- What are Community Notes on X, in plain terms
- Who writes Community Notes on X
- How a Community Note gets shown on a post
- What to do if a Community Note appears on your own post on X
- Community Notes on X versus reporting a post
- What Community Notes mean for how you use X
- Where to read the official Community Notes details
- Frequently asked questions
Community Notes on X let contributors add context to potentially misleading posts. Other contributors rate each note, and if enough people with different points of view rate it as helpful, the note is shown publicly on the post. They're written by users, not by X staff.
If you've ever spotted a box of extra context under a post on X and wondered who wrote it, you've met Community Notes. They're one of the more unusual things about the platform, because the notes aren't written by X staff. They're written and rated by ordinary users. That matters for everyone, and it matters even more if you run a business account, because a note under your own post is public. Here's what X's help centre says Community Notes are, how a note gets shown, and what to do if one appears on something you posted.
What are Community Notes on X, in plain terms
X's help centre describes Community Notes as a way of creating a better informed world by empowering people on X to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts. In practice, a contributor writes a note on a post. Other contributors then rate that note. If the note gets enough support, it appears publicly under the post for everyone to see.
So a note is a piece of added context, not a verdict from the platform. It isn't the same as a deleted post or a warning label put on by X itself.
Who writes Community Notes on X
Contributors do. The help centre says contributors can leave notes on any post. The programme is open to people who apply and meet the eligibility rules, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The criteria themselves sit on a separate eligibility page in X's help centre, so check that page for the current rules rather than relying on a blog post. I'm not going to guess at them here.
If you're curious, applying is a decision for the account holder. Think about whether you'd really read sources and rate notes carefully, because the system depends on contributors doing that.
How a Community Note gets shown on a post
This is the part most people find surprising. A note doesn't appear because one person wrote it, and it doesn't appear because a majority voted for it. According to X's help centre, if enough contributors from different points of view rate a note as helpful, the note will be publicly shown on the post.
That "different points of view" detail is the heart of the system. The idea is that agreement between people who normally disagree is a stronger signal than agreement within one group. X also says the Community Notes algorithm is open source and publicly available on GitHub, so anyone who's interested can read how it works.
- Step one: a contributor writes a note on a post.
- Step two: other contributors rate whether the note is helpful.
- Step three: if enough contributors with differing viewpoints rate it helpful, the note is shown publicly on the post.
- If that agreement doesn't happen, the note isn't shown.
That's why you'll sometimes see a misleading post with no note at all. It doesn't mean nobody noticed. It can mean the note hasn't won broad enough support.
What to do if a Community Note appears on your own post on X
This is the situation that sends small-business owners to search for the topic, so it's worth being practical.
- Read the note calmly and open any sources it links to. Sometimes the context is fair and a correction is the right answer.
- If the point is valid, consider editing your next post or replying with the corrected detail. Being open about it tends to win more respect than arguing.
- If you disagree that the note provides important context about your post, the help centre says you can request additional review.
- If the post has errors you can fix, correct your information in a new post rather than leaving the old one standing.
It's also a good prompt to check your claims before you post. For a brand account, a link to a clear source in the original post often avoids the issue entirely.
Community Notes on X versus reporting a post
People often confuse these, so here's the difference.
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| Community Notes | Reporting a post | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is involved | Contributors who write and rate notes | X's own review process |
| What happens | Added context may show under the post | X reviews the post against its rules |
| Best for | Posts that are misleading or missing context | Posts that break the platform's rules |
If you're worried about an account or a post that's abusive, report it. A note won't remove it. If you've been targeted and you're in danger, contact the police.
What Community Notes mean for how you use X
As a reader, a note is a signal to look at the sources before sharing. As a poster, it's a reminder that anything you publish can be checked in public. Neither is a reason to avoid the platform. If you're tidying your own settings, my guide to changing your privacy settings on X covers what you control, and if you're managing who can reach you, my guide to unblocking someone on X explains the blocked list.
If you want to understand how the platform treats other things you do, such as viewing or saving posts, I've written about what X logs about your watch history. And if the name still confuses you, my explainer on what Twitter is called now sets it straight.
Where to read the official Community Notes details
X keeps its own pages for Community Notes, including the overview, the eligibility details and the open-source algorithm. Those pages are the best place to check anything that might change, such as who's eligible or how notes are rated. If a detail here ever looks different from what you see in the app, trust the app and X's help centre.
Frequently asked questions
What are Community Notes on X?
X's help centre describes them as a way for people on X to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts. Contributors write and rate notes, and helpful ones appear publicly.
Who decides whether a Community Note is shown?
Contributors do, by rating. The help centre says a note is shown publicly if enough contributors from different points of view rate it as helpful.
Can anyone write a Community Note?
Contributors can leave notes on any post, but you have to apply and meet the eligibility rules. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and the rules sit on a separate eligibility page.
What can I do if a Community Note appears on my post?
X's help centre says that if you disagree that a note provides important context about your post, you can request additional review.
Is the Community Notes algorithm public?
Yes. X says the algorithm is open source and publicly available on GitHub.
