The best time to post on X, formerly Twitter, is when your audience is at its most engaged.

It’s important to post on X at the optimal time in order to attract immediate interest in your post. Get a strong immediate response and your post is more likely to be shared and promoted on other people's timelines.

This guide looks not only at the best time to post on X but also offers insight into how to do it correctly. After all, scheduling 50 posts to all go out at the same time is not going to help your engagement rates.

Best time to post on X

The best time to post on X in 2025 is between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm, and between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm, on Wednesdays and Fridays.

These four times are the sweet spot on X that captures users during their morning and evening routines, when they’re most likely to check their feeds.

Compared to other social media platforms, X’s real-time nature and fast-paced feed make these hours particularly effective for engagement.

Most users have either just started or finished their commute, want to unplug from work, and enjoy some simple X content.

Of course, this doesn't mean you should focus all your energy into posting at these times. We'll explain how you can mix up your posting schedules so you don’t limit yourself to just one day.

Remember, your specific audience might have different habits, so it's smart to test different posting times and track your results.

Why does posting time matter on X?

X’s algorithm is a mix of real-time posts and popular posts published over the past 24 hours or so. That's why you can sometimes read three posts that were just published, and then see a post from yesterday in your feed. 

Yet, the platform's fast-paced nature means timing is still crucial for success when it comes to posting. Do it at the wrong time and your post will be buried, which means it won't trigger the algorithm and appear on feeds later in the day.

Understanding X’s real-time nature

X moves quickly. New posts appear every second, pushing older posts down the feed. The fact users can scroll upwards on their phones and load more posts – a little bit like a slot machine, or how notifications on phones work – means your content has a short window to grab attention.

The platform’s algorithm favors recent and engaging posts. That means the success of a post rests on whether it gets instant engagement, which affects the best time to post on X because it's always a moving target. 

Monitoring user activity on your X feed can help determine optimal posting times, such as during lunch hours and early mornings, when users are likely to check their feeds.

How timing can influence engagement and reach

Good timing can boost your post’s performance. More people are likely to see, like, share, and comment on your content when you post during peak hours. That makes sense, right? There's no point posting at 3 am if all your followers are in bed.

Comprehensive analyses of social media posts suggest that early morning on weekdays is often the most effective time to engage with audiences.

Now, higher engagement signals to X that your post is valuable, and so the platform pushes it to more feeds. This causes a cyclical effect that can result in your post going viral.

Of course, you also need to post good content. A brand that posts about its latest annual financial accounts probably won't get much engagement from it. However, launch a product or advertise a discount at the right time, and you could hit your target audience perfectly.

In this guide, we cover the following:

What is the best time to post on X in 2025?

The best time to post on X in 2025 depends on a few factors. However, early mornings and late afternoons – either side of when people are commuting to work – are the best time.

Why is this? Well, X is a news source for millions of people. What did people do before they had social media? They read newspapers when eating breakfast, commuting to and from work, and getting home for dinner.

X users have a habit of accessing the platform the same way they did for newspapers.

Weekdays tend to be more active on X than weekends because we're less distracted by other things on weekdays. We're in the swing of a normal working day and X provides a distraction.

The sweet spot for posting is often early morning or midday. That's when X users are eating breakfast, commuting to work, or taking a lunch break.

Mornings between 8 am and 10 am typically see high engagement, while late afternoons from 5 pm to 6 pm can also be good for posts. People may check social media as they wrap up their workday.

Best days of the week for higher engagement

Weekdays are best for high social media engagement, and Wednesday morning is usually the sweet spot. There is less activity on Monday and Tuesday because people are still digesting the weekend that's come before and need to focus on work.

Thursday and Friday can be hit-and-miss, but typically, it's Wednesday that really sees a spike on X. Weekends see less overall engagement, but Saturday mornings can be surprisingly active for certain topics, particularly sports.

Peak engagement times by region

Time zones matter when posting on X. It's important to remember what works for one region might not for another.

In the US, East Coast times often set the pace. Peak hours are usually 9 am to 1 pm Eastern Time. Californians have become used to seeing things in ET.

For global reach, consider posting when multiple major time zones overlap. This is often between 2 pm and 3 pm Eastern Time, as this is in the evening in Europe and Africa, and morning in Asia.

