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What Are X (Twitter) Lists?
In this complete Inspire To Thrive 2026 guide, you’ll learn how to create, pin, manage, and get the most out of X Lists to save hours every week.
Discover a solution to spending excessive time on X (formerly Twitter) with the power of X Lists. In this blog post, I will guide you on what X lists are and how to use them effectively.
For years, I have used lists to save valuable time on X. With 17 years of building a substantial following on my own X account, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain focus on my main X feed.
Especially in today’s world, where distractions are abundant, it’s easy to lose track of time and get sidetracked from important tasks.
Lists Help You Stay Focused While On X
When I teach people how to use X, I always recommend they start out using lists. It can seem overwhelming at first, but in the long run it will save you valuable time on X.
What Are Lists On X?
Lists on X are a way to categorize users so you can follow a list instead of your main X feed. For example, I have an awesome list of bloggers.
This has been a particularly great feature since I lost my Triberr API a few years ago. Now I can easily share other bloggers’ posts right from this list feed.
You can also follow any public lists on X. (You can also set a list to private.)
Public or Private?
When you create lists and make them public, anyone can see them. People will be notified that they have been on a list, which sometimes leads them to follow you.
So if you do not want people to see a list of peeps you create, then make the list private. I do that for customers, non-related categories to my niche, and other interesting accounts.
It is similar to having a private Instagram close friends list.
How to Create an X List (Step-by-Step)
- Open X on mobile or desktop → tap your profile picture → select Lists.
- Tap the + New List icon (or “Create” button).
- Add a clear name (e.g., “Awesome Bloggers 2026”), a short description (max 25 characters), and choose Public or Private.
- Upload a custom cover image (recommended size: 1500 × 500 pixels; easy to create in Canva).
- Search and add members, then save.
Pro Tip: Make the list private for clients, competitors, or personal monitoring so no notifications are sent.
How to Pin Your Top 10 X Lists for Quick Access
You can now pin up to 10 Lists at the top of your Lists page (updated feature since late 2023).
- On mobile: Drag and drop using the 6-dot handle.
- Add custom images so lists are instantly recognizable on desktop and mobile.
How to Follow / Subscribe to Other People’s X Lists
- Visit the list page.
- Tap the Follow button under the list name.
- The list appears in your Lists tab for easy viewing.
Following public lists is a great way to discover curated content without having to follow every account individually.
Why Subscribe?
Subscribing to lists on X can increase your visibility and engagement with other users. By subscribing to lists related to your industry or interests, you can stay up to date on relevant conversations and connect with like-minded individuals.
This not only helps you stay informed but also increases the likelihood that others will notice and engage with your profile.
Additionally, being included in curated lists can enhance your credibility and authority in your niche, potentially leading to more followers and opportunities for collaboration.
Like this post about X lists? Share on X6 Powerful Ways to Use X Lists in 2026
- Niche monitoring — Create lists for SEO experts, real estate pros, local news, weather, customers, or competitors.
- Stay focused — Switch to a list feed instead of the main timeline to avoid distractions.
- Event & community building — Make temporary lists for conferences or masterminds.
- Content curation — Share from your “Awesome Bloggers” list easily.
- Private research — Track competitors or clients discreetly.
- Engagement boost — Subscribe to lists that include you and engage more strategically.
Update regularly: Remove inactive accounts (tools like Fedica help) and add fresh voices.
Update Your Lists More Often
Lately, I have been updating my old X lists to follow new bloggers. Many older bloggers have left the blogging industry, so I wanted to find fresh voices.
After updating my X list, it became easier to find other bloggers through their connections. You can check out my Awesome Blogger list here.
You can easily remove old lists that are no longer useful to you on X. If you have been using this platform for years, your lists may include people who are no longer active users or have changed their profiles to focus on different interests.
I have noticed this happening frequently in the past year, especially with bloggers transitioning into activism. It is also beneficial to eliminate inactive X users from your lists.
Adding Images to Your X Lists
Use horizontal images (1500×500 px) for better visual recognition. Easier on mobile, but works on desktop too. A relevant image makes your lists more clickable and professional.
Maximum Users
Now that’s a big improvement on X lists. However, you can mention and reply to others on lists.
You can also check out X’s help center for more on lists. X lists are a MUST today if you use X to drive sales to your website.
Do keep in mind that lists are different than bookmarks on the X platform. Others cannot follow all your bookmarks like a list.
Follow List X
To follow a list on X, navigate to the desired list page and click the “Follow” button located beneath the list’s name. This action will add the list to your “Lists” tab, allowing you to easily access it in the future.
Following a list lets you view posts from the accounts included in that list without having to follow each account individually.
