If you have been wondering why your posts on X (formerly Twitter) are getting weirdly unpredictable reach lately, the platform just published an explainer breaking down the major factors that might be working for — or against — your content.

It is the kind of inside look that feels like getting a glimpse at the secret sauce, but there is a twist: some of it might leave you rethinking how you post altogether.

In a new update, X laid out six common reasons why your post might not be reaching as many people as you think it should.

These include things like posts being classified as spammy or abusive (even accidentally), community-driven labels like Community Notes, settings that limit visibility (like “Protect Your Posts”), or even stuff like reaching the daily post limit, which most users probably did not even realize was a thing.

The limit for posts is  2,400 per day, for direct messages: 500 messages sent per day.

Also lurking in the background: reposting content from accounts that have been flagged for low-quality behavior can quietly drag your reach down too — even if you thought you were just sharing something cool.

At the same time, X clarified that it is trying to give creators more tools to manage their reach, like letting users toggle who can reply or limit engagement on certain posts.

But at the end of the day, the platform is still very much using a heavy mix of automation, human review, and user-driven feedback to decide who sees what.

In short: it is complicated, and even if you are playing by the rules, there are a lot of hidden variables that can mess with your stats.

If you are trying to build an audience or grow your brand on X, understanding these behind-the-scenes mechanics could be the difference between a breakout post and total silence.