Last updated: October 2026
Does Bluesky number threads automatically?
Yes. Bluesky thread numbering is automatic since September 3, 2026. The official app adds a badge like 3/5 to each post in the oldest unbroken chain of the author's own replies from the first post. A hand-typed 1/ stays in your text, so readers see two numbers. You can drop it.
Below: exactly what counts as your thread, where the numbers appear, whether threads posted by a scheduler or the API get them, and when it still makes sense to number by hand.
What counts as your thread
Bluesky calls it the OP thread, and the pull request that added numbering defines it in one line:
"An OP thread is the oldest contiguous chain of replies starting from the root, all authored by OP."
Source: bluesky-social/social-app PR #11184. In practice that means three things:
- The count starts at your first post, the root.
- Every numbered post is yours and replies to your previous post. A reply from someone else is not part of it.
- It is the oldest chain. If you later add a second branch off post 2, that branch does not get numbers. Extending the thread from its last post does.
The badge format
The app shows the position as a short badge, for example 3/5 for the third post of five, and screen readers announce it as "Post 3 of 5".When the numbering appears
It shipped in steps. All four are public on Bluesky's GitHub:
So the numbers show in two places: on each post when you open the thread, and on the post when it turns up in a feed such as Discover or Following. The feed version works because Bluesky's AppView, the server that builds feeds, now includes each post's thread position in its responses.
Other Bluesky clients may not show numbers. The position data comes from the AppView, but drawing the badge is up to each app. If many of your readers use a third-party client, they could see no numbering at all.
Threads posted by a scheduler or the API
Because the AppView works out the positions from the reply chain, a thread should be numbered no matter which app posted it. What matters is the reply structure. Each part after the first has to reply to the previous part, with two references set correctly: root pointing at the first post and parent pointing at the post directly above.
OpenTweet sets both on every reply in a Bluesky thread, chaining each part to the one before it. So threads published through OpenTweet should qualify.
Expected, not tested
We have not checked this on a live account. The reasoning comes from how the feature is built, not from watching an API-posted thread get its badges. A tool that posts every part as a reply to the first post, instead of to the previous one, would not form a single chain.How to make a thread on Bluesky
In the Bluesky app
- Open the composer and write the first post, up to 300 graphemes.
- Use the composer's add post button to add the next post underneath, and repeat for each part.
- Publish. The posts go out as one chain and the app numbers them.
To add to a thread later, reply to your own last post. Replying to an earlier post starts a branch that will not be counted.
In OpenTweet
- Connect your Bluesky account and write the thread as separate parts in the composer.
- Pick Bluesky as a destination, on its own or alongside X.
- Schedule it or post it now. OpenTweet publishes the parts in order as one reply chain.
OpenTweet's Bluesky publisher accepts up to 100 posts in a thread. Threads created through the REST API are capped at 25, and so is the X copy of a cross-posted thread. Each part still has to fit 300 graphemes. If you are starting from one long block of text, the Bluesky thread splitter breaks it into parts that fit, and the guide to scheduling Bluesky posts covers the setup.
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Should you still type 1/?
- Bluesky only: no. The app numbers it, and a typed 1/ shows as a second number and uses graphemes.
- Cross-posting the same thread to X: X does not number threads for you, so numbers help there. Remove them from the Bluesky copy if the double number bothers you.
- Readers on third-party Bluesky clients: they may see no badge. If that is a big share of your audience, typed numbers still help them.
To read someone's thread as one page, try the Bluesky thread reader. For structure and pacing that carry over from X, see how to write threads.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bluesky number threads automatically?
Yes. Since version 1.132.0 of the official Bluesky app, released September 3, 2026, each post in an author's own thread gets a small badge such as 3/5. It shows in the thread view and on feed posts. You do not need to type 1/ yourself.
Should I still number my Bluesky thread by hand?
Not for Bluesky. A hand-typed 1/ stays in your text and the app adds its own badge next to it, so readers see two numbers. It also costs you graphemes out of the 300 each post allows. People on other Bluesky clients may not see the badge, which is the one reason to keep it.
Is there a Bluesky thread length limit?
We found no thread length limit in the Bluesky app or its public documentation. Each post is capped at 300 graphemes. OpenTweet's Bluesky publisher accepts up to 100 posts in one thread. Threads created through the OpenTweet REST API are capped at 25, and so is the X copy of a cross-posted thread.
Do threads posted by API or a scheduler get numbered?
They should. The app reads each post's position from Bluesky's servers (the AppView), not from the composer that posted it. A thread qualifies when each part replies to the one before it with the correct root and parent references, which is what OpenTweet sends. We have not tested this on a live account, so treat it as expected, not confirmed.
Should I number a thread I cross-post to X?
That is the case for keeping numbers. X does not add thread numbers for you, so a 1/ helps readers there. If you post the same thread to both networks, either accept the double number on Bluesky or remove the numbers from the Bluesky copy.
What breaks the numbering?
The count follows the oldest unbroken chain of your own replies from the first post. If you reply to someone else in the middle, or start a second branch off an earlier post, the later posts are not part of that chain and are not counted.
Keep exploring
Write, split, read and schedule Bluesky threads.
Bluesky thread splitter
Split long text into 300-grapheme Bluesky posts.
Bluesky thread reader
Read an author's whole Bluesky thread as one page.
How to schedule Bluesky posts
Queue posts and threads for Bluesky ahead of time.
How to write threads
Structure, hooks and pacing for threads that get read.
Bluesky limits
Characters, images, rate limits and what each one means.
Bluesky scheduler
Schedule Bluesky posts and threads over atproto OAuth.
Threads to Bluesky and X from one draft
Write the thread once and schedule it to both networks. From $11.99 a month.
7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.