name: x-algorithm
description: X (Twitter) algorithm rules & viral strategies for AI agents. Boost engagement, avoid reach death. Works with Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot. Vibe-coding ready.
version: 1.0.3
author: NextFrontierBuilds
keywords: [x, twitter, algorithm, viral, engagement, social-media, growth, content-strategy, ai-agent, ai-coding, claude, cursor, copilot, github-copilot, chatgpt, openclaw, moltbot, vibe-coding, automation, ai-tools, developer-tools, devtools, typescript, llm]
X Algorithm Mastery
Everything you need to know about the X (Twitter) algorithm. Based on X's open-source code, viral post analysis, and real engagement data.
TL;DR - The Golden Rules
- First 2 hours are critical — replies/engagement in this window determine reach
- No external links in main post — X penalizes links that take users off-platform
- Media > Text — videos get 10x engagement, images get 2-3x
- Reply to EVERYTHING — replies are weighted higher than likes/retweets
- Post when audience is awake — 8 AM - 2 PM weekdays optimal
- Controversy drives engagement — but pick battles wisely
- Threads outperform single tweets — for long-form content
How the Algorithm Works
The 4-Step Process
- Candidate Sourcing: Pulls
1,500 tweets from accounts you follow (50%) and similar accounts
- Ranking: ML model scores likelihood you'll reply (highest), retweet, like, or report (negative)
- Filtering: Removes blocked/muted, balances in/out-network, limits single author
- Serving: Final mix with ads, 5B times/day, ~1.5 seconds
Engagement Weight Hierarchy
| Action |
Weight |
| Replies |
Highest |
| Retweets |
High |
| Quote Tweets |
High (2x regular posts) |
| Likes |
Medium |
| Bookmarks |
Medium |
| Views |
Low |
| Reports |
Negative (kills reach) |
Ranking Signals
1. Recency
- Fresh content prioritized
- Peak visibility: first 2-3 hours
2. Engagement Velocity
- Speed matters more than total
- 100 likes in 30 min > 500 likes over 24 hours
3. Account Credibility
- Verified (Premium) gets boost
- Follower-to-following ratio matters
- History of bans/strikes hurts
4. Content Type
- Video: 10x engagement
- Images: 2-3x engagement
- Polls: Drives replies
- Threads: Higher total engagement
5. Link Presence
- Links = REACH PENALTY
- Put links in replies, not main post
- Quote tweeting a link > direct link
What Kills Your Reach
Instant Death
- ❌ External links in main post
- ❌ Getting reported/blocked
- ❌ Posting same content repeatedly
- ❌ Too many hashtags (>2)
Slow Death
- ❌ Posting inconsistently
- ❌ Not replying to comments
- ❌ Off-topic from your niche
- ❌ Corporate/formal tone
Posting Best Practices
Frequency
| Goal |
Posts/Day |
| Minimum |
2-3 |
| Growth |
5-10 |
| Maximum |
15-30 |
Timing (audience timezone)
- Best: 8 AM - 2 PM weekdays
- Good: 4 PM - 6 PM weekdays
- Worst: 11 PM - 7 AM
The No-Link Strategy
❌ Bad: "Check out my article [link]"
✅ Good: "Here's what I learned (thread 🧵)"
→ Link in reply or final thread post
Getting Replies (Most Important)
- Ask questions — open-ended or controversial
- Hot takes — polarizing opinions get "actually..." replies
- Fill in the blank — "The best movie ever is ___"
- Predictions — people love to disagree
- Personal stories — "This happened to me..."
X Article Best Practices
Hook Patterns That Work
Insecurity/FOMO:
"everyone's talking about X... and you're sitting there wondering if you missed the window"
Big Opportunity:
"this is the biggest opportunity of our lifetime"
RIP Pattern:
"RIP [profession]. This AI tool will [action] in seconds."
Article Structure
1. HOOK (insecurity or opportunity)
2. WHAT IT IS (with social proof)
3. WHY MOST WON'T DO IT (address objections)
4. THE [X]-MINUTE GUIDE (step-by-step)
5. YOUR FIRST [N] WINS (immediate value)
6. THE COST (value comparison)
7. THE WINDOW (urgency)
8. CTA
Style Tips
- Clear H2 section headers
- Bullet lists for scanability
- Bold key phrases
- Time estimates for each step
- Copy-paste commands/prompts
Quick Checklist
Before posting:
Growth Hacks
Reply Guy Strategy
Turn on notifications for big accounts → be first with thoughtful reply → their audience discovers you
Thread Takeover
Find viral post in your area → quote tweet with "Let me explain why..." → add genuine value
Personality Posts
Every 5-10 posts, share something personal. Builds connection → higher engagement.
Sources
- X Algorithm GitHub (open source)
- Hootsuite, Sprout Social, SocialBee guides
- Analysis of viral articles (Damian Player, Alex Finn, Dan Koe)
Installation
clawdhub install NextFrontierBuilds/x-algorithm
Built by @NextXFrontier
Source: modbender/skill-library-mcp — distributed by TomeVault.
