Posting well on X

What tends to work

X moves fast and rewards a sharp, specific point. One clear idea from your issue, stated with confidence, usually beats a summary of the whole thing.

Write the post you’d want to reply to. A clear claim, a number with context, or an honest “here’s what I got wrong” tends to start more conversation than a neutral recap.

How many characters can an X post have?

Each post on X can be up to 280 characters, and Karrow’s counter checks every post against that standard limit. The counter under each post shows your count (for example 212/280) and turns red with the number over when you pass it.

X doesn’t count every character the same way, and neither does the counter. A link counts as 23 characters however long it is, and an emoji counts as 2. So 150 characters of text (spaces included) plus one long tracking link counts as 173, not 300.

Too long? Select the extra words and choose Shorten from the menu that appears, or split the idea into a thread.

How do I turn an issue into an X thread?

Write the first post as the hook, then click Add post under it to continue the thread. In the editor the first box asks “What’s the hook?” and each box after it says “Continue the thread…”. Each post has its own counter and can carry its own images.

To remove a post from the middle of a thread, use the bin icon in that post’s footer.

1. 1Pick the one idea from your issue that can stand on its own, for example the main finding of a weekly finance newsletter.
2. 2Write the hook: the claim or result, stated plainly, in one post.
3. 3Give each following post one point: a reason, an example, or a number, each complete on its own.
4. 4Close with a short recap and, if you like, a pointer to the full issue.
5. 5Put the issue or subscribe link in First comment, not in the thread itself.

A thread works best when the first post makes people want the rest. Make it a promise you keep, not a cliffhanger.

Where should the link go on X?

Put it in the First comment field. On X, Karrow posts your First comment as a reply at the end of your post or thread: a natural place for “Full issue here” and your link.

That way the post itself stays about the idea, and anyone who wants more finds the link one tap away. On a single post, the First comment becomes a reply directly under it.

Images and video

Each post can have up to 4 images, or a video up to 140 seconds. Images can be up to 5 MB each (JPEG, PNG, WebP, or GIF); a video can be MP4, MOV, or WebM, up to 512 MB. Karrow checks size, type and length as you add a file, and tells you which limit it breaks.

When Karrow drafts from an issue, the issue’s lead image goes on the first post of the thread. Later posts start with no media; add images to them one by one if they help.

Hashtags and emoji

Karrow’s X drafts leave hashtags out and keep emoji to a minimum. Short lines with a little white space between thoughts read better in a fast feed than a dense block of text.

Can I edit a thread after it’s scheduled?

No. Once a post or thread is scheduled, Karrow locks the text and the draft shows that the post can’t be edited now. Check every post in the thread, and the First comment reply at the end, before you click Schedule.

On a wide screen, the preview beside the editor shows the whole thread as it will appear on X, one post under another, so you can read it the way your followers will.

After it goes out, a View on X link takes you straight to the live post.

Make X drafts sound like you

If every X draft needs the same fix, add a rule for X once instead. Open your publication, go to the Voice tab, and write it in the X box, for example “no questions in the first line” or “always name the number in the hook”. Click Save; it applies to every future draft for X.

You can also select any line in a draft and ask for a change in your own words in the “make it…” box, or use Add hook or Punch it up. Press ⌘Z to undo anything you don’t like.

How often

X is the channel where posting more often feels most normal. Several posts from one issue, spread over a few days, let each idea stand on its own.

If you run more than one X account, a Select account menu appears in the draft so you can choose which one each post goes out from. The default account is marked “(default)”.

X reports the full set of numbers Karrow shows: impressions, reach, likes, comments, shares, saves, and clicks. Numbers aren’t live; the Analytics page shows when they were last updated.