Bluesky Algorithm Update Timeline 2026

The Discover feed blends a user's social graph, interests, and platform-wide trending into a single algorithmic default. Ranking leans on social-graph signals over raw virality. Engagement velocity within the first hour carries the most weight, while sustained engagement over 24-48 hours helps maintain long-term visibility. Genuine replies rank significantly higher than passive engagement, a post with 40 replies and 10 reposts outperforms a post with 200 likes and no replies.

Custom feeds are user-created algorithms that filter and rank posts by any criteria the feed builder chooses. In 2026, over 60% of discovery on Bluesky happens through custom feeds rather than the default Discover. This makes feed creation a distribution strategy: building a feed for your niche (e.g. 'mental health professionals') gives you a persistent discovery surface where your posts get pushed to subscribers repeatedly.

Attie is Bluesky's AI-powered feed builder, launched March 2026. It lets non-developers create custom feeds by describing what they want in plain language, rather than writing code. Before Attie, custom feed creation required Python/TypeScript skills. Now practice owners can build a specialty-focused feed in minutes. For healthcare practices, this is a legitimate growth strategy: create a niche feed, gain subscribers, and your posts get amplified through it.

Yes. Bluesky's 2026 algorithm explicitly rewards technical post optimization: proper alt-text on images (accessibility signal), correct thread structure, and 1-2 strategic hashtags. Posts that follow these conventions get measurably higher distribution. This is unusual, most platforms don't reward technical hygiene this directly. Practical implication: adding descriptive alt-text and using relevant hashtags is a quick, compounding win.

Depends on your audience. Bluesky's growth in 2026 has been driven by professionals leaving X, including journalists, academics, and clinical experts. For healthcare practices targeting other clinicians, researchers, or academic audiences, Bluesky is highly effective. For consumer-facing acquisition (patients searching for treatment), reach is still limited. Best move: use Bluesky for peer B2B visibility and thought leadership, not direct patient acquisition.

We track Bluesky's official blog, TechCrunch reporting on Bluesky product changes, Bluesky Growth blog (bskygrowth.com), and SocialBee's Bluesky guide. New confirmed Bluesky changes are appended to this timeline every 3 days.