Growing on Bluesky works differently from X or LinkedIn. There's no single algorithm deciding who sees you. Instead, people find accounts through starter packs, custom feeds, replies and reposts, and the default Following feed is chronological. That rewards being useful and showing up regularly far more than it rewards tricks.
This guide covers what actually moves the numbers: your profile, starter packs, custom feeds, what to post, and a weekly routine. It was written on 25 October 2026.
How people find accounts on Bluesky
| Way in | How it works | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Starter packs | Curated lists of up to 150 accounts and 3 feeds that new users follow in one tap | Get added to packs in your niche, or make your own |
| Custom feeds | Topic feeds built by users ("Science", "Book Sky", "Dev") | Post on-topic, use the words or tags the feed picks up |
| Discover | Bluesky's own recommended feed | Get replies and reposts early |
| Replies | Thoughtful replies show up under popular posts | Reply well to bigger accounts in your niche |
| Reposts and quotes | Your followers share you with theirs | Post things worth passing on |
| Search and hashtags | People search topics and tags | Use clear words and a tag or two |
Step 1: set up a profile people follow
Most follows happen from a profile visit, so it's worth ten minutes:
- A clear avatar and banner. Your face or logo, readable at a small size.
- A bio that says what you post about. "I write about X for Y" beats a list of job titles.
- Use your own domain as your handle. In Settings, then Account, then Handle, choose to use your own domain (like @yourname.com). It's free, shows you're real, and stays yours if you ever move your account.
- Pin your best post. Open a post's menu and choose Pin to your profile. Pick a thread or post that shows what you're about.
- Post a few times before following lots of people. An empty profile doesn't get follow-backs.
Step 2: get into starter packs
Starter packs are the single biggest growth lever on Bluesky. When a new user joins through a pack, they can follow everyone in it with one tap.
- Find packs in your niche. Search Bluesky for "starter pack" plus your topic, or use a directory site that indexes them.
- Follow and engage with the curators for a while before asking. Packs are curated; a cold "add me" rarely works.
- Ask politely when it fits, with a line on what you post.
- Make your own pack. From your profile, create a starter pack of 20 to 50 accounts in your niche, including yourself, and add up to three relevant feeds. People who share it bring others in, and you're on it.
Smaller, focused packs tend to work better than huge ones. Followers who come from a well-matched pack actually read your posts.
Step 3: get into custom feeds
Custom feeds keep putting your posts in front of people who've chosen a topic. Many feeds pick up posts by keyword, hashtag or emoji, others are hand-picked by moderators.
- Find the feeds for your topic in the Feeds tab and read each one's description; most say how to get in.
- Post on-topic with the words or tags the feed looks for.
- Don't spam a feed with off-topic posts to get seen. Feed moderators block accounts that do.
- Consider starting a feed for a gap in your niche. It's more work, but the person who runs a popular feed becomes well known in that community.
Step 4: post what does well on Bluesky
Bluesky readers reward substance and personality, and punish engagement bait. What tends to work:
- Original thoughts and specific observations, not hot takes for their own sake.
- Useful threads that teach something, a few posts long.
- Your work in progress: drafts, sketches, code, photos, findings.
- Images with alt text. Bluesky's culture expects it, and many people won't repost images without it.
- Questions that are easy and fun to answer.
- Links with context. Say why the link is worth reading in your own words.
What tends not to work: engagement bait ("Like if you agree"), posts copied straight from X with X handles or "1/" markers left in, constant self-promotion, and threads of AI-written filler.
Keep each post under 300 characters. Bluesky counts emoji and accented letters as one character each. Check a draft with our character counter.
Step 5: reply more than you post
On Bluesky, replies are how strangers find you. A thoughtful reply under a post from a larger account in your niche reaches all of its readers. A good routine is two or three good replies for every post you make.
Good replies add something: a fact, a counterpoint, an experience, a useful link. "Great post!" adds nothing and nobody follows you for it.
Step 6: post steadily
Because the Following feed is chronological, steady posting keeps you visible. Three to five posts a week keeps you on people's radar; active accounts post one to three times a day. Spread posts out rather than posting five in a row, and post when your audience is awake. Our best time to post tool suggests windows in your time zone.
The Bluesky app has no scheduler, which makes steady posting harder. That's what tools are for. In Postbase you can:
- Schedule posts and threads to Bluesky at the times your audience is online.
- Add up to four images per post, resized to fit Bluesky's limits.
- Write once for Bluesky, X and Mastodon, then adjust the Bluesky version in its own tab.
- See your week on a calendar, so gaps are obvious.
Here's the step-by-step guide: how to schedule Bluesky posts.
Available channels
Customize per channel
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Scheduling is for the posts, not the conversation. Check back after each post goes out to reply.
A weekly routine
| When | What | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Once a week | Write and schedule 5 to 10 posts, including one thread | 45 minutes |
| Every day | Reply thoughtfully to 3 to 5 posts in your niche | 10 minutes |
| Every day | Answer replies to your own posts | 5 minutes |
| Once a week | Follow 10 new accounts from feeds and packs you like | 5 minutes |
| Once a month | Update your starter pack and pinned post | 10 minutes |
Common mistakes
- Cross-posting from X without adjusting. X handles, "1/" markers and links to x.com look out of place. Adjust the wording, or use a tool that lets you edit each version.
- Posting and leaving. Accounts that never reply rarely grow on Bluesky.
- Following hundreds of people on day one. It looks like a spam account, and Bluesky may limit you.
- No alt text. Many people won't repost an image without it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get more followers on Bluesky?
Get into starter packs in your niche, post on-topic in relevant custom feeds, reply thoughtfully to larger accounts, and post steadily, a few times a week or more. A clear profile with a custom domain handle and a pinned post helps people decide to follow.
How do I get added to a Bluesky starter pack?
Find packs in your niche, engage with their curators for a while, then ask politely with a line on what you post. Or make your own starter pack that includes you and share it.
Does Bluesky have an algorithm?
Not a single one. The default Following feed is chronological. Bluesky's Discover feed recommends posts, and thousands of custom feeds built by users each have their own rules. You choose which ones to use.
How often should I post on Bluesky?
Three to five posts a week is a good minimum; active accounts post one to three times a day. Spread them out rather than posting several in a row.
Can you schedule posts on Bluesky?
Not in the Bluesky app. Use a scheduling tool such as Postbase, which posts through Bluesky's official API at the time you choose, including threads and images.
Do hashtags work on Bluesky?
Yes. Hashtags are searchable and some custom feeds use them to pick up posts. Use one or two relevant tags; many posts do fine with none.
Postbase