# Feeds Understanding Feeds on Bluesky: What they are, where to find them, where to save them, etc. ![[Cover-Feeds-v2.jpg|400]] ## INDEX [What is a feed?](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#What+is+a+feed%3F) [How to find and save feeds](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#How+to+find+and+save+feeds) - [How to find your My Feeds page](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#How+to+find+your+My+Feeds+page) - [How to save feeds](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#How+to+save+feeds) **[Default Bluesky feeds](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#Default+Bluesky+Feeds)** - [Following Feed](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#Following+Feed) - [Discover Feed](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#Discovery+Feed)(and [where to find the Discover Feed](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#Where+to+find+your+Discover+Feed)) [Custom Feeds (created by users)](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#Custom+Feeds+created+by+users) [How do I create my own custom feed?](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#How+do+I+create+my+own+custom+feed%3F) **[Resources from the community](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/custom-feeds#Related+Resources)** The concept of "feeds" can be confusing, especially since there are several different types on Bluesky. # What is a feed? A **feed** typically refers to a stream of posts or updates from people or topics you follow. On Bluesky, happily, you have access to many different types of feeds and feed tools! Here's [Bluesky's official post about algorithmic choice with custom feeds](https://bsky.social/about/blog/7-27-2023-custom-feeds), which explains how custom feeds work. I have created or helped create several different types of feeds, from the [KidLit Mega Feed](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/feed/kidlit) (collaborative feed that picks up posts matching particular search criteria from select kidlit-moderated lists, with co-admins [Brian Kirby](https://bsky.app/profile/boringstorybook.com) and [Charlene Chua](https://bsky.app/profile/charlenedraws.bsky.social)) to my [Edulib feed](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/feed/edulib) (picks up edu-related hashtags from across Bluesky) to my [Uplift Feed](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/feed/uplift) (I hand-select each post and manually insert them into the feed). I created all these via [Blueskyfeedcreator.com](https://blueskyfeedcreator.com/), but there are other [[Third-party apps and tools|3rd party apps and tools]] related to custom feeds. ## Confused about Lists vs Feeds? Confused about [[Lists]] vs Feeds? I recommend reading [[Lists vs Feeds - What's The Difference?]] As far as I can tell, the terminology is still a bit fuzzy around the edges, so it's easy to be confused. Some people refer to the default view of Lists as "List feeds," for example, while others consider the display of posts from a List as a List or List output. Don't be stressed! I was trying to figure out terminology to make sure I was using the correct terms when explaining [[Lists]]. Instead, I'm including a lot of screenshots in hopes that it helps. 😁 Best way to learn about feeds is to try them out. > [!NOTE] This is NOT an official Bluesky resource! > Be aware that this is a living vault, very much a work-in-progress. It is NOT meant to be a 100% accurate and finished resource. Please note that these tips are just based on my own experience. What works for me may not work for you. Feel free to send me feedback via [[Contact Debbie]] # How to find and save feeds  ## How to find your My Feeds page To see your default Bluesky feeds as well as any custom feeds you've saved, go to your [My Feeds page](https://bsky.app/feeds). On a desktop browser, go to your lefthand vertical navigation bar and click on **\#Feeds**. Another way is to click on "More feeds" in the righthand vertical navigation bar. ![[Feeds-WhereToFind-Desktop.jpg|600]] On mobile, click on the HOME (house icon) button in the lower left of your screen. ![[Feed-HOME-button.jpg|400]] That should make sure you're able to see the three stacked lines in the top left (I call them "hamburger lines"). ![[Feed-HamburgerLines.jpg|400]] That will result in the lefthand vertical navigation bar showing up, and you can click on "Feeds." ## How to save feeds When you discover a custom feed you'd like to save, click on the + (Plus) sign at the top right of the main feed page. Note that the "Discover New Feeds" search field is a great way to find custom feeds! You can also use the default Search field and click on the Feeds tab. See [[d. How To Find Interesting People|How To Find Interesting People and Content]] for more tips. ![[Feed-HowToSaveFeed-01-800.jpg|600]] After you hit the + (Plus sign), the feed will appear further up the page, beneath the "My Feeds" section. ![[Feed-HowToSaveFeed-02-800.jpg|600]] # Default Bluesky Feeds ## Following Feed The Following Feed shows posts from accounts you follow. Here's where to find the Following feed (at least on my desktop browser, which is what I usually use to access Bluesky): ![[Feed-FollowingFeedLocations-DesktopBluesky.jpg|800]] *Alt-text: Screenshot excerpt of a Bluesky account when viewing the Following feed, with orange circles indicating where to find the Following feed: top left navigation bar and at the top of the right-hand navigation bar.