Types of Tweets and Where They Appear

Ever wondered where your reply to someone else's Tweet shows up on Twitter? This article outlines where specific types of Tweets will appear on Twitter, on your or others users' profiles. This table will give you a better sense of where Tweets go when you click the "Tweet" button.

Normal Tweets:

• Definition: Any message with fewer than 140 characters posted to Twitter.
• Where it appears for the sender: On the sender's profile page and Home timeline.
• Where it appears for the recipient: In the Home timeline of anyone who is following the sender.
• Places it will never appear: On anyone else's profile page, unless they retweeted the message.

Mentions:

• Definition: A Tweet containing another user's Twitter username, preceded by the "@" symbol, like this: Hello @NeonGolden! What's up? 
• Where it appears for the sender: On the sender's profile page of public Tweets.
• Where it appears for the recipient: In the recipient's Mentions and Interactions tabs, which is accessible only by them. Additionally, mentions will appear in the recipient's Home timeline view (not on their profile) if they are following the sender. Note: Anyone on Twitter who is following the sender of a mention will see the Tweet in their Home timeline.
• Places it will never appear: On anyone's profile page, unless they wrote the message.

@Replies:

• Definition: A Tweet that begins with another user's username and is in reply to one of their Tweets, like this: @NeonGolden I can't believe you thought that movie was cheesy! 
• Where it appears for the sender: On the sender's Profile page.
• Where it appears for the recipient: In the recipient's Mentions and Interactions tabs. Like mentions, @replies will also appear in the recipient's Home timeline if they are following the sender. Anyone following the sender and the recipient of an @reply will see it in their Home timeline.
• Places it will never appear: On anyone's profile page, unless they wrote/sent the message.

Direct messages:

• Definition: A personal message sent directly to someone who follows you or sent directly to you from someone you follow.
• Where it appears for the sender: In the sender's direct messages folder (accessible by clicking on the person icon in the top navigation bar). A direct message will disappear completely if either the sender or the recipient deletes it.
• Where it appears for the recipient: In the recipient's direct messages. It will disappear if the sender deletes it.
• Places it will never appear: In any public timeline or public search.

Other things you might want to know:

What about retweets (RTs)?

• You'll find retweets on your Tweets timeline, your profile, and other profile pages on Twitter.
• To learn more about where retweets (and your Tweets that have been retweeted by others) will show up on Twitter, Click here.

Why don't @replies sent from accounts with protected Tweets show up anywhere?

• @replies are Tweets that automatically go on the public timeline. By protecting your Tweets (making them private), you're telling us that you don't want anyone to see your updates unless you approve them, so your messages won't be public.
• If your Tweets are protected and you send an @reply or mention, only those you've approved to view your Tweets will ever be able to see it.
• If you want to send messages such as mentions or @replies to people who are not following you, un-protect your Tweets to make them public.

Where do people's @replies appear for other users?

• If you're not the sender or recipient of an @reply, you may still see an @reply to someone else in your timeline
• Users will see @replies in their Home timeline if they are following both the sender and recipient of the update.
  • Otherwise, they won't see the @reply unless they visit the sender's Profile page.
  • If you send a reply to someone, it does not show on their profile page. Only replies that person has sent will show on their profile.

Having Trouble?

Check out our Tweet & DM Troubleshooting section for solutions to common problems.