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PlugMonkey
Updated Feb 2026

How to Clean Up Your Twitter Following List

A comprehensive playbook for auditing your entire following list. Identify inactive accounts, likely bots, and irrelevant follows — then remove them systematically without losing anyone important.

Intermediate
15 minutes
7 steps

Before You Start

  • Google Chrome browser (desktop)
  • An X (Twitter) account
  • Unfollow Pro for X installed from the Chrome Web Store
  • 15-30 minutes for a thorough audit (depending on list size)
1

Audit your current following count and set a target

Before opening any tools, check your current following count on your X profile. Note it down. A good target is to reduce your following list by 20-40% on your first cleanup. If you follow 2,000 accounts, aim to get down to 1,200-1,600. This creates a noticeably better feed without being too aggressive.
Pro Tip

A healthy following-to-followers ratio on Twitter/X is generally below 1:1. If you follow significantly more people than follow you, a cleanup will improve both your feed quality and how your profile appears to potential followers.

2

Install Unfollow Pro for X and open the management panel

Install Unfollow Pro for X from the Chrome Web Store if you have not already. Navigate to your profile page, click your Following count, and then click the floating PlugMonkey button to open the management panel. Your complete following list loads with all filter controls ready.
3

Phase 1: Remove inactive accounts (90+ days dormant)

Set the activity filter to "90+ days" to find accounts that have not posted in at least 3 months. These are the safest to remove — they are likely abandoned, suspended, or permanently dormant. Review the filtered list, whitelist any you want to keep, then use Bulk Unfollow (PRO) or manually remove them.
Pro Tip

This first phase alone typically removes 15-25% of a following list. Start here because these accounts contribute zero value to your timeline.

Unfollow Pro for X's filter and search panel listing accounts to unfollow or protect
4

Phase 2: Identify likely bots and spam accounts

Reset your filters and apply a new combination: set the follower count range to very low numbers (0-5 followers) or very high following counts (5,000+) with low follower counts. Accounts with extreme ratios — following thousands but followed by almost nobody — are often bots, spam accounts, or aggressive follow-for-follow marketers. Review and remove the obvious ones.
Important

Not every account with a low follower count is a bot. Some may be new, genuine users. Check their bio and recent posts before removing. Focus on accounts with default profile pictures, no bio, and suspicious patterns.

5

Phase 3: Filter out irrelevant accounts by keyword

Use the bio keyword search to find accounts in niches or topics that no longer interest you. For example, if you once followed many cryptocurrency accounts but have since lost interest, search for 'crypto', 'NFT', 'blockchain', or similar terms. Review the results and unfollow accounts whose content no longer aligns with your current interests.
Pro Tip

Think about topics you were interested in 2-3 years ago but no longer follow. Common examples include old hobbies, previous jobs, or trends that have passed. Each keyword search surfaces a focused subset of accounts to review.

6

Protect your important connections with the whitelist

Throughout this process, actively protect accounts you value. Click the shield icon next to friends, colleagues, industry experts, and creators whose content you enjoy. The Protected List prevents any whitelisted account from being included in bulk operations. You can add to the whitelist at any time — before, during, or after filtering.
7

Run your bulk cleanup and verify improvements

After completing all three phases (inactive, bots, irrelevant), check your updated following count. Compare it to your starting number and your target. Return to your X timeline and scroll through — you should notice a significant improvement in content relevance and signal-to-noise ratio. Bookmark this guide and repeat the process quarterly to maintain a clean following list.

Summary

A thorough Twitter/X following list cleanup involves three phases: removing dormant accounts (90+ days inactive), eliminating likely bots and spam (extreme follower ratios), and unfollowing irrelevant accounts by keyword. Combined with whitelist protection for accounts you value, this systematic approach typically reduces a following list by 20-40% while improving your feed quality dramatically. Set a quarterly reminder to repeat this process — your interests and the accounts you follow both evolve over time, and regular maintenance keeps your timeline intentional. Unfollow Pro for X's rate-limit-safe pacing ensures all bulk operations are safe for your account.

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Related Guides

How to Bulk Unfollow on Twitter/X in 2026How to Find Inactive Twitter Accounts You FollowHow to Export Twitter Followers to CSV

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Your Timeline Deserves Better

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