* In your [Following Feed Preferences settings](https://bsky.app/settings/following-feed), you can decide whether or not you want to show replies, show reposts, and show quote posts. ![[Feed-Following-Prefs.jpg|400]] ## Discover Feed This is one of my favorite feeds, on Bluesky, created by [@why.bsky.team](https://bsky.app/profile/why.bsky.team). You can curate what you see on the Discover feed by clicking on the three dots at the bottom right of any post, then selecting "show more like this" or "show less like this." ![[DiscoverFeed2-ExampleMovieClassic-v2-800.jpg|400]] ### Where to find your Discover Feed On your mobile app (at least this is where I find it on my iPhone): - Click on the HOME icon in the lower left, shaped like a house. Scroll through the feeds listed in the top horizontal row until you see "Discover." On your desktop browser: - Click on \#Feeds in the lefthand navigation bar and scroll down until you find "Discover." ![[Feed-Discovery-WhereToFind.jpg|400]] - OR find the Discover feed in the righthand navigation bar. ![[Feed-Discover-RightHandNav.jpg|500]] ## Custom Feeds created by users [Custom feeds](https://bsky.social/about/blog/7-27-2023-custom-feeds) are Bluesky's magic sauce. [Andrew Thaler](https://www.southernfriedscience.com/a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-making-custom-feeds-on-bluesky/) says custom feeds "make the entire value proposition of moving to a new network worth the effort." A custom feed is a personalized stream of posts tailored to your specific interests. Unlike a standard feed (like your Home feed on many other platforms), a custom feed enables you to focus on particular topics, hashtags, communities, or other types of content that you're most interested in. Here's a great explainer video from Machine Pun Kelly ([@kellyscaletta.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/kellyscaletta.bsky.social)):  There are many different types of custom feeds and many ways of creating a custom feed. I use [BlueskyFeedCreator.com](https://blueskyfeedcreator.com/). ## Curious about how Lists differ from Feeds? See [[Lists vs Feeds - What's The Difference?]] ## Explainer threads/posts from the Bluesky community Browse [this thread](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/post/3laccofww6m2j). If you have a useful explainer or post, feel free to reply to the thread with a link. ## EXAMPLES of custom feeds ### Simple custom feed Suppose you're interested in people who post about board gaming. You could create a feed that searches for the tag \#boardgaming. ### Slight more advanced feed Suppose you have a List of board gaming people. The default Posts feed shows everything that everyone on your List posts. This includes all their replies AND the posts they're replying to. The latter can be interesting, of course (and may help you discover other board gaming people), but suppose I want to see ONLY posts (not replies) made by the people in my List. You can create a custom feed that searches through a List but only shows you the main posts made by people on your List. You use more than one List as input into a custom feed, too. ### Still more advanced feed Okay, so assume you have a feed that now shows only the main posts made by people on your board gaming lists. This is great, but you're noticing that a bunch of people aren't necessarily talking about board games, but are also talking about other stuff you don't necessarily care about. You can ADD other criteria to further filter your custom feed. Like only showing you posts with a certain hashtag or hashtags. Or that DON'T include certain terms, etc. ### More complicated example: KidLit Mega Feed I'm now using [BlueskyFeedCreator.com](https://blueskyfeedcreator.com/f) for all my newer feeds, and I relied heavily on BFC's more advanced features to create the KidLit Mega Feed. I opted for this 3rd party tool mainly because of the excellent user documentation, and because the developer was such a great communicator, friendly and responsive. # How do I create my own custom feed? There are many tools and therefore ways of creating your own custom feed on Bluesky, and I lack the time to explain them all. Instead, I'll list some useful resources below, plus see [[Third-party apps and tools]] - for example, [Skyfeed](https://skyfeed.app/) is one of the original (if not THE original??) tool for creating feeds on Bluesky. ## Related Resources [A List Of ...Lists (and Feeds & Starter Packs)](https://boringstorybook.com/a-list-oflists-and-feeds/) - by Brian Kirby [A quick and dirty guide to making custom feeds on Bluesky](https://www.southernfriedscience.com/a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-making-custom-feeds-on-bluesky/) (Feb/2024) - by Andrew Thaler