Definition: A thread is a series of posts by the same account, each published as a reply to the one before, so readers can follow a longer idea in order beyond a single post’s character limit.
Also called: X thread, Twitter thread, tweetstorm
Updated October 11, 2026
Short-text networks cap each post. Per X’s developer documentation, a post can contain up to 280 characters, with every link counted as 23 characters. Threads (Meta’s app) limits a text post to 500 characters, per its API documentation. Chaining posts lets you go further without leaving the feed or linking out.
A thread is the format: connected posts in a reply chain. Threads is Meta’s text-first app. You can write a thread on Threads, X or Bluesky; the word means the same thing on each.
The first post does all the selling, because it is the only one most people see in their feed. Make it stand alone and say what the reader will get. Then keep one point per post and number them if the thread is a list.
A founder writes a 6-post thread on X: “We cut our churn in half in 90 days. Here are the 5 changes that did it.” Posts 2 to 6 each cover one change with a screenshot, and the last post links to the full write-up with UTM tags.
A character limit is the maximum number of characters a platform accepts in a post, caption or field, including spaces, emojis and links.
A hook is the opening of a post (the first line of text, the first slide or the first seconds of a video) designed to make people stop scrolling and keep reading or watching.
Engagement rate is the percentage of people who interacted with a post (liked, commented, shared, saved or clicked) out of the people who saw it or follow the account.
Content repurposing is turning one piece of content, such as a blog post, video or talk, into several new pieces in different formats for different platforms.
Write once, tailor each version yourself or with optional AI, and schedule to 6 networks from one calendar.