Profile Optimisation Checklist for X

Your profile is a landing page. Every reply you leave, every piece of content you create,they're all driving traffic to this single page. And most profiles fail to convert that traffic into followers.

This checklist covers everything: the technical specs, the strategic decisions, and the common mistakes that tank conversion rates. Use it as a one-time setup guide, then revisit quarterly.

The Core Elements

Username (@handle)

Your username is permanent real estate. Choose carefully.

Maximum 15 characters. Make it searchable,clean usernames are easier for both algorithms and people to find. Ideally, match it across platforms for recognition.

If your preferred handle is taken, avoid strings of numbers or underscores. "JohnSmith_2847" looks temporary. "JohnBuilds" or "SmithWrites" communicates intent.

Display Name

You get 50 characters here,more than most people realize. Use them strategically.

Instead of just "John Smith," try "John Smith | SaaS Growth" or "John Smith - Building @ProductName." The additional context helps with discoverability and immediately signals what you're about.

Bio

160 characters. No room for waste.

The first line is everything,it's what people read before deciding to scan further. Lead with what you do, not who you are.

Structure: Identity + Value Proposition + Call to Action. See the full guide on writing a bio that converts.

Include 1-2 relevant keywords naturally (they help with 𝕏's search), but skip hashtag stuffing. More than two hashtags looks desperate.

End with a clear call to action. "Follow for weekly growth tactics" or "Subscribe below" gives visitors direction.

Profile Picture

400x400 pixels minimum. 800x800 recommended for crisp display across devices.

Close-up headshots outperform full-body shots. At feed size (48 pixels), faces in full-body photos become unrecognizable. Your headshot stays clear.

The image displays as a circle,design with center focus. Keep important elements away from edges.

For personal brands, use a real photo. Logos work for company accounts but hurt personal connection.

Header Image

1500x500 pixels exactly. This is your billboard.

Keep critical text and logos within the left 1000 pixels,mobile crops the right portion. Avoid placing important elements in the top and bottom 60-pixel margins, which can get trimmed.

Your header should reinforce your bio, not compete with it. One clear message, not five. Treat it like a magazine cover: clean, focused, professional.

Test on multiple devices before publishing. What looks perfect on desktop might crop badly on mobile.

Pinned Tweet

This is the closer. Pinned tweets receive up to 600% more engagement than regular tweets. Every profile visitor sees it. Learn what to pin and when to change it.

Options that work: an introduction thread explaining who you are and what to expect, your highest-performing content (social proof through existing engagement), or a clear call to action driving newsletter signups or product pages.

Include an image,photos boost retweets by 35%. Include a link if you're driving traffic somewhere.

Update your pinned tweet when launching new projects or campaigns. Stale pins lose effectiveness.

Website Link

You get one clickable link. Don't waste it on a generic homepage.

Link to your highest-intent destination: newsletter signup, demo page, lead magnet, or portfolio. Whatever converts visitors into something more than profile visitors.

Add UTM parameters to track 𝕏-specific traffic. You'll want to know which content drives actual conversions.

Location

30 characters. Fill it out.

Research shows location adds to profile trustworthiness,it's one of the signals people use when deciding whether to follow. If you serve a specific region, it also helps with local discoverability.

The Technical Specs

Quick reference for visual elements:

Profile picture: 400x400px (1:1 ratio), 2MB max, JPG or PNG

Header: 1500x500px (3:1 ratio), 5MB max, JPG or PNG

Bio: 160 characters including spaces and emojis

Display name: 50 characters

Username: 15 characters

Location: 30 characters

Standard tweets: 280 characters

Premium long-form: 25,000 characters

Common Mistakes to Fix

Empty or generic bio. "Living my best life" tells visitors nothing. If someone can't understand what content they'll see within three seconds, they leave.

Low-resolution images. Blurry profile pictures look unprofessional. Upload the highest quality you have.

Wrong header dimensions. A 1200x400 header will stretch and distort. Use exactly 1500x500.

No pinned tweet. You're wasting prime real estate. Pin something,anything relevant.

Protected tweets. If your account is private, you won't be discovered. Profile visits require public visibility.

No website link. Missing conversion opportunity. Even if you're just linking to a Linktree, link to something.

Overusing hashtags. In 2025, 𝕏's algorithm prioritizes natural language over hashtag matching. One or two is fine. Five looks spammy.

Broadcasting without engaging. Your profile might be perfect, but if all you do is post without replying, you're signaling one-way communication. That hurts follow rates. Replies are the fastest path to growth for a reason.

The Quarterly Audit

Run through this review every three months to catch drift and keep your profile sharp.

Start with your profile information. Your username should match your brand name or be memorable enough that people recognize it. Your display name should include relevant keywords that help with discoverability. The bio needs to clearly state what you do and why someone should follow, and it must include a call to action. Check that your website link is active and properly tracked with UTM parameters. Set your location if it's relevant to your work or audience. And confirm your account is public.

Move to visual elements next. Your profile picture should be at least 400x400 pixels and remain recognizable at small sizes in feeds. The header should be exactly 1500x500 pixels and display correctly on mobile without awkward cropping. Visual branding should feel consistent across all elements. Test on multiple devices to catch any cropping issues.

Review your pinned content. You should have a pinned tweet, and it should be current and relevant to your current goals. Strong pinned tweets have existing engagement that provides social proof, and they include either a clear call to action or obvious value for the visitor.

Finally, check accessibility. Add alt text to your images. Use readable fonts in any graphics. Ensure sufficient color contrast so your content works for everyone.

Measuring Effectiveness

The primary metric: Profile Visit to Follower Conversion Rate.

Formula: (New Followers / Profile Visits) x 100

Below 20% means your profile needs work. 20-30% is solid. Above 50% means you're reaching exactly the right audience. For more context on metrics, see engagement benchmarks.

To find this data, check 𝕏 Analytics (Premium required for full dashboard) or calculate manually by comparing profile visits to new followers over a set period.

If your conversion rate is low but your content gets engagement, the problem is your profile. Something in the bio, header, or pinned tweet is failing to close. If profile visits are the problem, your reply strategy needs work.

The 2025 Considerations

A few things have changed:

Algorithm visibility matters. Your profile elements affect how often your content appears in feeds. A complete, keyword-optimized profile signals authority to the algorithm.

Hashtags are less critical. Elon Musk has publicly criticized them, and data shows their effectiveness has decreased. Natural language wins.

Premium features exist. The Highlights tab (Premium only) lets you curate your best content like a portfolio. If you're serious about converting profile visitors, it's worth considering.

AI discoverability. Clean usernames and natural language in bios are easier for AI-powered search to parse and recommend.

Implementation Priority

If you only have 10 minutes, focus on three things: write a clear, specific bio with a call to action, upload a professional headshot, and pin your best-performing tweet or an introduction thread. These three elements do most of the work.

If you have an hour, expand to the full setup. Create a cohesive header image that reinforces your bio's message. Add your website link with UTM tracking so you can measure what converts. Set your location for trustworthiness. Add alt text to your profile images for accessibility. Test how everything appears on mobile before calling it done.

If you're doing it right, treat optimization as ongoing. Audit quarterly to catch anything that's drifted. Update your pinned tweet for new campaigns and launches. Track your conversion rate and iterate based on what the data tells you.

The accounts that convert are the ones that treat profile optimization as ongoing, not one-time. Your first version won't be your best version. The goal is to get the fundamentals in place, then improve based on what the numbers tell you.