How to Post Images on Bluesky

Posting a great image on Bluesky is one of the fastest ways to grab attention, but it's not just about hitting the 'upload' button. This guide covers everything you need to know, from the basic steps of posting single and multiple images to the game-changing value of adding alt text and pro tips for making your visuals truly stand out in the feed.

Getting Started: The Basics of Posting Images on Bluesky

Bluesky keeps things clean and simple, making it easy to create a new post with visuals. The process is pretty intuitive, whether you're using the mobile app or the desktop website. Here’s a quick walkthrough of the fundamental steps to get your first image live.

Step 1: Open the Composer

First, you need to open the post composer. Look for the big blue button with a feather icon, usually found in the bottom-right corner on mobile or on the left-hand navigation bar on desktop. Clicking this will bring up the composer window where you can craft your message.

Step 2: Select Your Image(s)

Inside the composer window, you'll see a few icons at the bottom. Click the picture icon (it looks like a small landscape). This will open up your device’s file explorer or photo gallery. From there, you can navigate to the image you want to share and select it.

Here are a few quick things to keep in mind:

• File Formats: Bluesky supports common image formats like JPEG, PNG, and animated GIFs.
• Image Count: You can select up to four images for a single post. To do this, simply select multiple files at once from your gallery.
• File Size: While Bluesky is generous, individual image files should generally be under 10MB to avoid uploading issues.

Once you’ve selected your image(s), they will appear as thumbnails within the composer, ready for you to add your caption.

Step 3: Write Your Caption and Post

With your image loaded, it's time to write the accompanying text. You have 300 characters to work with, so use them to provide context, ask a question, or share an idea. You can add hashtags, mention other users with an @ handle, and include links just like any other post. When you’re happy with how it looks, just hit the blue "Post" button, and your image will go live on the timeline.

Mastering Multi-Image Posts

Uploading a single fantastic photo is great, but don't overlook the potential of posting up to four images at once. Multi-image layouts are one of the most powerful and underutilized tools for storytelling on social media. Instead of just showing a single moment, a photo gallery lets you create a narrative, showcase a process, or provide multiple perspectives on a topic.

Creating Your First Photo Gallery

The process is the same as posting a single image. When you click the picture icon, just select two, three, or four images instead of one. Bluesky will automatically arrange them into a clean grid for you. In the feed, other users will see a preview of your grid, and they can click on it to view each image in full size and swipe through them.

Ideas for Creative Multi-Image Posts:

• A Step-by-Step Tutorial: Are you a baker, an artist, or a DIY enthusiast? Use the four image slots to show the progression of your work, from the first step to the finished product.
• Before and After: This is a classic visual format that always grabs attention. Show a room redecoration, a photo edit, or a personal transformation.
• Showcase a Product from Different Angles: If you're building a brand, use the grid to show your product up close, in context, and from different viewpoints. This gives potential customers a much better feel for it than a single shot ever could.
• Tell a Mini-Story: Capture a sequence of events. For example, setting up a tent for camp, the cozy interior in the evening, the morning view over the lake, and the final packed-up site. Each photo builds on the last, creating a richer experience for your followers.

The Secret Weapon for Engagement: Alt Text

If you take away just one pro tip from this guide, let it be this: always add alt text to your images. Alt text, or alternative text, is a written description of an image that serves two vital functions: accessibility and discoverability.

First and foremost, it makes your content accessible to users with visual impairments who use screen readers. The screen reader will read your alt text aloud, giving them the context of your image. This isn't just a nice-to-have, it’s a fundamental part of creating an inclusive online space. Second, as social platforms become more sophisticated, this descriptive text can help their algorithms understand your content, potentially boosting its visibility in searches.

How to Add Alt Text on Bluesky

Bluesky makes this incredibly easy and offers a generous character limit, so you have plenty of room to be descriptive.

