X Prepares to Roll Out ‘Starterpacks’ to Assist with User Discovery

The social media platform X is rolling out a new feature called "Starterpacks", which provides curated lists of accounts aimed at helping users find relevant content more easily. According to X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, the feature presents organized groups of accounts aligned with specific interests. This initiative is described by some observers as a potential solution to discovery challenges on the platform and a way to deepen engagement within various communities.

The "Starterpacks" functionality relies on lists compiled by X’s internal teams rather than purely automated algorithmic suggestions. These packs are expected to categorize prominent accounts across a wide range of niches and geographic regions. By allowing users to follow an entire group of accounts with a single action, the feature is intended to help newcomers identify active contributors beyond just the most popular global profiles.

X’s introduction of this feature follows an industry-wide trend toward interest-based onboarding. Similar mechanisms for fostering community connections have been adopted by competitors, representing what many analysts call a collective shift toward helping users navigate crowded digital environments through organized entry points. However, X’s approach is centralized; the lists are curated internally by the company rather than being user-generated or community-driven. This editorial choice places the responsibility for the quality and perceived neutrality of these recommendations on the platform's internal teams.

The rollout of "Starterpacks" arrives amid several recent platform adjustments. These include policy changes intended to manage the quality of interactions and reduce the prevalence of low-quality or automated content in user replies. Experts suggest this structured onboarding process could be a factor in improving long-term user retention by providing clearer human-curated pathways into the platform’s ecosystem.