By efficiently organizing related accounts into lists, you can streamline your X experience and stay updated on specific topics or communities of interest.
Conclusion: Maximizing Your Lists On X
X Lists remain one of the most powerful (and underused) tools on the platform in 2026. Start with 3–5 focused lists today and watch your productivity soar while cutting through feed noise.
Ready to level up? Create your first list now and share your best one in the comments! 👇
My favorite list to follow: Awesome Bloggers — feel free to subscribe!
Grow smarter on X → Try Fedica (affiliate)
X List FAQs
Custom feeds that let you group accounts and view only their posts, helping you stay organized and focused.
Up to 1,000 lists per account.
Up to 5,000 members.
Up to 10 pinned Lists for quick access.
No — private lists are invisible to others.
You must block the list creator.
Yes, for public sharing and following. Bookmarks are private and not followable by others.
Disclosure: This Inspire To Thrive blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Some sections were drafted with AI tools and carefully reviewed/edited by me.
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Hey Lisa, it’s nice to read about this here.
Would you believe I am yet to create a Twitter List since 2011?
I have resolved though, after reading this lovely guide here to start mine but only when I study some of the cool ones out there – yours and those of other serious bloggers.
By the way, I subscribe to two of your lists.
Sam
Hi Sam, No, I cannot believe that. Twitter lists keep me so organized there on Twitter and make me find things much quicker. Thanks for subscribing to my lists. I use my lists to share more tweets, find information, track storms and more. I can’t imagine not having them. Thanks for coming back Sam and have yourself a wonderful day!
Hi Lisa, I’m back. Coz I have some answers regarding the “Member of” Twitter tab. Your account @Lisapatb is included in 688 lists and the account @InspireToThrive is included in 175 lists. According to TweetDeck. Enjoy your weekend!
Cool Adrian, thank you! I’ve got to try out Tweetdeck again, it’s been a while since I’ve used it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend there Adrian.
Hi Lisa,
282 (right now actually is 279, but maybe you have also 3 private lists) is the number of lists you’re subscribed to. The number of lists you’re member of is different and isn’t displayed by Twitter.
You have created many lists and maybe that’s why you didn’t notice it. To see the difference, check my account. You’ll see… Lists: 5. If you check “Subscribed to” you’ll see five lists. If you check “Member of” you’ll see tons of lists – I’ve no idea how many they are.
Adrian
P.S. Shouldn’t you update the title? 3 => 5
Hi Adrian, wow, very close to mine of 281. Interesting on the number shown though on yours – only 5? I didn’t want to mess with my URL but excellent point. I know I could use a redirect for it. Thanks for coming by Adrian and explaining that one for us here. Have a great new week and month!
Hi Lisa,
The first part of your reply is weird. I guess something misled you. Maybe the quote from your own article posted right under “Hi Lisa” by using the blockquote HTML tag – that’s a quote from you, not a statement regarding my lists. So let me post some further clarifications…
1) You’re wrong – The number of lists I’m subscribed to (=5) is not very close to the number of lists you’re subscribed to (279 according to what I see, 282 according to your article, 281 according to your comment)
The number shown on my timeline (=5) is correct. It’s the number of lists I have created (and automatically subscribed to). I don’t need more. Actually 5 are too many for my needs.
The number of lists I’m member of is different. As I said, Twitter doesn’t count them, so I don’t know how many they are – tons anyway. Twitter only list them in a separate tab (“Member of”) without mentioning how many they are.
There are two tabs for lists – “Subscribed to” and “Member of” – and only one aggregate figure (“Lists”) The number displayed under LISTS isn’t the number you may expect (Subscribed to + Member of). That number is the number of lists you’re subscribed to.
The point of my previous comment is to tell you that the claim from your article quoted in my previous comment is incorrect. Actually there are way more than 282 lists you’re subscribed to or member of.
3) The PS from my previous comment doesn’t refer to the URL but to the title. Changing the URL may or may not be a good idea, but changing the title should be a must. Your visitors don’t read the URL. But they read the title of the article. And that title doesn’t fit the content of the article anymore.
Hi Adrian, I do see that, 5. Gotcha on the 282 count. So there is no way to know how many you are a member of or how many you actually have made? The only # we know is the # of lists we are subscribed to, correct? Oh yes, the title would be good to change, I agree with that one Adrian, thank you once again.
I guess there are only two ways to find out how many lists you’re a member of:
1) to count them (if they aren’t too many) or
2) to use an app that gets access to your Twitter account and then counts the lists. I don’t know if such an app exists.
2 Great points Adrian, thanks. I’ll be on the lookout for an app though. Thanks!