Of course, if you are a local brand or company with a localized audience, then you don't need to worry about time zones. Stick to a popular posting time but remember that local events – such as sports games or music concerts – might alter how an audience engages with your post activity.

How to find the best time to post for your audience

We've explained the best time for average users to secure most engagement on X but that doesn't always work for every brand. The best way to ensure you're timing your posts correctly is to do a little research yourself. 

Here's how it's done!

Using X Analytics to track audience behavior

X Analytics gives you insights into your followers’ habits, but you must be an X Premium subscriber to access the data. Premium subscribers simply need to log into their X account and click on the Analytics tab. From here it's possible to see data on your post activity, profile visits, and follower growth.

Pay attention to when your posts get the most likes, shares, and replies, and look for patterns in the days and times when engagement spikes.

Analytics shows you when your followers are online, so the best time to post on X is when your audience is most active. This info is also great for scheduling posts.

X Analytics can also show you what your audience is most interested in. For example, if your followers watch more videos in the evenings, then you can tweak your X content strategy to meet this demand.

Experimenting with different posting times

It's hard to know when content will fly and flop on social media until you've experimented. You can research when and how your competitors post, but to get the full picture, you need to test a few times yourself.

Try posting at various times across multiple social media accounts (if you have them) to see what works best. Create a spreadsheet to track your results, and include the date, time, post content, and engagement metrics for each post.

Test everything, from early morning videos, lunch break polls, evening product launches, and weekend photo threads. Then post the same type of content at different times to get a fair comparison.

This might feel like a scatter gun approach and your audience may be a little confused at first, but after a few weeks you'll have the data you need to stick to one X social media strategy.

Use third-party tools for deeper insights

X Analytics is part of the Premium package, and not everyone needs to pay for this. Instead, you can get deeper insights using third-party analytics tools that offer even more data.

An X management tool like Brandwatch helps you track audience preferences and enhance engagement. By using sentiment analysis, it's possible not only to understand when to post, but what to post. 

Tools with AI capabilities can suggest optimal posting times based on your past performance, while also being able to compare your posting schedule to competitors in your industry.

Factors to consider when choosing the best time to post on X

There is no perfect posting time for X. After all, you could run all the analysis you like and schedule posts in advance, only for a big news story to wipe away any impact.

Here are three factors to consider when looking to post at the right time.

1. Time zones and global audiences

Brands with global audiences find it difficult to post at the right time because the optimal time in Melbourne might be different in Las Vegas, and different again in London. 

Many global brands split their X profile into multiple accounts that cover different regions. Be mindful about your audience and try to avoid scheduling posts through the night. Tools like Brandwatch can help you plan and send posts at ideal times for different zones.

2. Audience demographics and behavior

The X algorithm is really good at tracking an audience's habits and pulling trending topics into someone's feed. Brands can be just as savvy by researching audience demographics to find their own optimal post times. 

So, when can you catch people on the platform? Using a tool like Brandwatch will give you the answers. For example, brands with a large student audience will probably want to know if students are browsing during class breaks.

Office workers are most likely to check at lunch or after work, while parents with kids gravitate towards social platforms once bedtime is over.

3. Industry-specific peak times

Different industries have their own X rhythms. Sports networks engage with a specific target audience during and after games. News sites will target time slots where they know audiences are ready to read news, such as after TV debates or press conferences.

B2B companies often see more engagement during work hours because that's when employees are looking for business connections. Entertainment brands might do better in the evenings.

Figuring out the best time to post on X can be as simple as checking when your competitors do it. If they go big on certain days or during events, then do some analysis on those posts and see why it's working. 

Then plan your own posting schedule around similar moments, if they fit your brand. You can then join conversations when they're hottest.

Best practices for scheduling posts effectively

Now let's look at the act of scheduling posts. You can use X’s own interface or app to do this, or use a scheduling tool built into your social media marketing software.

Whichever way you choose to schedule posts, here are some tips on doing it correctly so you boost your X presence and engage followers.

Using scheduling tools to maintain consistency

Scheduling tools are really useful if you want to maintain an X presence. You can schedule posts directly on X, but the platform is a little clunky and sometimes hard to navigate.

You also can't get post data from your scheduled posts unless you subscribe to X Premium, so that rules out many users.

Instead, pick a scheduling tool that fits your needs and budget, and set up your content calendar.

