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How to Make a Thread on Twitter (X) in 2026

X's own steps to make a thread on Twitter: the plus icon, Post all, drafts, adding posts later, why you can't edit it, and a brand thread as real data.


Published · Updated · 7 min read

Cover image: Plus icon, then Post all

To make a thread on Twitter, write your first post, tap the plus icon to add the next one, then tap Post all.

It works the same in the X (Twitter) app and on the web. You get X's own steps, how to add to a thread later, the rules that trip people up, and a real thread as data.

To write a Twitter thread fast, copy this outline into the composer, one line per post:

1/ The hook: what the reader gets from this thread, in one line.
2/ Your first point, with one real example.
3/ Your second point. Add an image if it helps.
4/ The takeaway, and the link, if you have one.
  1. Write the first postTap the compose icon, or Post on the web.
  2. Add posts with the plus iconIt lights up once you type.
  3. Check every postText over the limit turns highlighted.
  4. Tap Post allOr save the thread as a draft.
  5. Add more laterUse Add another post on the thread.

Step 1: Write the first post of your thread

Open the composer. In the app, tap the compose icon; on the web, click the Post button.

Write your first post as you would any other. X's Help Center calls a thread "a series of connected posts from one person," and this post is the one everyone sees.

Make it stand on its own. In the brand thread we tested below, few readers got past it.

Step 2: Make a thread on Twitter with the plus icon

Tap the plus icon under your post to add the next one. It lights up only once you've typed some text.

Repeat for each new post. Each one can carry up to 4 photos, GIFs or videos, X's limit for any post.

To remove a post while you write, tap its delete icon. In the app, the gray icon deletes one post and the blue one deletes the whole thread.

Step 3: Check that each post fits

Each post in a thread has its own limit of 280 characters. X counts some characters as more than one:

  • Links count as 23 characters each, however long they are.
  • Emojis count as 2, and so do Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters.
  • Photos and videos count as 0.

When a post runs over, X highlights the extra text so you can trim it before you send.

Writing long first? Paste your text into our free Twitter character counter and tick Split into a thread. It cuts the text between words into posts that fit, numbered 1/3, 2/3 and so on.

Step 4: Tap Post all, or save the thread as a draft

When every post is ready, tap Post all. The whole thread goes out at once.

Not ready yet? Save it as a draft:

  • In the app, X says you save a thread as a draft by tapping the delete icon. Thread drafts show how many posts they hold; tap View (number of) posts to review them.
  • On the web, click the X at the top left of the composer, then Save. Drafts wait under Unsent posts.

Check each post before you send. X's edit page says threads and replies can't be edited, even on Premium. Our guide to tweet edit history covers what can be.

Step 5: Add to a thread on X after you post it

You can keep a thread going after it's live. X gives you two ways:

  • From the thread: open it and tap Add another post. Only you see this prompt.
  • From the composer: tap compose, pull down, and tap Continue Thread to add to your last post. Select another post continues an older one instead.

How an X thread looks to readers, and as data

X shows a thread differently depending on where people meet it:

  • 2 or 3 posts from someone you follow usually show together, joined by a line.
  • 4 or more get cut short, with a Show this thread link to open the rest.
  • On your profile, each post shows on its own, newest first.

Under the hood, a thread is a chain of replies to yourself.

We fetched a two-post thread that @XDevelopers posted on 26 August 2026, using Weir's get_x_thread tool. The call, on 22 October 2026, cost 3 credits. We run Weir, a read-only API for public X data. Trimmed:

[
  {
    "id": "2092730108041695449",
    "conversationId": "2092730108041695449",
    "inReplyToId": null,
    "viewCount": 431012
  },
  {
    "id": "2092730109480325625",
    "conversationId": "2092730108041695449",
    "inReplyToId": "2092730108041695449",
    "viewCount": 13122
  }
]

Three things stand out:

  • Post 2 is a reply to post 1. Its inReplyToId points at the first post, and both share one conversationId.
  • Post all sent both together. X's ids carry the time, and our tweet ID to date tool puts these two 343 milliseconds apart.
  • Few readers got past the first post. Here are the view counts:
Views per post in the @XDevelopers thread, 22 October 2026
Post 1, a video431,012
Post 2, two links13,122

The second post got about 3% of the first post's views. It's one thread, not a study, but it shows why your first post must carry the point.

To pull a whole thread as text or Markdown, see our Twitter thread API guide.

How long can a Twitter thread be?

X's thread help page gives no maximum number of posts. TweetDelete's guide says 25 per batch, but we couldn't find that number on X's own pages, so treat it as unconfirmed.

Length per post is clearer. X Premium allows much longer posts, and X says they work in replies too:

What you can do Free account X Premium
Characters per post 280 25,000
Long text in replies No Yes
Edit a thread later No No
Media items per post 4 4

So on Premium you can say it all in one long post. A thread still helps when you want each point to earn its own likes and replies.

X's Premium page lists 25,000 characters. Its cheapest tier, Basic, costs $3 a month in the US on the web. X's How to Post page still says 4,000 in its app steps, so check your own composer.

X's limits page caps unverified accounts at 50 original posts a day. It allows 200 replies a day and doesn't say how a thread counts.

If your thread doesn't work

  • The plus icon stays gray. It lights up only after you type in the current post.
  • Part of a post is highlighted. That text is over the limit. Cut it, or move it into a new post.
  • There's no Edit option. X doesn't allow edits on threads or replies. Add a correction with Add another post.
  • Your new post stands alone. You started a fresh post. Use Continue Thread or Add another post instead.
  • X says you hit a limit. Its limits page says you can try again once the time limit has passed.

When not to use Weir

  • You want to post a thread. Weir is read-only. It can't post, schedule or reply, so use X's own composer.
  • You only want to read a thread. Open it on X. That's free.
  • You want your thread's clicks. Only X shows link and profile clicks, and only to the author.

Weir earns its place when you need many public threads as data, like the call above.

FAQ

How do you make a thread on X?

Write your first post, tap the plus icon, and write the next one. Repeat until you're done, then tap Post all. It works the same in the app and on the web, where you start with the Post button.

How do I add to a thread on X that I already posted?

Open the thread and tap Add another post, which only you can see. Or tap compose, pull down, and pick Continue Thread to add to your last post. Add another post works on the web too.

Can you edit a thread on Twitter?

No. X's edit page lists threads and replies among the posts you can't edit, even with Premium. To fix a mistake, add a short correction at the end with Add another post.

How many posts can a Twitter thread have?

X's own help pages don't give a number. Guides often say 25 posts per batch, which we couldn't confirm on X. In timelines, threads of 4 or more posts get folded behind Show this thread.

Sources

All checked on 22 October 2026. We read X's help pages through Wayback Machine copies, dated in brackets:

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