What a reply weighs in the algorithm
In the code X published, a predicted reply weighs 5, versus 0.708 for a like. On a post from an account you follow mutually, another 15 is added.
The For You algorithm predicts, for each reader, the probability of several actions and then takes a weighted sum. The weights read on November 9, 2026 show what counts:
| Predicted action | Weight |
|---|---|
| Like | 0.708 |
| Repost | 1 |
| Reply | 5 |
| Reply bonus between mutuals (original posts) | +15 |
| Quote | 5 |
| Follow the author | 4 |
| Mute the author | −58.8 |
Like
- Weight
- 0.708
Repost
- Weight
- 1
Reply
- Weight
- 5
Reply bonus between mutuals (original posts)
- Weight
- +15
Quote
- Weight
- 5
Follow the author
- Weight
- 4
Mute the author
- Weight
- −58.8
The mutuals bonus has a dated history: A/B tested from July 10, 2026, shipped at 20 on July 13, cut to 15 on July 24. Nikita Bier at X described it as a small tweak that shows your posts more to your mutuals.
Don’t read these weights as points to add up: X itself warns that comparing two weights directly is wrong, because the actions have very different probabilities. Keep the direction: a conversation is worth far more than a like.
The 75x number from 2023 is gone
In 2023, Twitter’s code gave 75 to a reply the author engaged with. That weight no longer exists in the code published in 2026.
The number still shows up in a lot of advice. It comes from the weights published on April 5, 2023: 13.5 for a reply, 75 for a reply the author engaged with, 0.5 for a like. The 2026 system is a different model, a Grok-family transformer, and its list of actions has no “author replied” weight.
Replying still pays off for two concrete reasons: every good reply is another chance for a reader to follow you, and a lively thread gives other readers a reason to reply too. The rest of the system is covered in the X algorithm in 2026.
Who actually sees your replies
A reply isn’t a regular post: the For You feed drops replies from accounts the reader doesn’t follow. Your reply is mostly read by people who open the conversation.
Among the filters applied before ranking, the code removes reposts and replies from accounts the reader doesn’t follow, and deduplicates conversations. So a great reply under your own post serves the people already in the thread first, and a reply under someone else’s post gets read by their audience when they open it.
That’s why a reply has to stand on its own: add a fact, an example, a nuance. “Great point!” makes nobody follow.
The first hours of a post
A post collects most of its audience quickly: replying in the first hours, while the conversation is starting, matters more than replying the next day.
A 2023 study of more than 21,000 tweets found a median half-life of about 80 minutes: half of a tweet’s impressions came within that window. The data predates today’s ranking, but the order of magnitude still tells you something. In the code, a post is only a For You candidate for 48 hours, and the head start for smaller accounts only applies to posts up to 2 hours old.
In practice: block 15 minutes after each important post, and check in sooner when a post takes off faster than usual. To pick the time you publish, see the best time to post on X.
What X’s rules allow
Replying yourself, by hand, is always fine. Automated replies triggered by keywords are banned, and an AI reply bot needs X’s written approval.
| Practice | Status |
|---|---|
| Replying to your mentions by hand | Allowed |
| Automated reply triggered by a keyword search | Banned by the automation rules |
| Automated reply to someone who opted in, with an easy opt-out | Allowed with conditions |
| AI reply bot | Requires X’s prior written and explicit approval |
| Replies sent by a third-party tool | Since February 23, 2026, only if the post’s author mentioned or quoted the account |
Replying to your mentions by hand
- Status
- Allowed
Automated reply triggered by a keyword search
- Status
- Banned by the automation rules
Automated reply to someone who opted in, with an easy opt-out
- Status
- Allowed with conditions
AI reply bot
- Status
- Requires X’s prior written and explicit approval
Replies sent by a third-party tool
- Status
- Since February 23, 2026, only if the post’s author mentioned or quoted the account
A tool can help you read and sort your mentions, or give you a hint, but you’re the one who writes the reply and sends it: that’s also what people expect when they call you out. The same goes when someone writes for you: see X ghostwriter.
Triage your mentions in fifteen minutes
Not every mention deserves the same answer. Sort them into four piles, answer questions first, and leave trolls unanswered.
| Pile | What you do |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer first, with the full answer, not just a link |
| Reasoned disagreement | Reply once, on substance, without attacking the person |
| Compliment | Say thanks and add something: a detail, a follow-up, a question |
| Troll, spam, attack | Don’t reply; mute or block if needed |
Question
- What you do
- Answer first, with the full answer, not just a link
Reasoned disagreement
- What you do
- Reply once, on substance, without attacking the person
Compliment
- What you do
- Say thanks and add something: a detail, a follow-up, a question
Troll, spam, attack
- What you do
- Don’t reply; mute or block if needed
- Start with accounts you follow that follow you back: that’s where the mutuals bonus applies.
- One to three sentences is almost always enough.
- Only ask a question if you actually want the answer.
- A good question in your mentions is often your next post: write it down.
Reply templates
These are structures to adapt in your own words, never lines to paste as is: a copied reply shows.
Yes, [short answer]. What makes the difference: [the exact detail, setting or number]. If you’re in [edge case], do [alternative] instead.
Put the answer in the reply itself: nobody should have to click.
Fair point on [what’s right in their comment]. Where I see it differently: [your argument, with a real example]. Where have you seen it work?
One reply on substance, then let the conversation breathe.
Thanks [name]. What I left out of the post: [extra detail].
Thanks alone gives other readers nothing; the detail does.
More structures, for posts this time, are in the X post templates. And conversation is one piece of the overall method in the personal branding on X guide.
Frequently asked questions
Should I reply to every mention on X?
No. Answer questions and reasoned disagreements first, thank compliments while adding something, and ignore trolls and spam.
Is an author reply worth 75 likes?
That number comes from the weights Twitter published in April 2023. The code X published in 2026 no longer has that weight: a predicted reply weighs 5, a like 0.708.
Can I automate my replies on X?
X’s automation rules ban automated replies triggered by keywords, and an AI reply bot needs X’s written approval. A tool can sort your mentions and give you a hint, but the reply should stay yours: written by you, sent by you.
Do my replies show up in For You?
Rarely for people who don’t follow you: the feed drops replies from accounts the reader doesn’t follow. They’re mostly read by people who open the conversation.