PostEaseThe short answer
A Community Note is a short piece of context attached to a post on X, written and rated by volunteer contributors. It appears under a post only after enough contributors who have disagreed with each other in the past rate it helpful, and it is meant for posts that might mislead.
X’s Community Notes guide describes the program as a way for people on X “to collaboratively add helpful notes to posts that might be misleading,” and stresses who decides: “X doesn’t rate or moderate notes (unless they break X’s Rules), and never decides which notes show.”
How a note gets onto a post
Every note passes through the same statuses. From the guide’s page on notes shown on X:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Needs More Ratings | Every proposed note starts here and is shown to contributors to rate |
| Helpful | Enough contributors from different points of view rated it helpful; it shows on the post |
| Not Helpful | Enough contributors rated it not helpful; it does not show |
Not a majority vote
The rule that sets Community Notes apart is the agreement it needs. The guide says it “doesn’t work by majority rules”: notes “require agreement between contributors who have sometimes disagreed in their past ratings,” so a large group that agrees with itself cannot push a note through alone.
Statuses can change as ratings arrive, so a note can appear on a post and later disappear. The guide says statuses are locked after 2 weeks. Notes can be proposed by people or by AI note writers, including X’s own Community Writer, but only contributors’ ratings decide what shows.
If a note appears on your post
A post author who thinks a note is wrong can ask for more contributors to look at it. From the guide’s page on additional review:
| Question | What the guide says |
|---|---|
| Which notes | Notes rated helpful and shown on your post |
| How | Paste the post’s link into the guide’s form, open it in Community Notes, and choose Request additional review on the note |
| Who reviews | Community Notes contributors, not X |
| How long | Additional ratings will likely come in within 24 hours |
| Outcome | Not guaranteed; if the note stops being rated helpful, it stops showing |
| Other notes | A review of one note does not affect the others on the post |
Community notes on Instagram, Facebook and Threads
Meta runs its own community notes on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, built on the same idea: a note shows on a post if enough contributors with different views agree it is helpful, and Meta says it “does not decide which community notes get rated or published.” A few rules differ from X’s, and they matter if a note lands on your post:
| Question | What Meta says |
|---|---|
| Does a note limit reach? | No: it won’t affect who can see the post or how widely it can be shared |
| Will I be told? | Yes, you are notified when a note appears on your post |
| Can I remove it? | No, the post’s author can’t remove the note |
| Who can write notes? | Contributors aged 18+, with an account at least 6 months old, a verified phone or two-factor authentication, a clean record, and a place on the waitlist |
| Are writers named? | No: notes and ratings show no author names or photos |
Posting so notes are not needed
Notes attach to claims a wide range of readers find misleading. Habits that keep a post clear of them:
- Link the source for a number or a quote in the post or the first reply.
- Say when an image or video is old, edited or made with AI.
- Keep a joke or parody recognisable as one without the context of your other posts.
- Correct a mistake yourself in a reply as soon as you find it.
Writing and rating notes
Anyone can read and rate notes, but only contributors who have earned the ability to write can propose them, from the ••• menu on a post and Write a Community Note. X limits how many notes a contributor can write in 24 hours, with the limit rising as their past notes are rated helpful, and a separate limit on notes about any one post author.
Community Notes and PostEase
PostEase publishes posts to X on schedule, beside every other platform. A note is added on X after a post is live, so check sources before you schedule, and answer a note from X itself. YouTube, X, LinkedIn (personal profile), Pinterest, Bluesky, and WordPress publishing are live today; Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Threads are pending each platform's own API approval.
Questions
Who decides which Community Notes appear?
Contributors, through their ratings. X’s guide says X never decides which notes show and only moderates notes that break X’s Rules.
Can I remove a Community Note from my post?
Not directly. You can request additional review; if contributors’ new ratings mean the note is no longer rated helpful, it stops showing.
How long does additional review take?
X’s guide says additional ratings will likely come in within 24 hours, though a note’s status can change at any time.
Can a Community Note disappear?
Yes. Statuses update as ratings come in, so a note can show and then stop showing. Statuses are locked after 2 weeks.
Sources
- Instagram, How community notes work on Instagram and Threads, checked October 2026.
- X, Community Notes guide: Introduction, checked October 2026.
- X, Community Notes guide: Notes shown on X, checked October 2026.
- X, Community Notes guide: Additional review, checked October 2026.
- X, Community Notes guide: Writing notes, checked October 2026.