How to use X (Twitter) kindly: a beginner's guide

Plenty of people are new to X, and plenty more are coming back after years away to find the bird gone and the buttons renamed. The basics are still simple. This guide covers them, with the habits that make the experience friendlier for you and for everyone you talk to.

What are the basic parts of X?

Posts, replies, reposts, quote posts, likes and direct messages are the six things you will use most.

Old names still float around: tweets are posts, retweets are reposts. Nobody minds which you use.

How do I set up a friendly profile?

Use a clear photo, a header that suits you, a one-line bio that says what you post about, and a pinned post that welcomes people.

1. Profile photo: your face, your pet, or a simple illustration. A 400x400 square works well.
2. Header: a wide image across the top, commonly 1500x500. Our free header pattern maker makes original pattern headers if you have no photo you like.
3. Bio: one or two lines on what you post about. "Teacher, baker, bad at chess. Posts about bread and classroom ideas" tells people what to expect.
4. Pinned post: an optional welcome or your best post, so new visitors see it first.

How do I write my first post?

Write one clear thought, keep it short, and do not worry about it being perfect.

Standard posts hold 280 characters. X counts some things differently: every link counts as 23 characters and every emoji as 2. The kind post composer shows the real count as you type and opens the finished text in X's compose window.

Easy first posts:

• Introduce yourself and what you hope to find.
• Share something useful you learned this week.
• Thank someone whose posts you enjoy.

How do replies and mentions work?

A reply sits under someone's post and is public; a mention (@name) notifies that person wherever it appears.

To reply, tap the speech-bubble icon under a post. Your reply is public and can be seen by anyone reading the conversation. Mentioning someone with @ sends them a notification, so mention people when they are really part of what you are saying. When you write a post, you can also choose who is allowed to reply. Everyone is the default; narrower options include accounts you follow and only accounts you mention.

The guide to kind replies covers how to reply well, including how to disagree.

How do I keep my timeline pleasant?

Follow generously, unfollow freely, and use mute early.

• Follow a mix of people: friends, experts in things you like, local accounts.
• If someone's posts make you feel worse, unfollow or mute them. Muting is silent; they are not told.
• Mute words or phrases for topics you need a break from.
• Block accounts that harass you, and report anything threatening. The handling negativity guide explains each option.

What are simple kind habits on X?

Be specific with praise, credit what you share, and wait before replying when you are annoyed.

None of this is complicated. X is a busier place than it was in its early years, which makes small courtesies stand out more, not less.

Where can I go from here?

Try a kind post today: thank someone, celebrate someone, or share one useful thing.

If you are not sure what to say, the kind post ideas generator gives you three starting points for thank-yous, birthdays and congratulations.