts you’ve already seen, posts from blocked and muted accounts, and too many consecutive posts from a single author.

6 tips for working with the Twitter algorithm to maximize engagement

Understanding how the Twitter (X) algorithm works is just the start. To get more visibility on your posts, you’re going to need to do the work.

The tips below will set you up with some of the essential ways to adapt to the Twitter algorithm and stay flexible when it appears to affect your social media metrics.

1. Post consistently

A lot of people tend to log on to Twitter (X) for a few minutes a day, sending all of their posts at once and engaging with the first few posts they see. For brands, it’s important to maintain an active presence on Twitter (X) throughout the day so your audience is more likely to see your posts.

One way to stay consistent on social media is to plan your content in advance. You can do that with a social media publishing tool like Sprout Social, which gives you a birds’ eye view of your upcoming publishing calendar, and lets you draft and schedule posts easily.

There are varying opinions on when and how many posts you should post a day in order to get the most Twitter engagement from your efforts. Which leads into our next tip…

2. Post at the best times

Knowing when the best time to post can be tricky at first because it largely depends on your audience. While you can uncover this by manually reviewing your performance analytics, we’ve already done the work to help you get an advantage. Here are insights into the best times to post on social media for different networks and industries.

With Sprout’s patented ViralPost technology, you can take your strategy one step further. Our Optimal Send Times feature analyzes the behavior of your specific audience and zeroes in on the top times to post that are specific to your account.

This frees up time to focus on amplifying your strategy, such as by measuring success using Sprout’s Twitter analytics and building on what works for your next campaign.

3. Choose the right content types and formats

Posting good quality content that’s relevant, interesting and useful is non-negotiable for brands on any social media platform, including on Twitter (X). But since the algorithm penalizes external links, you must adapt your strategy to posting the right type of content.

Rich media is one of the things the Twitter (X) algorithm considers when ranking content because its users are more likely to engage with it. This includes videos, GIFs, images, carousels and even polls.

However, videos seem to be the way to go if you want to drive engagement. According to Twitter (X) data, four out of five user sessions on the platform now include watching video. Interestingly, Sprout Social’s research points out the same.

The takeaway: Prioritize rich media in your social media content strategy, especially video.

And do not put the link in the main text of your post. Instead:

• Write a compelling thread or text post.
• Post the link in the first reply (comment) of your own post.
• Alternatively, use X’s “Article” feature to publish long-form content directly on the platform, which the algorithm rewards.
• Prioritize native video (rather than linking to YouTube), as X is pushing to become a “video-first” platform.

4. Optimize for engagement (reposts & bookmarks)

Considering how much engagement impacts the algorithm, it’s important to plan content that encourages users to like, comment, repost and bookmark your posts. Rich media is one way to spark engagement on your post, but there are other ways you can do this, too.

Structure your content to be shareable rather than just likeable. Ask yourself: “Is this useful enough to save for later?” (driving bookmarks) or “Is this important enough to share with others?” (driving reposts).

You can:

• Ask thought-provoking questions
• Use relevant trending hashtags and piggyback on viral memes and trends (just be sure they fit your brand!)
• Participate in popular Twitter (X) campaigns
• Tag other users
• Respond

5. Respond quickly to replies

The Twitter (X) algorithm prioritizes recent content, and engaged users. It’s important to respond to any engagement your post, and even your brand, receives as soon as possible, preferably in the first 2–3 hours.

For example, you should:

• Respond when someone tags or mentions you.
• Respond to any replies your post gets.
• Respond to reposts by replying, even if it’s just to say thank you.

Using a social media monitoring tool like Sprout Social is a great way to be notified when your brand is mentioned on Twitter (X), even if you’re not tagged. You can set up specific brand keywords you want to monitor so you can stay on top of every post when people mention your products, campaigns and other important brand terms.

6. Consider X Premium or running X ads

If you are a brand or serious creator, X Premium is now virtually a requirement for organic growth due to the algorithmic boost it provides.

If you need even more reach, Twitter (X’s) advertising can be a great way to give your content that extra push it needs. This is particularly great way for new businesses on Twitter (X) who are just starting out to get extra exposure.

Don’t have the budget for ads? Try your hand at some of the non-paid tactics on this list first. If you’re interested, you can learn more about how to run successful Twitter (X) ads here.

Work with the Twitter algorithm to boost your strategy

The Twitter algorithm ultimately exists to help you, since it’s helping get your post in front of interested audiences rather than buried in a constant flow of new posts.

It’s also constantly evolving. As a marketer, understanding how the algorithm works can improve your content planning and help you better understand why your posts succeed or fall flat.

If you’re looking for a social media management platform to take your Twitter (X) presence to the next level, check out Sprout Social. We’ve got all the tools you need to establish a solid, engaging brand presence on Twitter and other social networks.

Sign up for Sprout’s 30-day free trial and see for yourself—no credit card required!