A new tool from Bluesky, a fast-growing X competitor, lets you quickly create new feeds for different interests that you can pin to your app's home page. If you're worried about having to rebuild your Twitter/X list in Bluesky's app, use the Pack2List web app to take advantage of curation work already done by other Bluesky users. , you can create your own customized list.
While Bluesky and its community of third-party developers currently offer a variety of tools to create feeds, lists, and even starter packs of people you think are worth following, Pack2List offers It is specifically designed to toggle any person's recommended user set. Convert to Bluesky List in just a few steps.
Compare starter packs and lists
But first, let's do a little refresher on these two types of lists.
The difference between Starter Pack and Bluesky List is that the former is intended to be used as an easy way to follow groups of users in bulk. The idea is that any Bluesky user can create a starter pack of people they think other users should follow and share it with others in their feed or elsewhere on the web. These starter packs can also be found in the tab of a user's Bluesky profile.
Starter packs have served as a smart way for Bluesky to expand its community and network of connections, which can be difficult for a brand new social network (at least one that doesn't rely on importing an entire address book). Unlike Meta Instead, the Starter Pack allows Bluesky's own user base to organize its network into separate thematic groups, making it easy for people to move from an empty timeline to one filled with posts of interest. Masu.
For example, we have starter packs focused on politics, journalists, developers, technologists, academia, sports, AI, health, and a variety of other fan groups, regions, and communities. The third-party site Bluesky Directory tracks the growing number of starter packs available on the network. (For example, this one is from TechCrunch!)
You can follow everyone on this type of curated list, or optionally follow specific individuals from the recommended set, with just a click of a button in the Starter Pack.
A Bluesky list, on the other hand, is a curated group of Bluesky accounts that you have put together for your own purposes.
Maybe it's a list of people you want to track, or a list of people you want to block. (For left-leaning Bluesky users who want to avoid Bluesky becoming another angry Twitter, the block list of MAGA people is popular, based on the number of people re-sharing this list with others on the social network.) ).
But you might want to pin Bluesky's list of your favorite scientists, journalists, AI researchers, authors, and other celebrities to your home page (or mobile home screen) for easy access. You might want to create a list of close friends, work colleagues, or people who primarily post about a certain topic or participate in some kind of community.
Unlike starter packs that aim to encourage following, you don't necessarily need to follow everyone on the list you create. Similar to X's Lists, you can create a list, click on it, and see a user's posts on their own timeline without them being mixed into your main Bluesky feed.
Turn your starter pack into a list
Both types of lists are useful, but Bluesky has the ability to take someone's shared starter pack and, instead of following that user, turn that pack into a list that's always accessible from your Bluesky account in a dedicated location. It is missing important features that can be used.
That's where developer Seth Miller's Pack2List web app comes into play. This tool, along with other tools that allow you to combine lists, transform lists, and more, is available on GitHub and this basic PHP website.
To use this service, enter your Bluesky credentials, including your username and app password. (Generate an app password from Bluesky's security settings. This security feature eliminates the need to share your main Bluesky password with third-party apps.)
Then, simply paste the URL of the Starter Pack you want to make into a list and choose whether it's the list you want to follow ('Content') or the list you'd like to use to block users ('Moderation').
Once you click the “Submit” button, the Starter Pack will be added to your list in your Bluesky account immediately.
Optionally, you can also add the URLs of other lists that already exist in your account if you want to integrate the Starter Pack into that list.
Of course, you don't have to use tools like this to have a good Bluesky experience.
The good thing about Bluesky's app is that you don't need any technical knowledge to create an account, follow others, or participate in posts on your timeline. It looks and feels a lot like the old Twitter, the app now called X under Elon Musk. However, if you want to explore Bluesky's more advanced features, it's helpful to know that there's already an extensive community of developers building tools, services, and apps to help you get more out of Bluesky.