What kind of network is Threads?
Threads is a network for conversation in short text, run by Meta, the same company as Instagram. Posts are text at heart, and you can add photos, videos and polls. Because conversation built through replies is at its center, it falls into the same "communicate in words" category as X.
What makes Threads easy for a business account is that the way you think about writing for X carries over as it is. On the other hand, the character limit and the rules for links and topics (tags for subjects) differ from X. The more you post the same text on both, the more you need to know these differences.
| Item | Threads | X |
|---|---|---|
| Characters per post | 500 (each visible character counts as 1) | 280 (Japanese characters count as 2, so 140 if all full-width) |
| Long text | Up to 10,000 characters with a text attachment | Up to 25,000 with paid Premium |
| Images | Up to 20 in a carousel | Up to 4 |
| Polls | Up to 4 choices, 24 hours | Up to 4 choices, 5 minutes to 7 days |
| Subject tags | 1 topic | Hashtags (no limit on number) |
All figures are as of October 2026 and come from each company's materials and SNS TOWN's settings. The difference in how characters are counted is explained in more detail in character limits and how each network counts.
Character count and text attachments
A Threads post can be up to 500 characters. While X counts a Japanese character as 2, Threads counts each visible character as 1, so you can write more than three times as much Japanese in one post.
For when you want to write longer, Meta announced "text attachments" in September 2025. You can add up to 10,000 characters of text to a post, with formatting such as bold and italics. The intended uses include letting people read the full text of an announcement or an excerpt from a blog within Threads.
But long text is also a burden for readers. For a business account's everyday posts, it fits a conversation network better to keep one theme per post within 500 characters, and link on in a reply only when you need to continue.
Link and topic rules
Up to 5 links per post
According to Meta's developer documentation, a Threads post can include up to 5 links. Since December 22, 2025, posts with more than 5 links can no longer be created through the API. You can also add a link card (a frame showing the linked page's title and image) separately from the body, but only on text-only posts with no images or videos.
One topic per post
Instead of hashtags, Threads has "topics." You can add only one to a post, 1 to 50 characters long, and "." and "&" can't be used. If you write them in the body with #, only the first is treated as the topic. Even if you line up several hashtags the way you would on X, the second and later ones don't become tags. The Threads way is to choose one subject you want to be found under.
How is the feed ordered?
In its Transparency Center, Meta publishes how it ranks the Threads feed. The feed is posts from accounts you follow mixed with recommended posts, arranged by AI.
The predictions it uses for ranking include examples like these.
| Example prediction | What it means for a business account |
|---|---|
| Whether the person is likely to like it | Is it something they can relate to? |
| Whether they're likely to skip it without reacting | Does the opening tell them what it's about? |
| Whether they're likely to open the poster's profile | Does it make them curious who wrote it? |
| Whether they're likely to write a reply | Is there a hook for conversation? |
| How long they're likely to look at it | Is it worth reading to the end? |
What stands out is that likely to reply and likely to skip are listed together. Threads is a conversation network, so posts that make readers want to say something back spread more easily, and openings that don't say what they're about get skipped.
Viewers can switch to a "Following" feed that shows only accounts they follow, newest first, hide posts or mute accounts. Pushy, sales-heavy posts get hidden by these actions.
How a business account can post
Leave a question people want to answer
On Threads, conversation starts when you state something firmly and leave room for readers to answer from their own experience. A question such as "This is how we do it. How about at your shop?" invites replies more naturally than a sales pitch. When replies come in, answering them the same day also helps how your next posts reach people. The rules for replies are in rules for replies and DMs.
Write in the voice of the person behind the account
On Threads, everyday observations written from the manager's point of view tend to be read more than corporate announcements. Even for a new product announcement, starting from what the makers worked out or from what a customer asked fits a conversation network better.
Adjust when posting the same text as on X
Text that fit within X's 280 can go on Threads as it is. But text trimmed short for X can look a little thin on Threads. Add one or two sentences of context and swap the hashtags for one topic, and each post will suit its network.
Posting to Threads with SNS TOWN
SNS TOWN posts through Threads' official API. The compose screen switches to suit Threads, with the 500-character count, topic, link card, carousels of up to 20 mixed images and videos, 24-hour polls, and who can reply (everyone, profiles you follow, followers, or only profiles you mention).
If you've also connected X, one switch on the compose screen lets you post to X and Threads at the same time (Post to two networks at once). Threads can also join the Post cycle, where the AI prepares drafts at set days and times, and before posting the pre-post check checks the gaps between neighboring posts. Checks of X-specific writing rules are shown as warnings rather than blocking the post on Threads.
You can also attach Auto replies to a Threads post. It answers only the replies that contain the keyword you wrote in the post, using set text or AI-written text. As of October 2026, SNS TOWN Analytics does not read Threads reaction counts. Check the numbers in the Threads app.
Frequently asked questions
Can Threads replace X?
Both communicate in words, but they reach different people and rank posts differently. The people who react to you on X and those who react on Threads aren't necessarily the same. If you can keep both going, it's practical to post to both at once without adding work, then decide the balance as you see how reactions differ.
How many hashtags should I use on Threads?
Threads lets you add just one topic instead of hashtags. Even if you line up several # in the body, only the first is treated as a topic. Choose the one subject you want to be found under.
What if 500 characters isn't enough?
A text attachment lets you write up to 10,000 characters, but for a business account's everyday posts, keeping to one theme within 500 characters gets read more. If you really need to continue, you can reply to your own post to extend it.
Is it OK to include a URL in a Threads post?
You can include up to 5 links per post. Instead of putting a URL in the body, you can also add a link card to a text-only post. In SNS TOWN, the X-specific check for "URL in the body" is shown as a warning rather than blocking the post on Threads.
Is it hard to connect Threads to SNS TOWN?
You connect it by allowing access on Threads' permission screen yourself. You don't have to hand your password to SNS TOWN. For the steps, see Connect a social account. As of October 2026, until Meta's app review is complete, there is a limit on which accounts can be connected.
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