How to Review and Clean Up Your Twitter Account

clean up your Twitter account

If I had to guess, I’d say it’s probably been a while since you’ve tidied up your Twitter account.

Over time, we can accumulate a bunch of dead accounts that we’re following and all sorts of random tools that have been granted access to our profiles. That’s why it’s important to check in with our settings, who we’re following, and our profile details to ensure everything is updated. It’s all part of keeping things safe and running smoothly!

But the question is… How exactly do you clean up your Twitter account? Well, let’s find out!

How to Review and Clean Up Your Twitter Account

To give your Twitter account a good cleaning, there are five essential steps you’ll want to follow to ensure you’ve reviewed all of the important elements of your account.

1. Unfollow Inactive Accounts & Those You Aren’t Interested in Following

Listen, you don’t have to feel bad about unfollowing someone! If you come across an account that just isn’t sharing the kind of content you want to see, go ahead and unfollow. There’s no shame in doing so. After all, this is your Twitter account and you’re in control of the content that shows up in your home feed.

While you’re reviewing the accounts you follow, you can also unfollow any that haven’t been active in ages. Odds are, there’s plenty of accounts that have been dead for many months or even years! Ditch the clutter and say your virtual goodbyes by unfollowing. Tweepi is a tool that I recommend to help you find those dead profiles and clean up your Twitter account!

Not sure how to unfollow someone? This post teaches you how to unfollow and mute.

2. Create Lists of Your Favorite Accounts

Sometimes Twitter can be a very busy place. And that means it can be difficult to stay updated with some of our favorite people. That’s where Twitter Lists come in handy! By creating a list, you’ll be able to see only posts from a selected group of people. This way, you’re able to cut through the noise and see what you’re really interested in.

You can create lists for your closest friends, blogs you enjoy reading, and even clients you want to keep in touch with. The ideas here are endless. And to help you get started, I have a complete guide to Twitter Lists that will help you out.

3. Conduct an Audit of Your Settings & Privacy

When was the last time you had a scroll through your various settings on Twitter, including privacy? If I had to guess, it’s probably been a while! Unfortunately, this is something we don’t often think about doing. So, now is the perfect time.

twitter settings

All you need to do is head over to your Twitter account, click “More” in the sidebar, and then select “Settings and Privacy.” Here, you’ll see a bunch of options which are pictured in the screenshot above.

As you clean up your Twitter account, take some time to go through each option on the menu. Because Twitter adds to and updates this periodically, it’s important to review everything to ensure it’s up-to-date. Check to make sure things like your phone number and email address are the most current. And maybe even change your password while you’re at it since it’s good to switch it up on occasion.

If you haven’t already, you’ll want to consider turning on two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your Twitter profile. To access this, select “account” and then “security.” You can also change your privacy and safety settings, notifications, and content preferences.

4. Review Which Tools Have Access to Your Account

Before you click out of your settings, there’s one important step that’s worthy of being its own tip on this list. And that is to review the list of tools that you’ve given access to your account. Sometimes we grant access temporarily without even thinking about it. And if you’ve switched any third-party tools recently, there’s a good chance old ones still have access.

To review this information, go to “More” in the sidebar, select “Settings and Privacy” and then choose “Account” and then “Apps and Sessions.” Here, you’ll see a list of every tool or plugin that you’ve allowed into your Twitter account. Scroll through and see if there are any you’re no longer using. If you find any, go ahead and revoke their access. Only the tools you use should be granted permission.

5. Give Your Profile a Refresh

When was the last time you’ve changed up your Twitter bio, updated your profile picture, or uploaded a new header image? If it’s been a while, let’s make that a priority right now! To really clean up your Twitter account, you can’t neglect your profile itself because that’s one of the first things people see about you. And it needs to give off a great first impression.

The key to a successful Twitter profile is to make it clear what you do and what you have to offer people. You need to give them a good reason to follow your account. Take a look at your profile image first. Is it many years old with a hairstyle you no longer have? Get a new picture taken! With your cell phone and a tripod, you can take a really nice photo that’s sure to stand out. Or if you can, enlist the help of a friend to make it even easier.

Then, read over your bio. Does it clearly state what you’re all about? Does it leave people wanting more from you? Tell people what you do so they’ll know what kind of content they can expect to see if they follow your account. Your profile header image is another way to convey your brand’s message.

Twitter pinned tweet

And another element you don’t want to forget? Your pinned tweet! Make sure it’s still relevant and something you want to direct traffic to. This is valuable real estate that can promote your email list opt-in, a product or service you’re selling, or even your latest blog post. As you can see above, I like to share my latest posts in my pinned tweet so it gets updated regularly.