A top tool will also let you create photo and video content, making it easier to optimize for X and schedule quickly.

Balancing frequency and timing

It's important to find the right post frequency. Too many posts can annoy your followers, especially if you throw multiple posts onto the timeline at the same optimal time. Too few posts and your audience might forget you.

Start with between three and five posts per day and adjust this rate based on engagement. Remember, X champions quantity over quality much more than Instagram or TikTok, so five posts are actually not that bad.

Timing matters, too. Schedule posts for when your audience is most likely to be online.

This often means mornings and early evenings on weekdays. But test different times to see what works best for you.

X changes in an instant when breaking news hits. Stay alert to current events and trends, as these can affect how your posts are received.

For example, several brands failed to cancel their scheduled posts when the Queen died in 2022. They had to delete them quickly once they went live, to avoid criticism from audiences.

So, be ready to pause or change scheduled posts if big news breaks.

Avoiding common mistakes when choosing posting times

Picking the right times to post on X can make a big difference. There are plenty of mistakes you can make, even ones that are unavoidable. 

Let's look at some key mistakes to avoid so you can get the most out of your posts.

Ignoring audience activity patterns

Never ignore your audience. Your data will show when your audience is online, so make use of this knowledge and post at those optimal times.

Granted, posting at certain times of day might not be convenient for you. Sadly, social media usually isn't convenient for those who work in digital marketing. If timing is an issue, then you can always schedule some posts.

Overposting or underposting

Find the right balance to your posting schedule and stick to it. Audiences notice when a profile is silent for three days and then issues a wave of posts in one day. Posting too often can annoy your followers and flood their feeds. But posting too little means you might not stay on their radar.

Aim for three to five posts per day as a starting point, and use a scheduling tool to help stay consistent.

Sticking to one time slot

This is a big issue, particularly for brands new to X. The algorithm favors fresh content, so will mark you down for posting at the same time each day.

For example, you'll notice your post analytics worsen if you send a similar post out at 8 am every day. In fact, it's likely that other accounts will schedule posts for this time, so be sure to mix things up.

Posting at 8:07 am, for example, looks more natural and organic than a post that's evidently been scheduled to go live at 8:00 am on the dot.

Frequently asked questions

The best time to post on X is not an exact science, but there are tools that can help you find better and worse moments to publish your posts.

Engagement on all social media platforms varies based on several factors, but X is particularly sensitive to global events and the ever-changing news cycle. 

Below are some common questions about posting times and strategies to boost your posts’ performance.

What's the best day of the week to post on X for maximum engagement?

Wednesdays and Fridays tend to get the highest engagement on X. The best times to post are between 8 am and 12 pm, and between 5 pm and 6 pm. 

You might find success posting on these days when users are more likely to check their feeds, either when they're having breakfast or lunch, or commuting to and from work.

During which hours is X engagement the highest on weekdays?

Weekday engagement on X peaks between 9 am and 3 pm. This window covers lunch breaks and afternoon lulls when people often browse social media, as well as travel to work.

Try scheduling posts during these hours to catch your audience when they're most active and boost your brand's presence.

Why aren't more people interacting with my posts, and how can I improve this?

Low interaction could be down to many different factors. You might be posting at off-peak times, using the wrong hashtags, or simply be sharing dull content. Posts with most engagement capture the audience's attention and are willing to interact with other users.

Should I schedule my posts for the morning or evening to get better results?

Mornings from 8 am generally work well as people check X while they start their day.

But don't ignore the evenings. Some users catch up on social media after work between 5 pm and 6 pm. Then there's another wave of users who scroll X in bed. Test these times to see what works for your audience.

On weekends, do the peak times for X engagement change?

Yes, weekend patterns differ. Saturday's peak is around 11 am., while Sunday sees higher engagement between 11 am and 4 pm. The best time to post on X during the weekends may also have to do with cultural events. If there's a big NFL game on Sunday, then more people might be following the action from their X account.

How does posting at different times affect my reach and interaction on X?

Posting times can greatly impact your posts’ performance. Peak hours can increase visibility and engagement, while off-peak posts might get lost in busy feeds.

Experiment with various times and track your results to find the best time to post on X. Use X Analytics or a third-party tool like Brandwatch to find your optimal posting schedule.