How to migrate from Twitter to Bluesky.
Are you thinking of migrating from Twitter/ X to Bluesky? You're not the only person searching for help!
Bluesky's popularity has soared in November 2024. It went from 13 million users to 21 million users in the space of 3 weeks.
That's more than 1 million users for every Bluesky employee.
On paper, Threads is a much more popular platform with 275 million active users. However, recent statistics suggest that Bluesky is getting much more engagement.
Time will tell if users stick with Bluesky long-term. For now, if you want to try Bluesky, moving your account, followers, and tweets might be the right way to go.
Is Bluesky a Good Alternative to Twitter?
Yes, Bluesky is a good alternative to Twitter. But keep in mind that it's not a direct replacement.
Bluesky offers a pared-down experience compared to X. The community-driven ethos appeals to X users who have been with Twitter since the start, but it's not quite as active.
In short, migrating from X to Bluesky is worthwhile if you're looking for:
- No ads
- Chronological timelines
- Customizable feeds
- Features that X removed, like account blocking.
So Bluesky will be a good fit if you're focused on having quality conversations with friends and followers.
Small businesses can find a home among the many feeds and Starter Packs that already exist, too, provided they're willing to contribute meaningfully to the conversation.
Migrating from X to Bluesky, Step by Step
I recently migrated our X account to a business Bluesky account. I'll explain the full step-by-step migration process.
Create a New Bluesky Account
Up until February 2024, you needed an invite code to join Bluesky.
Now, you can join for free on the site without an invite.
Just head over to bsky.app and join.
Set Up Your Bluesky Profile
It's a good idea to set up your profile before you start following people in Bluesky.
It'll help people to recognize you, and potentially follow you back.
To set up your account profile information, click Profile to view your own profile. Then click Edit Profile at the top.
For maximum discoverability, use the same profile picture that you used on X.
Verify Your Bluesky Account
Bluesky doesn't have any verification checkmarks. Instead, you can verify your account by using your domain name as your username.
If you're setting up a business Bluesky account, I highly recommend this. It's a good way to prove that the account is legit.
If you don't have a domain, you can buy one for less than £10. I like Porkbun. No affiliate link - I just find them to be the cheapest.
To start, log in to Bluesky. Click Settings, Account, Handle.
Click on the button that says I have my own domain.
In the first box, type in the domain you want to use.
You can then verify ownership in two ways:
- Add a TXT record to your domain's DNS
- Upload a file to your hosting account.
I used the first method.
Log into your domain registrar's control panel and edit your DNS zone. If you're using Cloudflare, you'll want to log in there instead.
Add a new record with the name TXT and the host _atproto.
Then, in the content field, paste in the Value, which looks like a long string of characters.
In case you're wondering, Bluesky uses the AT Protocol, which is why your record is called _atproto.)
Back in Bluesky, hit the Verify DNS Record button.
Bluesky will change your username to your domain with @ in front of it. If it doesn't work, give it a few minutes and try again.
Import X Content to Bluesky
If you want to keep your tweets and move them over to Bluesky, you can import them directly. Imported tweets are marked with an archive label, like this:
I skipped this step because I didn't see the point in preserving 10-year-old tweets. But if you'd like to archive your timeline on Bluesky, you can use
Follow X Followers on Bluesky
If you're hesitant about finding all of the people you follow on X, there's a Chrome extension that will attempt to locate them for you.
Sky Follower Bridge scans your X account and attempts to match up the people on your follows, following, and block lists. (You'll have to run it separately for each list.)
Be sure to review the list! Impersonation is unfortunately common on Bluesky. Big brands and celebrities haven't been fast enough to move over so many of their accounts have been claimed by random people.
Tip: I ran Sky Follower Bridge when I first signed up, then ran it a month later to catch the people who had just joined.
Find and Follow Starter Packs
Starter Packs are lists of Bluesky accounts on a theme or topic. With one click, you can follow up to 150 accounts all at the same time.
You'll find a searchable directory of Starter Packs here.
If someone has created a Starter Pack, it'll be listed on their profile in a tab. This is often a better way to find packs of like-minded people.
Being included in a Starter Pack is a good way to grow your Bluesky account. There's no way to add yourself; you'll have to reach out to the creator to be added to a Pack.
Alternatively, you can make your own Starter Pack by clicking the Starter Packs link in your profile.
Find and Follow Feeds and Hashtags
Feeds allow you to subscribe to a topic or filtered post list. When you find a feed you like, just click Pin to Home to add the feed to your navigation bar.
I recommend picking a few pre-made feeds like:
- The Only Posts feed, which removes retweets and reposts from your timeline.
- Popular With Friends, which makes it easy to find accounts you might want to follow.
You can make your own custom Bluesky feeds at SkyFeed.
Post to X and Bluesky At the Same Time
Many of us aren't quite ready to deactivate X. You might want to post to Bluesky and X at the same time to get the maximum possible reach.
Most social media scheduling tools (like Buffer) will allow you to crosspost to X and Bluesky at the same time. Twitter to Bsky is a more complex (but free) alternative.
Subscribe to Blocklists
Bluesky has a feature that allows you to block a list of accounts at the same time. Think of it like the opposite of a Starter Pack.
Blocklists are designed to keep your timeline free of accounts that are known to spam or post content that you don't enjoy.
When you find a blocklist, the user experience is not too intuitive. You need to click Subscribe, then either Mute or Block.
Take care with blocklists. You'll automatically block any accounts that are added to them, so your timeline is partly within the creator's control.
There are also reports of people creating blocklists for malicious reasons, although I haven't seen any myself. It's best to review the accounts on a blocklist before subscribing to it.
You can review the blocklists you're subscribed to at Settings, Moderation, Moderation Lists.
Bonus Bluesky Tips and Tricks
Now you're set up on Bluesky, post! In general, I've found the engagement to be strong on Bluesky so far. I can also get away with posting photos of my lunch without someone accusing me of trying to poison people.
Beyond that, Bluesky has a community API. That means there are a ton of apps, platforms, and tools that extend its functionality. For example:
- Missing the multi-column views in Tweetdeck or X Pro? deck.blue and Skeetdeck provide the same functionality for your Bluesky account.
- View account information for any Bluesky user on ClearSky.
- For a nuclear option to blocking, use Blockenheimer to block all of their followers as well.
- Still torn between Bluesky vs Mastodon? If you want to bridge Bluesky and Mastodon, users recommend Bridgy Fed.
Find more Bluesky tools at the Community Showcase.
Final Step: Enable 2FA on X
If you're not planning to use your X account for a while, I recommend setting up 2FA if you haven't done so already.
It'll ensure nobody can log into your X account while you're not using it.
And that's it! If you'd like your tool to be listed here, please get in touch with us on Bluesky.