Bluesky’s default algorithmic feed, called “What’s Hot,” surfaces posts that the platform considers popular at any given moment. Many users see this feed immediately after signing in and wonder how Bluesky decides which posts appear there. The selection process is not random, and it is not based on a simple like count. This article explains the technical signals that the algorithm uses to rank posts, how it differs from the chronological “Following” feed, and what you can do to influence what you see.
Understanding the “What’s Hot” feed helps you control your Bluesky experience. You can choose to stay on this feed, switch to a custom feed, or even build your own algorithmic feed using Bluesky’s open-source tools. The algorithm itself is publicly documented and can be inspected by developers. This transparency is a core part of Bluesky’s design philosophy.
By the end of this article, you will know exactly what signals the algorithm weighs, why some posts from people you do not follow appear in your feed, and how to configure your account to see more or less of this feed type.
Key Takeaways: How the Bluesky “What’s Hot” Feed Selects Posts
- Interaction velocity scoring: The algorithm ranks posts by how quickly they receive likes, reposts, and replies relative to the author’s follower count.
- Demotion of stale content: Posts older than 12 to 24 hours are automatically removed from the feed regardless of their total engagement.
- No author reputation weight: The algorithm does not give bonus visibility to accounts with many followers, unlike Twitter’s legacy algorithm.
What the “What’s Hot” Algorithm Actually Measures
The “What’s Hot” feed is built on an open-source ranking system called feed-generator. Bluesky publishes the source code on GitHub, and any developer can review exactly how scores are calculated. The algorithm does not use a single popularity metric. Instead, it combines several signals into a composite score for every eligible post.
The primary signal is interaction velocity. This is not the raw number of likes a post receives. It is the rate of interactions per minute divided by the author’s follower count. A post from an account with 100 followers that gets 10 likes in five minutes scores higher than a post from an account with 10,000 followers that gets 100 likes in the same time. This design prevents large accounts from dominating the feed.
The second signal is interaction diversity. The algorithm prefers posts that receive a mix of likes, reposts, and replies over posts that only get likes. A post with 50 likes and 20 replies ranks higher than a post with 70 likes and 2 replies. This encourages conversation over broadcast-style content.
The third signal is recency decay. Every post has a timestamp. The algorithm multiplies the composite score by a decay factor that increases with age. A post that is 10 minutes old gets almost no decay. A post that is 6 hours old has its score cut in half. Posts older than 12 hours are almost never shown, and posts older than 24 hours are completely excluded.
The algorithm also applies a language filter. If you have set a preferred language in your Bluesky settings, the feed will prioritize posts in that language. This filter is not perfect because Bluesky detects language automatically from the post text, but it reduces the amount of foreign-language content you see.
How the Feed Differs from the Following Feed
The “What’s Hot” feed is fundamentally different from the default “Following” feed. The Following feed shows every post from accounts you follow in reverse chronological order. The “What’s Hot” feed shows posts from any account on Bluesky, regardless of whether you follow them. This is why you might see a post from a stranger with 15 likes ranked above a post from a friend with 200 likes.
The Following feed has no algorithmic curation. It is a simple timeline. The “What’s Hot” feed is entirely algorithmic and changes every few minutes as new posts gain velocity and older posts decay. Neither feed is “better”. They serve different purposes. The Following feed is for staying up to date with people you know. The “What’s Hot” feed is for discovering trending content across the network.
How to Configure Your Default Feed
You are not forced to use the “What’s Hot” feed. Bluesky lets you choose which feed appears when you open the app. You can also pin multiple feeds to your home tab and switch between them instantly.
- Open Bluesky settings
On the web, click your profile avatar in the top-right corner and select Settings. On mobile, tap the hamburger menu icon and then tap Settings. - Navigate to the Feeds section
Scroll down to the Feeds category. You will see a list of all available feeds, including “What’s Hot” and any custom feeds you have installed. - Set your default feed
Tap or click the three-dot menu next to the feed you want as your default. Select Set as Default. The next time you open Bluesky, that feed will load first. - Pin multiple feeds for quick switching
In the same Feeds settings, tap the pin icon next to any feed. Pinned feeds appear as tabs at the top of your home screen. You can reorder them by dragging.
Common Misconceptions About the Algorithm
Several myths about the “What’s Hot” feed circulate among Bluesky users. Understanding what is false helps you use the platform more effectively.
“The algorithm favors accounts with many followers”
This is false. As explained above, the algorithm divides interaction velocity by follower count. A post from a small account that goes viral within its niche can easily outrank a post from a large account. The algorithm is designed to give new voices a chance to be discovered.
“The feed shows only posts in English”
This is partially false. The feed applies a language filter based on your settings. If your preferred language is English, you will see mostly English posts. However, if a non-English post gets extremely high interaction velocity, it can still appear. The filter is a preference, not a hard block.
“You can train the feed by liking or muting posts”
This is false for the “What’s Hot” feed. The feed does not use your personal engagement history to rank posts for you. It applies the same global ranking to every user. Liking a post does not cause more similar posts to appear. Muting a user does not change the feed, but it does hide that user’s posts from your Following feed. To get a personalized algorithmic feed, you need to install or build a custom feed generator.
“The feed updates in real time”
This is false. The “What’s Hot” feed refreshes every few minutes. A post that gains 100 likes in one minute will not appear instantly. The algorithm recalculates scores in batches. You can manually refresh the feed by pulling down on mobile or pressing F5 on the web.
What’s Hot Feed vs Custom Feed Generators
| Item | What’s Hot Feed | Custom Feed Generator |
|---|---|---|
| Content source | All public posts on the network | Posts matching your custom query or filter |
| Ranking logic | Interaction velocity, diversity, recency decay | Defined by the feed creator; can be chronological, keyword-based, or any formula |
| Personalization | None; same feed for all users | Can be personalized per user if the generator supports it |
| Transparency | Source code published on GitHub | Source code published on GitHub if the creator shares it |
If You Want a Truly Personalized Feed
The “What’s Hot” feed is a global trending feed. It is not designed to show you content tailored to your interests. If you want a feed that learns from your likes, follows, and reposts, you have two options.
First, you can install a third-party feed generator. Bluesky has a directory of community-built feeds at feeds.bluesky.com. Some of these feeds, such as “Popular with Friends” or “Skygraph”, use your network to recommend posts. Second, you can build your own feed generator using Bluesky’s open-source SDK. This requires programming knowledge, but the documentation at github.com/bluesky-social/feed-generator provides templates and examples.
The “What’s Hot” feed on Bluesky is a transparent, open-source algorithm that prioritizes interaction velocity over author reputation. It is designed to surface emerging content from any account, not just from popular users. You can switch away from it at any time by changing your default feed in Settings or by pinning custom feeds to your home tab. If you want deeper personalization, explore third-party feed generators or build your own using Bluesky’s public SDK. Understanding the algorithm gives you control over what you see on the network.