x-impact-checker
Analyze and optimize X (Twitter) posts for viral potential and reach using heuristics inspired by X's published open-source recommendation architecture. Use when user wants to: (1) Check if a post wil
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View on GitHubSKILL.mdskills/x-impact-checker/SKILL.md
GitHubX Impact Checker
Workspace Context
Read bootstrap context before asking questions: strategy/brand.md for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; about/me.md for personal voice; content/ideas.md and content/calendar.md for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md, and route durable learnings back to strategy/brand.md, about/me.md, or content/ideas.md.
Operating Contract
This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.
Analyze X posts for viral potential using a 19-element scoring system and heuristics inspired by X's published recommendation architecture.
When to Use
- Score a tweet draft before publishing
- Understand why a tweet underperformed
- Rewrite tweets to align with Twitter's ranking mechanisms
- Build topical authority in a specific niche
- Debug inconsistent engagement rates
Scoring System (100 points)
Tier 1: Core Engagement (60 points)
| Factor | Max | Scoring Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Reply Potential | 22 | 22: Direct question/debatable claim, 12: Invites response, 4: Statement only |
| Retweet Potential | 16 | 16: Actionable insight/surprising fact, 8: Interesting but niche, 0: No share value |
| Favorite Potential | 12 | 12: Emotionally resonant/personal story, 6: Useful reference, 0: Low appeal |
| Quote Potential | 10 | 10: Strong opinion inviting commentary, 5: Thought-provoking, 0: No quote value |
Tier 2: Extended Engagement (25 points)
| Factor | Max | Scoring Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Dwell Time | 6 | 6: Long-form/detailed content, 3: Medium depth, 0: Skimmable |
| Continuous Dwell Time | 4 | 4: Thread/story arc requiring sustained attention, 2: Medium complexity, 0: Quick read |
| Click Potential | 5 | 5: Compelling link with clear CTA, 3: Link with context, 1: Bare URL, 0: No link |
| Photo Expand Potential | 4 | 4: Multiple images/visual storytelling, 2: Single image reference, 0: No visual content |
| Video View Potential | 3 | 3: Long-form video with hook (>5s), 2: Short clip, 0: No video |
| Quoted Click Potential | 3 | 3: Bold claim inviting verification, 2: Interesting claim, 0: Self-contained |
Tier 3: Relationship Building (15 points)
| Factor | Max | Scoring Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Profile Click | 5 | 5: Creates author curiosity, 3: Shows expertise, 0: Generic voice |
| Follow Potential | 4 | 4: Demonstrates ongoing value, 2: Shows potential, 0: One-off content |
| Share Potential | 2 | 2: General sharing value, 1: Limited appeal, 0: No value |
| Share via DM | 2 | 2: Personal/relatable "send to friend" content, 1: Somewhat relatable, 0: Generic |
| Share via Copy Link | 2 | 2: Reference/bookmark worthy, 1: Useful but not evergreen, 0: Ephemeral |
Penalties (subtract from total)
| Risk | Range | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Not Interested | -5 to -15 | Clickbait, irrelevant content |
| Mute Risk | -5 to -15 | Repetitive, annoying patterns |
| Block Risk | -10 to -25 | Offensive, aggressive tone |
| Report Risk | -15 to -30 | Policy violations, spam signals |
Grades
| Score | Grade |
|---|---|
| 90-100 | S (Exceptional) |
| 75-89 | A (Strong) |
| 60-74 | B (Good) |
| 45-59 | C (Average) |
| 30-44 | D (Below average) |
| 0-29 | F (Low potential) |
Output Format
Progress Tracking
Show analysis progress when the host environment supports task tracking:
- Analyzing post content (in_progress β completed)
- Calculating scores across all elements (in_progress β completed)
- Generating top 5 priority improvements (in_progress β completed)
- Creating optimized version (in_progress β completed)
Report Structure
Score:
π― XX/100 (Grade: X)Breakdown Table:
| Category | Factor | Score | Max | Assessment |
|----------|--------|-------|-----|------------|
| **π¬ Core Engagement** | | | 60 | |
| | π Reply Potential | X/22 | 22 | [reason] |
| | π Retweet Potential | X/16 | 16 | [reason] |
| | β€οΈ Favorite Potential | X/12 | 12 | [reason] |
| | π¬ Quote Potential | X/10 | 10 | [reason] |
| **β±οΈ Extended Engagement** | | | 25 | |
| | π Dwell Time | X/6 | 6 | [reason] |
| | β³ Continuous Dwell Time | X/4 | 4 | [reason] |
| | π Click Potential | X/5 | 5 | [reason] |
| | πΌοΈ Photo Expand | X/4 | 4 | [reason] |
| | π₯ Video View | X/3 | 3 | [reason] |
| | π Quoted Click | X/3 | 3 | [reason] |
| **π€ Relationship Building** | | | 15 | |
| | π€ Profile Click | X/5 | 5 | [reason] |
| | β Follow Potential | X/4 | 4 | [reason] |
| | π€ Share Potential | X/2 | 2 | [reason] |
| | π Share via DM | X/2 | 2 | [reason] |
| | π Share via Link | X/2 | 2 | [reason] |
| **β οΈ Negative Signals** | | | | |
| | π Not Interested Risk | -X | 0 to -15 | [reason] |
| | π Mute Risk | -X | 0 to -15 | [reason] |
| | π« Block Risk | -X | 0 to -25 | [reason] |
| | π¨ Report Risk | -X | 0 to -30 | [reason] |
| **π TOTAL** | | **XX/100** | | **Grade: X** |
π Top 5 Priority Improvements: Specific, actionable suggestions across different categories
β¨ Optimized Version: Rewritten post with improvements applied (in original language)
Algorithm Architecture
Understanding the underlying models helps explain why the scoring works.
