SkySearch User Guide
SkySearch lets you easily search and analyze Bluesky posts. This guide covers everything from basic usage to advanced tips.
Table of Contents
1. Basic Search
Search by User ID
To view all posts from a specific user, enter their Bluesky handle in the "User ID" field.
Enter the handle in the "User ID" field (e.g., bsky.app).
The "@" prefix is handled automatically, so you can include it or not.
Click the "Search" button.
The user's profile and posts will be displayed.
Search by Keyword
To find posts containing specific keywords across all of Bluesky, use the "Keyword" field.
- Keyword only: Searches all public Bluesky posts
- User ID + Keyword: Filters that user's posts by the keyword
2. Filters
Date Range
Narrow results to a specific time period.
- From: Show posts after this date
- To: Show posts before this date
- You can specify just one date (e.g., only "From" to get all posts since that date)
Minimum Likes
Set a minimum like count to only show popular posts. Great for finding viral content.
Media Only
Check "Media only" to show only posts with images or videos attached.
Exclude Replies
Check "Exclude replies" to hide reply posts and show only original posts. Useful when you want to browse a user's own original content without conversation threads.
3. Sorting
Choose a sort order in the search form before searching, or switch between orders at any time using the buttons shown above the results.
| Sort Order | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Newest | Most recent posts first | Following latest updates |
| Oldest | Oldest posts first | Reading posts chronologically |
| Most liked | Highest like count first | Finding popular posts |
4. Statistics
Statistics are shown above the search results:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total | Number of posts matching your search |
| Avg Likes | Average likes per post |
| Max Likes | Highest like count among results |
| Avg Reposts | Average reposts per post |
5. Search History
Your search conditions are automatically saved for quick re-use.
- Up to 10 searches are saved
- 3 shown initially, click "Show more" to see all
- Click a history chip to re-run that search
- Click "x" to remove individual entries, or "Clear all" to remove everything
- History is stored in your browser only — never sent to any server
6. Dark Mode
Click the sun/moon icon in the top-right corner to toggle between light and dark mode. Your preference is saved automatically.
7. Trending
The "Trending" tab shows you what topics are buzzing on Bluesky right now.
- A list of trending keywords is fetched and displayed automatically
- Click any topic to instantly search for posts about it
- Great for staying on top of what the Bluesky community is talking about
8. Post Analytics
The "Analytics" tab lets you collect all of a user's posts and visualize their activity patterns and engagement.
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total / Avg Likes | Posts analyzed and average likes per post |
| Max Likes | Highest like count among all posts |
| Peak Hour | Hour of day with the most posts (0–23) |
| Hourly / Weekly charts | Post volume distribution by hour and weekday |
| Top 5 Posts | Most liked posts from the dataset |
Just enter a User ID and click "Analyze" — data is collected and visualized automatically.
9. Inline Translation
Translate foreign-language posts inline, without leaving the page. Useful for monitoring overseas trends or picking international accounts to follow.
Click the "Translate" button at the bottom-right of any post card.
The translation expands below the post body (JA → EN on the English site, EN → JA on the Japanese site).
Click the button again to collapse. Results are cached in the browser, so revisiting the same translation is instant.
Translations are powered by the free MyMemory API (no signup required, 5,000 words/day per IP). If the API fails, a "Open in Google Translate" fallback link is shown.
10. Export Results
Download the current search results as CSV or JSON for spreadsheet analysis, archiving, or downstream programmatic processing.
| Format | Fields | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| CSV | rank, timestamp, author, text, likes, reposts, replies, URL | Excel, Google Sheets, ad-hoc analysis |
| JSON | Everything above plus DID, AT URI, and structured author object | Developers, automations, scripting |
Click "CSV" or "JSON" in the search results header — the download starts immediately. CSV is UTF-8 with BOM so Excel opens it without mojibake.
11. Embed Code Generator
Generate Bluesky post embed code to paste into blog articles, documentation, or websites.
Open the "Embed" tab on the home page.
Paste a Bluesky post URL (e.g. https://bsky.app/profile/xxx/post/yyy) and click "Generate embed code".
