How X Lists work, and how to use them to grow
Updated
An X List is a timeline made up only of the accounts you add. You can make it private so nobody sees it, add people without following them, and pin it next to your For You tab. That makes Lists one of the most useful free growth tools on X: you get a clean daily view of the people you want to talk to, without your main feed getting in the way.
How to create a List
From X's help page:
- Tap your profile icon, then Lists.
- Tap the new List icon.
- Add a name and short description. Names can't be longer than 25 characters, and they can't begin with a number.
- Lists are public by default. Turn on Private if you want it to be just for you.
- Tap Done, then add members by searching for accounts.
To add someone from their profile, tap the more icon on their profile and select Add/remove from Lists. The exact wording may vary by device.
Things worth knowing
These all come from X's help page:
- You can follow a List without following its members. That also applies to Lists other people have made.
- You can pin a List so it appears beside For You and Following in your Home timeline.
- You can see which Lists you're on, under Lists you're on.
- To remove yourself from someone's List, you have to block its creator.
- Recommendations can draw on Lists. X says it shows recommendations from Lists you follow in your For You timeline.
One rule to keep in mind: X's authenticity policy prohibits aggressively adding users to Lists, and its automation rules ban adding people in bulk or indiscriminately. Build your Lists by hand.
Should your List be private or public?
Make it private for your own daily routine. The people on it don't need to know you're watching them, and you can change it whenever you want.
Use a public List if it's useful to others, like "Bookkeepers worth reading." You might get some attention from it, since people can see who you've included. But don't add many strangers just to get noticed, since that's the behavior the policy targets.
Three Lists that form a daily system
This setup is our advice, and it goes with our reply strategy.
1. Peers (15 to 20 accounts). People at about your level, in your field. They're the most likely to talk back and become mutuals. In July 2026, X added a boost to predicted replies among mutual follows, so these relationships are worth building.
2. Bigger accounts (10 to 15 accounts). People somewhat larger than you whose readers would like your work. Choose ones who still answer replies. On enormous accounts, your reply can get buried.
3. Future customers or readers (10 to 20 accounts). The people you want to reach. Their questions tell you what to post about, and they're often easier to help than to pitch. If you sell a service, see how to get clients on X.
Keep them small. If a List gets so long that you can't read it in a few minutes, cut it.
The 15-minute routine
- Open your pinned Peers List, and reply to one or two posts.
- Open Bigger accounts, and look for fresh posts where you can add something.
- Open Future customers, and look for questions.
- Stop when you've written three to five useful replies.
Skip any post where you have nothing to add. A short routine you keep doing is better than a long one you drop. Our guide to writing good replies has patterns to use.
Lists show people you already know about. To find new ones, use search.
Using Lists to find what to post
Your Lists also reveal what people in your field are talking about. If the same question comes up three times in a week, answer it in a post. If you disagree with a popular take, explain why. Here are more prompts.
Maintain them
Once a month:
- Remove accounts that stopped posting or moved off your topic.
- Add people who've replied to you.
- Move friendly peers to your following list, if you really want to follow them.
Common questions
Does someone know if I add them to a List?
If it's public, it can be visible to them under Lists you're on. X's help says you make a List "only accessible to you" with the Private setting. So use that if you don't want it seen.
Can I add someone to a List without following them?
Yes. That's one of the main reasons to use Lists, since it keeps your following count and your feed tidy.
Are X Lists still worth using?
Yes, in our view. With X announcing the closure of Communities, Lists are one of the simplest remaining ways to follow a group of people on a topic.
Do Lists affect the algorithm?
X says Lists you follow can feed recommendations in your For You timeline. We can't tell you how much. Adding someone to a List isn't among the weights in X's published scoring.
How many accounts can a List have?
X's help page doesn't state a limit on the page we read. For this routine, you won't want more than about 30.
Next step
Create one private List now, and add 10 accounts. Pin it to your timeline. If building and checking it each day sounds like too much, Repli's morning plan brings you fresh posts on your topics to reply to, with drafts in your voice. You post each one yourself. See the demo.