1---2name: modbender-skill-library-mcp-x-algorithm3description: ---4---5---6name: x-algorithm7description: X (Twitter) algorithm rules & viral strategies for AI agents. Boost engagement, avoid reach death. Works with Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot. Vibe-coding ready.8version: 1.0.39author: NextFrontierBuilds10keywords: [x, twitter, algorithm, viral, engagement, social-media, growth, content-strategy, ai-agent, ai-coding, claude, cursor, copilot, github-copilot, chatgpt, openclaw, moltbot, vibe-coding, automation, ai-tools, developer-tools, devtools, typescript, llm]11---1213# X Algorithm Mastery1415Everything you need to know about the X (Twitter) algorithm. Based on X's open-source code, viral post analysis, and real engagement data.1617## TL;DR - The Golden Rules18191. **First 2 hours are critical** — replies/engagement in this window determine reach202. **No external links in main post** — X penalizes links that take users off-platform213. **Media > Text** — videos get 10x engagement, images get 2-3x224. **Reply to EVERYTHING** — replies are weighted higher than likes/retweets235. **Post when audience is awake** — 8 AM - 2 PM weekdays optimal246. **Controversy drives engagement** — but pick battles wisely257. **Threads outperform single tweets** — for long-form content2627---2829## How the Algorithm Works3031### The 4-Step Process32331. **Candidate Sourcing**: Pulls ~1,500 tweets from accounts you follow (~50%) and similar accounts342. **Ranking**: ML model scores likelihood you'll reply (highest), retweet, like, or report (negative)353. **Filtering**: Removes blocked/muted, balances in/out-network, limits single author364. **Serving**: Final mix with ads, 5B times/day, ~1.5 seconds3738### Engagement Weight Hierarchy3940| Action | Weight |41|--------|--------|42| Replies | Highest |43| Retweets | High |44| Quote Tweets | High (2x regular posts) |45| Likes | Medium |46| Bookmarks | Medium |47| Views | Low |48| Reports | Negative (kills reach) |4950---5152## Ranking Signals5354### 1. Recency55- Fresh content prioritized56- Peak visibility: first 2-3 hours5758### 2. Engagement Velocity59- Speed matters more than total60- 100 likes in 30 min > 500 likes over 24 hours6162### 3. Account Credibility63- Verified (Premium) gets boost64- Follower-to-following ratio matters65- History of bans/strikes hurts6667### 4. Content Type68- **Video**: 10x engagement69- **Images**: 2-3x engagement70- **Polls**: Drives replies71- **Threads**: Higher total engagement7273### 5. Link Presence74- **Links = REACH PENALTY**75- Put links in replies, not main post76- Quote tweeting a link > direct link7778---7980## What Kills Your Reach8182### Instant Death83- ❌ External links in main post84- ❌ Getting reported/blocked85- ❌ Posting same content repeatedly86- ❌ Too many hashtags (>2)8788### Slow Death89- ❌ Posting inconsistently90- ❌ Not replying to comments91- ❌ Off-topic from your niche92- ❌ Corporate/formal tone9394---9596## Posting Best Practices9798### Frequency99| Goal | Posts/Day |100|------|-----------|101| Minimum | 2-3 |102| Growth | 5-10 |103| Maximum | 15-30 |104105### Timing (audience timezone)106- **Best**: 8 AM - 2 PM weekdays107- **Good**: 4 PM - 6 PM weekdays108- **Worst**: 11 PM - 7 AM109110### The No-Link Strategy111```112❌ Bad: "Check out my article [link]"113✅ Good: "Here's what I learned (thread 🧵)"114 → Link in reply or final thread post115```116117---118119## Getting Replies (Most Important)120121- **Ask questions** — open-ended or controversial122- **Hot takes** — polarizing opinions get "actually..." replies123- **Fill in the blank** — "The best movie ever is ___"124- **Predictions** — people love to disagree125- **Personal stories** — "This happened to me..."126127---128129## X Article Best Practices130131### Hook Patterns That Work132133**Insecurity/FOMO:**134> "everyone's talking about X... and you're sitting there wondering if you missed the window"135136**Big Opportunity:**137> "this is the biggest opportunity of our lifetime"138139**RIP Pattern:**140> "RIP [profession]. This AI tool will [action] in seconds."141142### Article Structure143144```1451. HOOK (insecurity or opportunity)1462. WHAT IT IS (with social proof)1473. WHY MOST WON'T DO IT (address objections)1484. THE [X]-MINUTE GUIDE (step-by-step)1495. YOUR FIRST [N] WINS (immediate value)1506. THE COST (value comparison)1517. THE WINDOW (urgency)1528. CTA153```154155### Style Tips156- Clear H2 section headers157- Bullet lists for scanability158- Bold key phrases159- Time estimates for each step160- Copy-paste commands/prompts161162---163164## Quick Checklist165166Before posting:167- [ ] Under 280 chars? (If not, thread it)168- [ ] First line hooks attention?169- [ ] Reason to reply? (Question, hot take)170- [ ] Good time to post?171- [ ] No external links? (Move to reply)172- [ ] Fits your niche?173- [ ] Available to reply for 2 hours?174175---176177## Growth Hacks178179### Reply Guy Strategy180Turn on notifications for big accounts → be first with thoughtful reply → their audience discovers you181182### Thread Takeover183Find viral post in your area → quote tweet with "Let me explain why..." → add genuine value184185### Personality Posts186Every 5-10 posts, share something personal. Builds connection → higher engagement.187188---189190## Sources191- X Algorithm GitHub (open source)192- Hootsuite, Sprout Social, SocialBee guides193- Analysis of viral articles (Damian Player, Alex Finn, Dan Koe)194195---196197## Installation198199```bash200clawdhub install NextFrontierBuilds/x-algorithm201```202203Built by [@NextXFrontier](https://x.com/NextXFrontier)204205---206> Source: [modbender/skill-library-mcp](https://github.com/modbender/skill-library-mcp) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).207<!-- tomevault:4.0:skill_md:2026-06-16 -->