8 min read
Bluesky Guide ๐Ÿฆ‹

Who am I ?

Using The Bluesky App ๐Ÿ“ฑ

Using the app is quite straightforward and mostly the same as using twitter.

There are a few features that are different and we will go though them in this section.

Feeds ๐Ÿชฟ

When first opening the app you will have two feeds available the Discover feed and the Following Feed. This is mostly the equivalent to For you and Following on ๐•.

In the beginning these two feeds will feel a bit useless. The discover algorithm needs time to understand what posts you like, which for me took about 5 days. The following feed will be empty for you in the beginning since you donโ€™t follow other accounts.

I recommend adding these feeds to your home-page to have highly relevant build in public posts that you can engage with. You can also use the hashtag to share your post in that feed, when relevant to get more engagement.

HashtagLink
#buildinpublicbuildinpublic
#indiehackersindiehackers
#phlaunchphlaunch

Other recommended feeds to enhance your home page:

HashtagLink
My BangersMy Bangers
Only PostsOnly Posts
Popular with FriendsPopular with Friends

The search feature can be used to find content and users. It is a bit unreliable if you type the username of a person slightly incorrectly (same as ๐• though).

Lists ๐Ÿ“œ

Lists are a group of accounts that you can curate, same as on ๐•.

Except there is no private/public lists. All lists you create are publicly visible. And people you add to a list will not be notified that you added them to the list (contrary to ๐•)

Chat ๐Ÿ’ฌ

Have you already received this DM on bluesky ?

โ€œI can drive 10k MRR to your SaaS just say the word broโ€

You can limit who can DM you. there are three options:

  • no one
  • following
  • everyone

DM options on bluesky.

DM options on bluesky.

  1. Just go to the chat page
  2. Click the options button on the top right
  3. Set what you want.

Bookmarks ๐Ÿ“˜

There is no bookmarking feature yet on bluesky.

However Csaba Kissi has developed a great bookmarking bot.

Just tag this account as a reply to the post you want to bookmark.

@savetobookmarks.com

Starter Packs ๐Ÿ“ฆ

Starter packs are how bluesky has addressed the problem of not following anyone when you just join (some people call this โ€˜coldstart problem ๐ŸงŠโ€™).

You can follow a group of accounts by pressing one button, and you can find different starter packs that match your interests.

Here are a few starter packs related to the topic of indiehacking.

TitleStarter Pack LinkMade By
indie Iindie Iandrei.blue
indie IIindie IIandrei.blue
indie IIIindie IIIandrei.blue
Build In Publicbipmaxrohowsky.bsky.social
Directory Makersdirectory makersmark.speaker.blue
Cool Indie Makers I can Vouch Forlinkjanubuilds.bsky.social
Software Dev Company Founders & Dev Freelancersagenciesmarkokrstic

If you need to find more starter packs you can use one of the starter pack directories, with the ability to search different topics:

Making A Starter Pack ๐Ÿ“ฆ

To make your own starter pack, you will need to think about a topic and a list of people who have an account on bluesky and match your chosen topic.

Here is where to find the option to create a starter pack: starter packs

How to get people to see and use your starter pack ?

  1. Post your starter-pack on bluesky.
  2. Ask people to reply if they want to be added.
  3. Ask people to repost so everyone on the list gets a boost.
  4. Post on other places relevant to your starter pack. (e.g as I did with my directory starter pack in a subreddit /r/directorymakers)

Setting A Custom Domain ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿซ

You can add a custom domain as your username. This has the benefits:

  1. more professional looking profile.
  2. slightly longer character limit, if the url is shorter than the original one you picked.
  3. better linking from outside bluesky

Any TLD can be used for your username. In bluesky there is a trend to use yourname.blue

Using the .blue TLD.

If you donโ€™t have a suitable personal domain you can also use these free alternatives:

Vanity urls that are applicable to indiehackers:

  • @you.potato.engineer
  • @you.dart.engineer
  • @you.typescript.blue
  • @you.programmer.blue
  • @you.investor.blue
  • @you.rustacean.blue
  • @you.kubernetes.engineer
  • @you.server.plumbing

Getting Followers ๐Ÿคณ๐Ÿผ

Getting added to starter packs:

  • by far the easiest way to get followers.
  • search for starter packs (do this with this site: https://blueskystarterpack.com/)
  • reply to people posting the starter pack and ask to be added.
  • provide proof that you fit the description of the starter pack.
  • repost as a quote repost to keep your profile clean. Many times the creator of the starter pack will ask you to repost the starter pack.

To check in which starter packs you are in use this app

Engage with other accounts:

  • reply to posts with valuable info.
  • ask interesting questions as a reply.

Analytics Apps ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Even though bluesky is just starting to get a critical amount of users, many analytics apps are already in the process of being built.

NameLinkBuilt ByStatusUsage
BlueSky Analyticsbluesky-analytics@tmaker.ioLiveChrome extension, Activity + Engagement metrics
Sky KitskykitscottpenceLiveInsights, Engagement metrics
Bluesky Meterblueskymeterandrei.blueLiveTrack posting
Realtime dot bluerealtime.blueLarsLiveFollower Stats
Blue Viewblueview.appSimon HolmesLiveStats, Interactions
Blue Statsbluestats.appErwinIn Development
UnknownannouncementhieuncIn Development
SkircleskirclequasargridLiveGenerates an image of the people who interact with you.
Bluesky Schedulerbluesky-scheduler@nickfdev.bsky.socialLiveScheduler for bluesky posts

Developing on top of bluesky ๐Ÿง‘๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿ’ป

There are many options available for developing on top of the open protocol of bluesky. Some options are described here:

  • Feed
  • Bot
  • Client

There are many other things that can be built. Check out the call for projects: Call for developer projects

Developing your own feed:

official get started guide

Starter Kits:

Developing your own bot

Developing your own bot. get started

Bot Examples Open source bot examples, that can be used as a starting point:

Developing your own client

When you are ready to launch your app or tool you have developed for bluesky. Here are a few places were you can launch it:

List of libraries in each language:

All bluesky directories

NameLinkListing
Blue Sky Starter PacklinkStarter Packs
Blue Sky DirectorylinkStarter Packs and Tools
Bluesky GardenlinkTools
Handle DirectorylinkHandles
Good FeedslinkFeeds

Other cool bluesky apps:

Post from the command line

Add bluesky comments to your blog test


References:

  1. Ilias Ismโ€™s blog post
  2. Nika Kotlรกrikovรกโ€™s blog post
  3. Iliasโ€™s Directory
  4. Mubโ€™s Directory
  5. Awesome Bluesky
  6. Awesome ATproto