1. After uploading your image(s) into the composer, move your mouse over the image thumbnail (on desktop) or tap on it directly (on mobile).
2. You'll see a small button with "ALT" written on it. Click it.
3. A text box will pop up, prompting you to describe the image for visually impaired users. Write your description here.
4. Click "Done" or "Save," and your alt text is now attached to the image.

You can add separate alt text for each of the four photos in your post, giving you the opportunity to create a fully accessible gallery experience.

Best Practices for Writing Great Alt Text

• Be Hyper-Descriptive: Don't just settle for "a cat." Write "A fluffy orange cat with green eyes curled up on a cream-colored blanket, sleeping in a patch of sunshine." Think about the objects, colors, actions, and overall mood of the image.
• Provide Context: Describe who is in the photo, what they are doing, and where they are. If an event is happening, describe it.
• Don’t Start with "A picture of..." or "An image of...": Screen-reading software already announces that it's an image. You can jump directly into the description.
• Transcribe Any Text: If your image includes important text (like a quote, a headline, or a sign), make sure to type it out word-for-word in the alt text so the information isn’t lost.

Leveling Up: Pro Tips for Posting Images on Bluesky

Once you’ve got the basics down, you can start thinking more strategically about the visual content you share. The goal is to post images that don't just fill space on the timeline but actively work to stop the scroll, spark conversation, and build your brand identity.

1. Use High-Quality, Visually Striking Images

This may seem obvious, but it’s the most important rule. Bluesky’s web-like interface has a lot of white space, which means clean, high-resolution photographs stand out dramatically. A blurry, poorly lit picture will get scrolled past instantly. You don't need a professional camera (most modern smartphone cameras are excellent), but you do need to pay attention to lighting, focus, and composition. Try using simple photography principles like the rule of thirds or leading lines to create more dynamic, eye-catching shots.

2. Understand How Bluesky Crops Images in the Feed

Like most social networks, Bluesky crops images to a standard preview size when they appear on the main timeline. This is typically a horizontal aspect ratio. If you post a tall, vertical image (like a full-body portrait), the platform may crop off the top and bottom in the feed preview. For that reason, always place the most important subject of your photo near the center. This ensures that even when cropped, the core element of your visual remains visible and entices people to click to see the full version.

Generally, landscape-oriented images (like those with a 3:2 or 16:9 aspect ratio) tend to display most cleanly in the feed preview without major cropping.

3. Tell a Story with Your Caption Alongside Your Image

An amazing photo stops the scroll, but a great caption starts the conversation. The two should work together. Avoid captions that simply describe what is physically happening in the photo. Your audience can already see that. Instead, tell the story behind the photo. What were you thinking or feeling in that moment? What happened right before or right after the picture was taken? End your caption with a question to encourage replies and get a discussion going.

Example:

• Image: A person holding a coffee cup, sitting in a cozy armchair.
• A "Good Enough" Caption: "Morning coffee."
• A Better Caption: "Finally trying that book everyone’s been recommending. It took me three chapters to get hooked, but now I can't put it down. Has anyone else read it yet? (No spoilers!)"

4. Leverage Custom Feeds to Get Your Images Seen

Bluesky’s Custom Feeds are its killer feature. They are user-curated timelines that aggregate posts based on specific keywords, shared interests, or algorithms. There are feeds for everything: photography, gaming, art, specific cities, and so much more. Find feeds that align with your content niche and take note of the hashtags or keywords their users include in their posts. By incorporating those into your own captions, you can increase the chances of your beautiful images appearing in a highly curated feed viewed by people who are already interested in what you have to share.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to post images on Bluesky is simple, but elevating them with multi-image layouts, thoughtful alt text, and smart composition strategies will help you connect more deeply with your audience. The goal isn't just to share a picture, but to start a conversation and build a memorable presence on the platform.

Staying consistent with visual content across multiple networks can feel like a full-time job. We ran into this problem a lot, which is why we built Postbase to consolidate everything into one visual calendar. This lets us plan out our posts for all our accounts at once, allowing us to spend more time creating great images and meaningful captions instead of constantly switching between apps.