Bluesky
Also known as: Bluesky Social, bsky
Bluesky is a social media platform for short posts, similar in style to X (formerly Twitter), built on an open technology called the AT Protocol.
Users can choose custom feeds instead of a single algorithm, subscribe to moderation lists and labelling services, and use their own website domain as a username. The goal is a network where no single company controls everything. While Bluesky grew quickly, especially after major changes at X, true decentralization is still developing, and most users rely on Bluesky's own servers.
Bluesky, explained at three levels
At home
Bluesky is like a town square where you choose which bulletin boards to read and which referees to trust, instead of one company deciding everything. It looks like X, with short posts and followers, but runs on an open network. Your account and posts can, in principle, move between providers, and anyone can build feeds or moderation services for you to pick from.
At work
Bluesky is a social media platform for short posts, similar to X, built on an open technology called the AT Protocol. Users pick custom feeds and moderation services, and an organization can use its own website domain as its handle to prove it is genuine. Businesses care because some audiences, such as journalists, academics and tech communities, moved there from X.
At home
Bluesky looks like a familiar social app, but it runs on an open network called the AT Protocol. Your posts are stored in a personal data repository tied to an identity you control, which can move between hosting providers. Separate services gather posts from across the network, build feeds and apply moderation labels. That means you can choose custom feeds built by others, and in principle take your account and followers elsewhere.
At work
Bluesky's handles are domain names, so an organization can set its handle to its own website domain by adding a DNS record, proving it controls that domain. Starter packs let accounts share curated lists of people to follow. Custom feeds can be built by anyone using algorithms or rules. An open API supports scheduling, analytics and archiving tools, and composable moderation lets users subscribe to labelling services from different groups.
At home
Posts on Bluesky are public and flow through an open network that anyone can read, often even without an account, and third-party services can copy them. Deleting a post removes it from Bluesky's services, but copies elsewhere may remain. Blocks are also publicly visible in the underlying data. In my view, assume anything you post there is permanent and public, and use it with that in mind.
At work
Claim your organization's handle early by verifying your domain, which signals authenticity and reduces impersonation. Monitor for look-alike accounts and report them, and coordinate cross-posting tools carefully, since automated posts can look spammy. Because data is open, archiving and monitoring are easier than on closed platforms. Note that moderation is layered, with Bluesky's own rules plus optional labellers, and that blocks and lists work differently than on centralized platforms.
Real-world examples
At home
Carlos left X and joined Bluesky. He found a Canadian news feed and a feed for local hockey fans that he preferred to one big algorithm.
At work
Sophie manages communications for a Kitchener university. She set the university's domain as its Bluesky handle, making the account easy to verify.
How it compares
| feature | Bluesky | X (Twitter) |
|---|---|---|
| Owned by | Bluesky Social PBC | X Corp. |
| Feeds | Many, user-chosen | Mainly company algorithm |
| Underlying technology | Open AT Protocol | Proprietary |
| Verification | Domain handles and checkmarks | Paid subscription checkmarks |
Bluesky emphasizes user choice. X centralizes control.
For analysts
When planning social media presence, I'd check where your audience actually is before investing. Bluesky suits some communities far better than others.
History & origin
In 2019, Twitter co-founder and then-CEO Jack Dorsey funded a project to build an open, decentralized standard for social media, called Bluesky. Jay Graber was chosen to lead it, and it became an independent company in 2021. The app launched in invite-only beta in February 2023 and opened to the public in February 2024. Bluesky grew rapidly in late 2024, particularly after the US election, as users left X, reaching tens of millions of accounts. Dorsey left Bluesky's board in 2024. In my view, Bluesky's most interesting idea is letting people choose their own algorithms and moderation, rather than its resemblance to Twitter.