Tweets, Posts, Reposts: X's New Terms Explained

If you learned to use Twitter years ago, the new vocabulary on X can feel like a foreign language. Are tweets vs posts actually different things? What's a repost, and is it the same as a retweet? Why does everyone still say "tweet" if the button says "Post"?

This glossary explains the main terms on X (formerly Twitter), with the old and new names side by side. It's useful whether you are returning after a break, helping someone new, or writing about the platform and want to use the right words.

The core terms

Post (formerly tweet)

A post is a message you publish on X. It can include text, photos, videos, GIFs, polls or links. Officially, "post" replaced "tweet" after the rebrand, and the button to publish now says Post. In everyday conversation, both words are used and everyone knows what you mean. News outlets and help guides increasingly use "post", while many longtime users still say "tweet" out of habit.

Repost (formerly retweet)

A repost shares someone else's post to your followers without adding anything. It shows up in their timelines with a note saying you reposted it. The original post, author and engagement stay attached.

Quote (formerly quote tweet)

A quote is a repost with your own comment added on top. The original post appears embedded inside yours. Quotes are useful for adding context or opinion. When you save a video from a quote, the video usually belongs to the original post inside the embed. Our guide on saving a video from a reply or quote post explains which link to copy.

Reply

A reply is a post written in response to another post. Replies appear underneath the original, forming a conversation. Each reply is its own post with its own link.

Thread

A thread is a series of connected posts by the same author, each replying to the previous one. Threads let people tell longer stories. Our guide on downloading videos from an X thread shows how to save clips from each post.

Account and profile terms

Handle and display name

Your handle is your unique username, starting with @. Your display name is the name shown above it, which you can change freely and which doesn't have to be unique.

Protected account

A protected account (sometimes called private) only shows posts to approved followers. Posts from protected accounts can't be viewed by the public, and tools like ClipDrift can't reach them.

Premium (formerly Twitter Blue)

X Premium is the paid subscription. It offers extra features, such as editing posts, longer posts and longer video uploads, depending on the tier. The checkmark next to many accounts is linked to Premium, which is different from the old verification system.

Verified organizations

Businesses and organizations can get different-colored checkmarks through X's organization verification program. Government and certain official accounts may show a gray checkmark.

Timeline and discovery terms

For You and Following

Your Home timeline has two tabs. For You shows posts X recommends based on your activity, including accounts you don't follow. Following shows posts from accounts you follow, mostly in chronological order.

Explore and Trending

Explore is where you search and find trending topics. Trending lists subjects lots of people are posting about.

Communities

Communities are groups built around shared interests, where members post to the group rather than to all their followers.

Lists

Lists let you group accounts, for example news sources or friends, and view their posts in a separate timeline.

Saving and sharing terms

Bookmark

A bookmark saves a post privately so you can find it later. It doesn't download anything; it's a link that stops working if the post is deleted. Our comparison of X bookmarks vs downloading explains the difference.

Share and Copy link

The share icon under each post lets you send it in a message, copy its link, or share it to other apps.

Download

X doesn't offer a download button for other people's videos. To save a video, copy the post link and paste it into a tool like the X video downloader. Many people still search for "save tweet video", and the save tweet video page covers that too. GIFs save through the X GIF downloader as small looping MP4 files.

Old vs new at a glance

• Tweet → Post

• Retweet → Repost

• Quote Tweet → Quote

• Twitter Blue → X Premium

• twitter.com → x.com (old links redirect)

• Home timeline → For You and Following tabs

Terms for interacting with posts

Like

A like (the heart icon) shows appreciation for a post. Likes are public on most accounts, although X has changed how visible they are over time. Unlike bookmarks, a like isn't a reliable way to find a post again later.

Mention

A mention is when someone includes your @handle in a post. You get a notification, and the post may appear in your Notifications tab.

Direct message (DM)

A direct message is a private conversation between accounts. Depending on your settings, people you don't follow may or may not be able to message you.

Mute and block

Muting hides an account's posts from your timeline without them knowing. Blocking stops an account from following you, seeing your posts while logged in, or contacting you. Both are found in the menu on a post or profile.

Community Notes

Community Notes are context notes added under some posts by contributors. They aim to add background or correct misleading claims, and they appear when contributors with different viewpoints rate a note as helpful.

Does it matter which words you use?

In everyday conversation, not really. "Tweet" is still widely used and understood, and many people search using the old terms. If you're writing for work, a help page or a school project, using the official terms (post, repost, X) is clearer, perhaps with the old term in brackets the first time, like "post (formerly tweet)".

Only download content you own or have permission to use. You can save media from any public post on the ClipDrift homepage.

FAQ

Is a tweet the same as a post?

Yes. "Post" is the official name since the rebrand to X, but it means exactly the same thing.

What's the difference between a repost and a quote?

A repost shares a post as it is. A quote shares it with your own comment added on top.

What is X Premium?

The paid subscription formerly called Twitter Blue. It adds features like post editing and longer videos, depending on the tier.

Why do people still say tweet?

Habit. "Tweet" was used for many years and is still widely understood.

What does a checkmark mean on X now?

Mostly that the account subscribes to Premium or is a verified organization. It no longer means the same as the old verification badge.

Can I download a video from a repost?

Yes. A repost points to the original post, so copy the original post's link and download it.