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10 · X best practices, on one page

A maker with a checklist next to a big glowing Post button

Everything the kit says about posting, in the order you use it. Each rule carries its evidence label from reference/tips-and-tricks.md: Code (X's open-source ranker), Help (an official X help page), Real (the maintainer's own account, small base), Practice (common among builders, test it yourself).

1 · Before you write

  • Practice · Write from the fact bank, never from "what sounds good". No fact, no post.
  • Practice · Pick the variant first (09-post-variants.md), then the product. One idea per post.
  • Code · Rotate variants and products. Repeating yourself triggers author-diversity decay and "not interested" (−47.5), which costs far more than a like earns (0.5) (03-how-x-ranks-posts.md).

2 · The first line (the hook)

The first line is the whole post for most people scrolling. It must work alone.

Hook type Pattern Fits variants
Problem in their words "Your Downloads folder has 14 copies of the same PDF." V01, V19
Number with base "Trial → paid went from 3% to 9% in 3 weeks. 212 trials." V10, V11
Result + method "Got through App Review first try, after 2 rejections: one notes file." V07, V15
Decision "Decided my app stays one-time purchase." V14
Direct question "Mac folks: sync to iPhone, or Mac only?" V16
Community address "Hi Build in Public 👋 I'm …" V13
  • Real · Two posts, same hour (2026-10-12): a first-person intro to a Community got ~142 views and 9 replies in ~24 min; an ad-style "Ever wondered how to…" post got 4 views in ~13 min. Details in 09-post-variants.md.
  • Practice · Don't open with: "Ever wondered…", "Here's the thing…", "Stop reinventing the wheel", "Game-changer", "Unlock", "Supercharge", "In today's fast-paced world", "🧵👇", "👀". Readers skip what sounds like an ad or AI.

3 · The body

  • Practice · Short lines, blank line between ideas, specific nouns (file names, minutes, prices).
  • Practice · Plain first-person voice. Lowercase and imperfect beats polished marketing copy.
  • Practice · At most one emoji. Hashtags: 0, or 1 that a real community follows (Code: no hashtag weight in the ranker; Help: many unrelated or hijacked trending tags count as spam, Authenticity policy).
  • Code · End with a real question when you want replies (weight 5, +15 between mutual follows).
  • Practice · Every claim true, dated, with its base. No fake proof (social-credible-posting).

4 · Media

  • Practice · The image or clip shows exactly what the text says. A mismatched image (text about A, picture of B) makes people scroll past.
  • Practice · Demos: native screen recording, 10–30 s, starts on the problem, captions burned in (most people watch muted). GIF only for tiny UI details.
  • Practice · Screenshots: crop to the part that matters, readable on a phone, personal data removed.
  • Help · Premium tiers get longer posts (up to 25,000 characters), longer video, edit within 1 hour and Media Studio (reference/x-algorithm-and-premium-facts.md).
  • Code · Link clicks weigh 0.2. The post must earn reach without the click.
  • Practice · Default: link in the first reply (link: first-comment) or the bio. Test link-in-post for a month if you want; keep what brings more landing visits (tips).
  • Practice · UTM on every link: utm_source=x&utm_medium=bio|pinned|reply|post&utm_campaign=<product>.
  • Real · The same URL in many posts and replies, during a sudden activity spike, came right before a temporary reach label (08-rules-and-risks.md). Vary, and keep links few.

6 · Volume and timing

  • Code · A post lives about 48 hours in For You; extra posts from you in one feed are decayed. 1–3 strong posts a day, spaced hours apart, beat a burst.
  • Real · Going from ~1 to ~15 actions a day in 3 days took impressions ~10× and also drew a temporary label. Ramp up over 2–3 weeks (flow/analytics-pattern.md).
  • Practice · Post when your buyers are awake; check X analytics after 2 weeks instead of trusting "post at 9am". Starting point when you live in Asia and sell to US users: post around 19:00–23:00 Vietnam time (ICT, UTC+7), which is US East Coast morning (08:00–12:00 EDT; one hour earlier in winter).

7 · The first hour after posting

  • Code · Replies are weighted; a live conversation keeps the post going inside its 48 hours.
  • Practice · Stay for the first hour. Answer every reply with something more than "thanks!".

8 · Replies and quote posts (the daily lever)

  • Help · Premium's documented reach feature is reply prioritization (About X Premium).
  • Real · On the maintainer's account the days with the most replies were the days with the most reach.
  • Practice · 5–10 replies a day to accounts your buyers follow, each adding a number, example or screenshot. Quote posts (V18) only when you add something. Playbook: 06-reply-playbook.md.
  • Practice · Under ~1,000 followers, split your time 70% replies, 30% own posts. Follow 20–30 niche accounts with notifications on, reply within ~15 minutes, and ramp up to 20–30 replies a day over 3–4 weeks (06-reply-playbook.md).

9 · X Communities

  • Help · Community posts are visible beyond members: in members' Home timelines, to your followers, in search and on your profile. Anyone can view; only members can take part, and moderators can limit non-member replies. You need a public account to join (Communities on X).
  • Practice · Join 2–3 Communities where your buyers or fellow builders are. Read the rules, introduce yourself (V13), then post there only what fits the room: questions, behind the scenes, free resources. No offers unless the rules allow them.

10 · Profile and safety

  • Practice · The profile converts visits into clicks: name line with buyer words, bio with the free offer, UTM link, pinned demo (02-profile-setup.md). Fix it before posting more.
  • Help · Changing photo, display name or @handle removes the checkmark until re-review. Banner, bio and pinned post are safe to change.
  • Help · No duplicate posts, no automated replies or follows, no scripted website use (X automation rules).

11 · Measure by variant

  • Practice · Every post file carries variant: (templates/variants). Each Sunday, list the week's posts with profile visits and link clicks, and note which variant they were.
  • Practice · After 4 weeks keep the 2 variants with the most profile visits per post, drop the weakest, and try one you haven't used (07-metrics-and-stop-rules.md).

12 · Paid, only after organic works

Before you press Post

[ ] Variant picked; not used for this product last week
[ ] First line works alone: problem, number, result, decision or question
[ ] None of the banned openers or AI words
[ ] One idea; ≤ 1 emoji; 0–1 hashtag
[ ] Image / clip shows exactly what the text says, readable on a phone
[ ] Every number real, dated, with its base
[ ] Link in first reply or bio, with UTM (or no link)
[ ] I'll be here for the first hour to answer replies