Core Ranking Models
Real-graph β Predicts interaction likelihood between users
- Determines if your followers will engage with your content
- Strategy: Make content your specific follower segment will engage with
SimClusters β Community detection with sparse embeddings
- Identifies communities with similar interests; your tweet resonates within these clusters
- Strategy: Pick ONE clear topic and serve tight communities deeply
TwHIN β Knowledge graph embeddings mapping users and content topics
- Helps Twitter understand if your tweet fits your established identity
- Strategy: Stay in your niche or clearly signal topic shifts
Tweepcred β User reputation/authority scoring
- Your past engagement history affects current tweet reach
- Strategy: Build through consistent quality, not engagement bait
Engagement Signals
Explicit (high weight): Likes, replies, retweets, quote tweets
Implicit (also weighted): Profile visits, link clicks, dwell time, saves/bookmarks
Negative: Block/report (heavily penalized), mute/unfollow, quick scroll-past
Optimization by Algorithm Layer
| Layer | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Real-graph | Ask questions; create debate; post when followers are active |
| SimClusters | One clear topic; use community language; provide niche value |
| TwHIN | Lead with domain expertise; stay consistent; build topical authority |
| Tweepcred | Reply to quality accounts; avoid engagement bait; engage deeply |
Detailed Scoring Criteria
Reply Potential (22 pts)
- Direct questions, debatable claims, opinion invitations
- β "Just shipped a new feature." β β "Should features ship fast but buggy, or slow but stable? We chose speedβwas it the right call?"
Retweet Potential (16 pts)
- Actionable insights, surprising facts, numbered lists, data-driven content
- β "I learned something today." β β "𧡠3 React patterns that cut my bundle size by 30%: 1. Lazy loading hooks 2. Code splitting by route 3. Tree-shaking unused exports"
Favorite Potential (12 pts)
- Emotional resonance, personal stories, relatable moments, vulnerability
- β "Debugging is hard." β β "Spent 3 hours debugging a production issue. The fix? A missing semicolon I added during 'quick cleanup' at 2am. Never touching working code past midnight again π "
Quote Potential (10 pts)
- Strong opinions, challenges conventional wisdom, clear stances
- β "TypeScript is useful." β β "TypeScript's biggest value isn't catching bugsβit's documentation. The type errors are just a bonus. Fight me."
Dwell Time (6 pts)
- Long-form content requiring reading time; detailed explanations; technical depth
Continuous Dwell Time (4 pts)
- Thread indicators (π§΅, "1/"), narrative structure, complexity requiring re-reading
- β "Here's how I built X." β β "𧡠How I went from idea to $10k MRR in 30 days (1/8)\n\nDay 1-7: Validation..."
Profile Click (5 pts)
- Creates author curiosity; demonstrates expertise; credibility signals
- β "I think React is good." β β "After architecting React apps for Airbnb, Netflix, and 50+ startups, here's what I wish I knew on day one:"
Follow Potential (4 pts)
- Demonstrates ongoing value; establishes content cadence
- β "Here's a React tip." β β "React tip #47: [insight]\n\nI break down advanced React patterns every Monday."
Score Normalization
Final Score = Base Score (0-100) + Penalties (-75 to 0)
Normalized Score = max(0, min(100, Final Score))
Penalty capping: total penalties > -20 causes gradual dampening; hard cap at -75.
Text Analysis Limitations
This skill performs heuristic text-based analysis, not ML prediction. It cannot detect actual media presence, real engagement metrics, author follower count, or network graph relationships. Best used for pre-publishing optimization, not post-hoc analytics.
Language Handling
Detect input language. Respond in same language. Keep optimized version in original language.
When input is in Japanese, display Category and Factor names as: ζ₯ζ¬θͺ訳οΌEnglish OriginalοΌ
Japanese translations:
- π¬ Core Engagement β γ³γ’γ¨γ³γ²γΌγΈγ‘γ³γ
- β±οΈ Extended Engagement β ζ‘εΌ΅γ¨γ³γ²γΌγΈγ‘γ³γ
- π€ Relationship Building β ι’δΏζ§η―
- β οΈ Negative Signals β γγ¬γγ£γγ·γ°γγ«
- π Reply Potential β θΏδΏ‘ζ½ε¨ε
- π Retweet Potential β γͺγγ€γΌγζ½ε¨ε
- β€οΈ Favorite Potential β γγγζ½ε¨ε
- π¬ Quote Potential β εΌη¨ζ½ε¨ε
- π Dwell Time β ζ»ε¨ζι
- β³ Continuous Dwell Time β ηΆηΆζ»ε¨ζι
- π Click Potential β γ―γͺγγ―ζ½ε¨ε
- πΌοΈ Photo Expand β εηε±ιζ½ε¨ε
- π₯ Video View β εη»θ¦θ΄ζ½ε¨ε
- π Quoted Click β εΌη¨γ―γͺγγ―ζ½ε¨ε
- π€ Profile Click β γγγγ£γΌγ«γ―γͺγγ―
- β Follow Potential β γγ©γγΌζ½ε¨ε
- π€ Share Potential β ε ±ζζ½ε¨ε
- π Share via DM β DMη΅η±ε ±ζ
- π Share via Link β γͺγ³γ―γ³γγΌε ±ζ
- π Not Interested Risk β θε³γͺγγͺγΉγ―
- π Mute Risk β γγ₯γΌγγͺγΉγ―
- π« Block Risk β γγγγ―γͺγΉγ―
- π¨ Report Risk β ε ±εγͺγΉγ―
Algorithm Reference
See references/algorithm-weights.md for complete weight details from X's open-source algorithm (19-element system).