How to Make a List on Bluesky

Creating user lists on Bluesky is one of the platform’s most powerful, yet often overlooked, features for customizing your social experience. Going beyond a basic following feed, lists allow you to organize people into curated groups, transforming your timeline into highly focused streams of content. This article will walk you through exactly how to create and manage lists on Bluesky, and then show you some 'pro' strategies for using them to build community and discover better content.

What Are Bluesky Lists (and Why Should You Bother)?

At its core, a Bluesky user list is simply a curated collection of other accounts that you assemble and name. You can make them public for anyone to see and subscribe to, or private for your eyes only. Think of them as dedicated folders for different types of people you follow.

But why go through the trouble? Because they solve some of the biggest problems on modern social media:

• Cutting Through the Noise: Your main "Following" feed can become a firehose of content. Lists let you create smaller, more manageable streams. For example, a "Work Friends" list keeps professional conversations in one place, while a "Hobbyists" list lets you catch up on just your favorite artists or creators.
• Building Community: Public lists can be a powerful tool for community building. By creating a list titled "Awesome SaaS Founders" or "Favorite Graphic Designers," you publicly acknowledge people you respect. This not only builds goodwill but also creates a valuable resource for others who share your interests.
• Niche Content Curation: One of Bluesky’s standout features is the ability to turn any list into its own custom feed. Imagine a feed comprised *only* of posts from accounts on your "Indie Game Developers" list. This is an incredibly powerful way to keep up with specific topics without the algorithm getting in the way.
• Strategic Networking: Private lists are perfect for organizing professional contacts. You could have lists for "Potential Clients," "Industry Journalists," or "Speakers from a Conference." It’s an organic, low-pressure way to keep tabs on key people without necessarily following them publicly.

Simply put, lists give you control. Instead of relying on a single, algorithm-driven feed, you get to build your own tailored experiences based on the people and topics you care about most.

How to Make a List on Bluesky: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating your first list takes less than a minute. Here’s a detailed walkthrough for both desktop and mobile, as the process is nearly identical.

Step 1: Navigate to the "Lists" section

First, go to your own profile page. You can do this by clicking your profile picture or handle in the sidebar. Below your bio and follower stats, you'll see a row of tabs: "Posts," "Posts & Replies," "Media," and right at the end, "Lists". Tap on that.

Step 2: Create Your New List

Once you are in the Lists tab, you'll see a clear button or icon to start a new list. It often looks like a document with a plus sign (+). Click "New List" to begin the creation process. This will open up a new screen where you’ll define your list's details.

Step 3: Name Your List and Write a Description

Now you get to personalize your list. You'll be presented with three fields:

• List Name: This is the headline. Make it short and descriptive. Good examples include "Marketing Experts," "Design News," "Webcomic Artists," or "Local Music Scene."
• Description: This is your chance to explain what the list is all about. If it’s a public list, a clear description helps others understand its purpose and decide if they want to subscribe. For a list called "Marketing Experts," you might write, "A curated set of professionals sharing smart insights on branding, content, and growth."
• Avatar: You can even upload a header image for your list to give it some visual flair, just like a profile banner. This is totally optional but can make your public lists look more professional and appealing.

Once you've filled those out, click "Create," and your list is officially born. It’s currently empty, but now comes the fun part: adding people.

Step 4: Adding People to Your New List

Bluesky gives you a couple of different ways to add users to a list, which makes it super convenient.

Method 1: Adding From a User's Profile Page

This is the most common way to add someone. When you're on the profile page of a user you want to add:

1. Click the three-dot menu ("...") button, usually next to the "Follow" button.
2. From the dropdown menu, select "Add to Lists".
3. A window will pop up showing all of your lists. Simply check the box next to the list(s) you want to add this person to. Yes, a user can be in multiple lists at the same time!
4. Click "Save" and you're done.

This is great when you encounter an interesting account while browsing and want to organize them immediately.

Method 2: Adding Directly From Your List

If you have several people in mind already, you can add them in bulk from the list page itself.

1. Go back to your Lists section (Profile > Lists).
2. Find and click on the list you just created to open it.
3. You should see an "Add user" or similar button. Click it.
4. A search bar will appear. Start typing the name or handle (@username) of the person you want to add.
5. Click their name from the search results to add them to the list. You can repeat this process as many times as you need to build out your list quickly.

Managing and Optimizing Your Lists

Your work isn't done after you add a few people. Maintaining your lists keeps them useful and effective.

Editing and Deleting Lists

Made a typo or want to change a list's purpose? It's simple. Just go to the list's page, and you'll find an "Edit List" button (or a similar options menu). From there, you can change the name, description, and avatar at any time.

If you no longer need a list, you can remove it entirely. Be careful, though - deleting a list is permanent and will remove it for any users who have subscribed to it.

Removing Users From a List

Curation is all about keeping your lists focused. To remove someone, navigate to your list page. You'll see all the member accounts displayed. For each member, there's a button (often labeled "Remove" or showing the three-dot icon) that allows you to instantly take them off that specific list.

Power User Strategies: How to Use Lists Like a Social Media Pro

Now that you know the mechanics, let's talk strategy. This is how you transform lists from simple folders into powerful tools for growth and engagement.

Strategy 1: Your List as a Custom Feed

This is the killer app for Bluesky lists. You can take any list and turn it into its own separate timeline. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by a busy main feed, this is a total game-changer.

How to do it:

1. Navigate to the public page of one of your lists (or someone else's list you admire).
2. Look for a settings or share icon. Within that menu, you should find an option called "Pin to Home Screen" or "Add to My Feeds".
3. Once you pin it, this list will appear in your "My Feeds" section, accessible from the main navigation menu.

Just like that, you have a feed composed entirely of posts from the people on that list, chronologically ordered, with no algorithmic interference. You can create feeds for your favorite news sources, creators in a specific niche, or a small group of close friends.

Strategy 2: Public Lists for Discoverability and Networking

Don't underestimate the power of public lists as a networking tool. When you create a list and publicly add someone to it, they often receive a notification. Putting someone on a list titled "Must-Follow Marketing Voices" is a form of professional compliment. It gets you noticed and builds a positive connection.

Furthermore, if your list is genuinely useful, other people will discover it and subscribe to it. A well-curated list on a popular topic can become a valuable resource that drives followers back to *your* profile as the curator. Be sure to use excellent, searchable keywords in your list title and description to help others find it.

Strategy 3: Private Lists for Organization and Research

Not every list has to be public-facing. Use private lists to track things without broadcasting your interests or intentions. Great use cases for private lists include:

• Competitive Analysis: Keep an eye on what competitors are posting without following them publicly.
• Client Monitoring: If you work in marketing or sales, create a list of your clients to stay on top of their announcements.
• Learning &, Inspiration: Collect accounts that inspire you creatively or teach you new things, keeping the resource private for your own development.

Final Thoughts

Creating and using lists on Bluesky is a simple yet profoundly effective way to take control of your feed, build community, and discover better content. By following these steps and strategies, you can move beyond passive scrolling and start actively shaping your social media experience into something more focused, useful, and enjoyable.

As my own social presence grew across multiple platforms like Bluesky, TikTok, and Instagram, trying to manage all the conversations and plan my content calendar became a significant challenge. I actually built Postbase to solve this problem for myself. It brings all my inboxes into one place and lets me plan all my content - including videos - in a simple visual calendar, which lets me focus more on creating valuable assets (like well-curated lists) instead of just juggling apps.