The 10 Golden Rules of X Algorithm

These are the most important rules distilled from the X algorithm source code. Master these and you’ll outperform 95% of accounts.

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Rule 1: Replies Are King 👑

Why: Reply probability has the highest positive weight (~2×) in the scoring formula.

Do:

• End posts with questions
• Make controversial (but not offensive) takes
• Create “fill in the blank” posts
• Ask for opinions and experiences

Don’t:

• Post statements with no engagement hook
• Make content that requires no response

Algorithm source: weighted_scorer.rs - REPLY_WEIGHT

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Rule 2: Avoid Negative Actions At All Costs ⚠️

Why: Negative actions have MASSIVE penalties:

• Block = -10× the value of a like
• Report = -20× the value of a like
• Mute = -5× the value of a like

Do:

• Stay in your niche
• Be authentic and helpful
• Avoid rage-bait that triggers blocks

Don’t:

• Spam replies on unrelated posts
• Be overly political or divisive
• Post content that might get reported

Algorithm source: weighted_scorer.rs - BLOCK_AUTHOR_WEIGHT, REPORT_WEIGHT

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Rule 3: Space Your Posts (Author Diversity Penalty) ⏰

Why: The algorithm applies exponential decay to multiple posts from the same author:

• 1st post: 100% score
• 2nd post: ~76% score
• 3rd post: ~59% score
• Eventually floors at ~20%

Do:

• Post 3-4 hours apart
• Use threads instead of separate posts (counts as one “author slot”)
• Quality over quantity

Don’t:

• Post 5 tweets in an hour
• Think more posts = more reach

Algorithm source: author_diversity_scorer.rs

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Rule 4: In-Network First 🏠

Why: Out-of-network content is multiplied by OON_WEIGHT_FACTOR (less than 1.0). Your followers see you first.

Do:

• Focus on building genuine followers
• Engage with your existing audience
• Create content your followers want to share

Don’t:

• Buy followers (they don’t engage = negative signal)
• Ignore your existing audience chasing new ones

Algorithm source: oon_scorer.rs

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Rule 5: Video > Image > Text (With Caveats) 🎬

Why: Video Quality View (VQV) gets its own weight bonus, BUT only if video exceeds minimum duration threshold.

Do:

• Create videos longer than ~10 seconds
• Add captions (silent scrolling)
• Hook in first 3 seconds
• Native upload (not YouTube links)

Don’t:

• Post super short clips that don’t qualify
• Post without thumbnails

Algorithm source: weighted_scorer.rs - VQV_WEIGHT, MIN_VIDEO_DURATION_MS

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Rule 6: Dwell Time Is a Signal ⏱️

Why: The algorithm tracks both binary dwell (did they stop?) and continuous dwell time (how long?).

Do:

• Write longer, engaging content
• Use threads for complex topics
• Format for readability (spacing, bullets, emojis)
• Create content worth re-reading

Don’t:

• Post one-liners only
• Create skimmable-only content

Algorithm source: phoenix_scorer.rs - DWELL_WEIGHT, CONT_DWELL_TIME_WEIGHT

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Rule 7: Don’t Get Filtered 🚫

Why: 12 different filters can COMPLETELY HIDE your content before scoring even happens.

Filters that can block you:

1. Age filter (too old)
2. Duplicate filter
3. Self-tweet filter
4. Muted keyword filter
5. Blocked/muted author filter
6. Spam filter (VF)
7. Previously seen filter
8. Subscription eligibility filter

Do:

• Post at peak times for freshness
• Avoid spammy keywords (“DM me”, “link in bio” spam)
• Don’t post the same thing twice

Don’t:

• Use flagged keywords
• Try to game the system with duplicate content

Algorithm source: home-mixer/filters/

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Rule 8: Engage Authentically 🤝

Why: The algorithm uses your engagement history to build your “user embedding.” If you engage in your niche, you’ll be matched with similar content creators and audiences.

Do:

• Like/reply to posts in your niche
• Build relationships with similar creators
• Be genuinely helpful in replies

Don’t:

• Mass-like random content
• Use engagement pods (pattern detected)
• Ignore your community

Algorithm source: phoenix/recsys_retrieval_model.py - Two-Tower model

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Rule 9: Niche Down for Retrieval 🎯

Why: The Two-Tower retrieval system matches user embeddings to content embeddings via dot product similarity. Clear, consistent topics = stronger embedding signal.

Do:

• Focus on 1-3 related topics
• Use consistent keywords/hashtags
• Build topical authority

Don’t:

• Post random content across many topics
• Confuse your audience (and the algorithm)

Algorithm source: phoenix/recsys_retrieval_model.py

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Rule 10: Quality > Quantity 📊

Why: All the rules above compound. One viral post beats 10 mediocre ones because:

• No author diversity penalty
• More replies per post
• Higher dwell time
• More authentic engagement

Do:

• Spend time crafting content
• Study what works
• Iterate and improve

Don’t:

• Spray and pray
• Post just to post

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Quick Reference Card

Rule	Key Metric	Action
1	Replies	Ask questions
2	Blocks/Reports	Stay authentic
3	Post frequency	3-4 hr spacing
4	Follower quality	Build genuine following
5	Media type	Native video > 10s
6	Dwell time	Longer content
7	Filters	Avoid spam patterns
8	Engagement	Interact in niche
9	Topic focus	Niche down
10	Quality	Fewer, better posts

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Next: Understanding the Scoring System →