Search result FAQs
What are "top" posts?
When you search on x.com and on the X for iOS and Android apps, you can filter your results by clicking or tapping Top, Latest, People, Media, or Lists (located at the top of your search results). Selecting Top shows posts you are likely to care about most first.
Note: Top posts are selected through an algorithm, we do not manually curate search results.
Why don't I see the posts I like in top posts?
Top posts are the most relevant posts for your search. We determine relevance based on the popularity of a post (e.g., when a lot of people are interacting with or sharing via reposts and replies), the keywords it contains, and many other factors. If posts you love aren't showing up as top posts, it means they may not be the most relevant results for your search. You can tap Latest to see the most recently-posted posts matching your query.
How can I make these top results go away, or come back?
You can change the type of search results you see by clicking or tapping the filters at the top of your search results.
How does safe search affect my results in top and latest?
X's safe search mode excludes potentially sensitive content, along with accounts you may have muted or blocked, from search results in both Top and Latest. Top shows posts based on relevance, whereas Latest displays results in chronological order.
To learn more about filtering your search results, including how to disable or enable safe search, read about how to use X search.
Why show top posts if they're not the most recent results for my search?
Some older results may be highlighted at the top because they have been determined to be of high value for your query. Our search algorithm has found those posts to be particularly relevant to the subject you’re looking for, even though they may not be the most recent posts. Select Latest to view the rest of your search results in real-time order.
How are posts selected for the other filters?
Click or tap People to see results of accounts that match your search query. Click or tap Media to see to top images and videos of popular media related to your search query. Results are determined much in the same way as top posts.
What are X search rate limits?
In order to control abuse, X limits how often you can search from a single network address.
If you access X from a corporation, event or conference, you may be sharing the same network address with many people. In some of these cases, you may run into an issue with X search rate limiting.