Growing Bluesky
Bluesky's own pages offer no paid reach, so growth comes from its free tools: your domain as your handle, starter packs and profile links.
Basics
How many people use Bluesky?
Over 44 million users as of May 2026, Bluesky says. It grew nearly 60% in 2025, from 25.94 million to 41.41 million users, and reports total users rather than an active-user count.[1, 2]
How do you grow a Bluesky account?
Use your own domain, such as your .com, as your handle, then share a starter pack and add profile links.
| Tool | What Bluesky says |
|---|---|
| Your domain as your handle | Bluesky calls it a way to verify your account |
| Starter packs | Recommend up to 150 people and 3 feeds; share by link or QR code |
| Blue badge | Bluesky verifies authentic, notable accounts; you can apply |
| Profile links | Send visitors straight to your site, newsletter or other accounts |
| Custom feeds | People choose from over 40,000 feeds |
Advanced
Can you advertise or pay for reach on Bluesky?
No. Bluesky says it will always be free to use and won't uprank accounts that pay for a subscription.[1, 8]
What can you do with Bluesky's API?
Build on the open AT Protocol: write records to your account and read public data from public.api.bsky.app without logging in.
| Limit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Record writes | 5,000 points an hour, 35,000 a day |
| Points per action | Create 3, update 2, delete 1 |
| Requests | 3,000 per IP every 5 minutes |
Sources [7]
Compare Growing Threads and Growing X, go back to the Bluesky handle rules, or check your name on Bluesky, X, Threads and the .com at once.
Sources (8)
- PrimaryBluesky: Company FAQ
- PrimaryBluesky 2025 Transparency Report
- PrimaryBluesky blog: How to verify your Bluesky account
- PrimaryBluesky blog: Introducing Bluesky Starter Packs
- PrimaryBluesky blog: A New Form of Verification on Bluesky
- PrimaryBluesky blog: Introducing Profile Links
- PrimaryBluesky Protocol Services: Rate Limits
- PrimaryBluesky blog: Series A announcement