The 2-Minute Rule: Why X Rewards Posts People Linger On
Early in 2023, X (formerly Twitter) open-sourced key pieces of its timeline-ranking stack. Hidden in the Heavy-Ranker README is a list of hard-coded weights showing exactly what the algorithm rewards — and what it buries. One line jumps out:
+10 points every time a reader opens a tweet or thread and stays for at least two minutes (see the GitHub source).
For comparison, a Like is worth 0.5 and a Retweet just 1.0. So one linger-happy reader equals twenty likes. The same file grants +75 when the original author replies to you and slaps –74 on a single “Show less.” Attention and genuine conversation crush passive applause every time.
Key Weights That Drive the “For You” Feed
- Like — 0.5
- Retweet — 1.0
- Stay ≥ 2 min — +10
- Open your profile & engage — +12
- Write a reply — +13.5
- Author replies to you — +75
- “Show less” / mute — –74
- Report tweet — –369
(Want the big picture? X’s engineering team explains the full pipeline in their recommendation-engine overview.)
10 Ways to Hold Readers for 120 Seconds
- Lead with emotion – surprise, humour or awe grabs the first three seconds.
- Promise the payoff early – tell readers exactly what they’ll get in line 2.
- Chunk for skimmers – short sentences, bullets and white space slow the scroll.
- Weave a micro-story – problem → twist → resolution keeps curiosity alive.
- Plant a delayed reveal – hint that the answer sits a few lines down so people hover.
- Drop native media – an image, poll or 30-sec clip forces a tap and pauses thumbs.
- Ask an easy question – a quick yes/no or A/B sparks replies that extend dwell.
- Keep clicks inside X – tease a pinned or Highlight thread; every profile tap adds +12.
- Be live for the first 10 minutes – instant back-and-forth can trigger the +75 author-reply bonus.
- Prune negatives – skip spammy links or rants that invite “Show less” (–74).
Copy-and-Paste Thread Template
🧠 X’s own code says: keep someone on your post for 120 sec and you get a +10 boost — worth 20 likes.
Here are 10 quick tweaks to earn that dwell-time and watch your reach explode 👇🧵
1️⃣ Hook hard — shock stat or bold promise.
2️⃣ Pay off in line 2 so they stay.
3️⃣ Short, punchy lines; white space = slow scroll.
4️⃣ Tiny story ⇒ curiosity.
5️⃣ Add a native image/GIF — thumbs pause.
6️⃣ Make it a 4–10 tweet thread.
7️⃣ End with a question; invite replies.
8️⃣ Tease goodies in your pinned thread ↓
9️⃣ Be online for 10 min; reply instantly.
🔟 Skip spam links & hot-button rants.
Why Growth Hackers Should Care
- Algorithm leverage: two focused minutes lift your score as much as twenty likes.
- Effort ROI: one sticky, well-crafted thread can beat ten shallow posts.
- Flywheel effect: more dwell → higher ranking → fresh eyeballs → even more dwell.
Ready to test the 2-Minute Rule? Build your next thread, watch dwell-time in X Analytics, iterate — and when you need laser-targeted conversations to jump into, CRANQ surfaces the hottest reply opportunities in seconds. 🚀
References
- Heavy-Ranker weight table – https://github.com/twitter/the-algorithm/blob/main/projects/home/recap/README.md
- Recommendation-engine overview – https://blog.twitter.com/engineering/en/2023/twitters-recommendation-engine