A live preview + the HTML snippet are displayed. Click "Copy" and paste into WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Substack, or any platform that accepts custom HTML.
Uses Bluesky's official embed format (embed.bsky.app) — supports dark mode and auto-refreshes when the original post is edited.
12. RSS Feeds
Turn any search into an RSS feed and let Feedly, Inoreader, Slack webhooks, or Discord pick up new posts automatically. No need to keep Bluesky open — new matching posts arrive in your reader.
How to use
Run a search as usual (user, keyword, minimum likes, language filter — all supported).
Click the "📡 RSS" button in the results header.
Copy the URL shown and paste it into your RSS reader. New posts will appear automatically from then on.
Direct URL patterns
You can also construct the URL manually:
| Pattern | URL |
|---|---|
| User feed | https://bskysearch.com/rss?handle=example.bsky.social |
| Keyword search | https://bskysearch.com/rss?q=keyword |
| Min likes filter | Append &minLikes=50 |
| Language filter | Append &lang=en (keyword search only) |
Opening the RSS URL in a browser shows a styled post list view (XSL transform).
13. Keyboard Shortcuts
Power-user shortcuts for mouse-free navigation. Press ? anytime to open the cheat sheet.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| / | Focus the search input |
| ? | Open the shortcuts cheat sheet |
| j / k | Scroll to next / previous post |
| g → u | Go to User Search tab |
| g → k | Go to Keyword Search tab |
| g → t | Go to Trending tab |
| g → a | Go to Analytics tab |
| Esc | Unfocus input / close help |
Shortcuts are disabled while you're typing in a text field, so they don't interfere with regular input.
14. Tips & Tricks
Find a user's best posts
Enter a User ID, sort by "Most liked", and set a minimum like count to quickly discover their most popular content.
Track a trending topic
Search by keyword with "Newest" sort and a date range to see how a topic evolved over time.
Understand posting patterns
Use the Analytics tab to see when a user is most active. Useful for finding the best time to post, or understanding an influencer's habits.
Browse media posts
Check "Media only" to filter for image and video posts — great for browsing artwork or photography.
Add to home screen
SkySearch is a Progressive Web App (PWA). On mobile, tap "Add to Home Screen" in your browser menu to launch it like a native app. On desktop Chrome, use the install button in the address bar to add it as a desktop app.
15. FAQ
Q. Is SkySearch free?
A. Yes, SkySearch is completely free. No account registration required.
Q. Do I need a Bluesky account?
A. No. SkySearch uses Bluesky's public API, so no login is needed.
Q. Why are there few results?
A. Click "Load more" to fetch additional posts. Removing filters may also show more results.
Q. Can I search private accounts?
A. No, only publicly available posts can be searched.
Q. Is my search history visible to others?
A. No. History is stored only in your browser's local storage and is never sent externally.
Q. Does it work on mobile?
A. Yes, SkySearch is fully responsive and works on phones and tablets.
Q. How accurate is the translation feature?
A. We use the free MyMemory API. Simple sentences translate well, but technical jargon, long posts, and colloquial phrases may be less accurate than Google Translate or DeepL. If the API fails, we fall back to an "Open in Google Translate" link.
Q. My CSV looks garbled in Excel
A. SkySearch exports UTF-8 with BOM, which Excel normally handles correctly. If you still see mojibake, use Data → From Text in Excel and select UTF-8, or drag the file into Google Sheets.
Q. Which blog platforms support the embed code?
A. Any platform that accepts raw HTML — WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Substack, etc. Platforms that block external scripts (like note.com) may not execute the embed script.
Q. How often does the RSS feed update?
A. New posts appear whenever your RSS reader polls the feed. We cache responses server-side for 5 minutes, so repeated requests within that window return the same content. Most RSS readers check every few hours.
Q. Feedly shows "invalid feed ids" when I try to subscribe
A. That's Feedly's error for feeds its crawler hasn't indexed yet. Log into Feedly, use "Add Content", and paste the URL manually — once added, the one-click subscribe button will work for everyone.
Q. Can I disable keyboard shortcuts?
A. They're automatically disabled while you're typing in an input field. A global toggle isn't currently available, but we can add one if there's demand.