Use X Search Sources in Cortex
X Search sources poll query results instead of one profile or curated list. They work best when the signal is defined by a topic, event, or keyword pattern.
Add one X search query and Cortex polls matching posts through the X API integration.
Sort order and engagement thresholds help decide whether you want ranked relevance or more systematic capture of newer matching posts over time.
- Communities defined by phrases, hashtags, or query logic
- Live event monitoring across many unrelated accounts
- Early topic discovery before you know the key accounts
- Search-driven monitoring where manual list curation is too narrow
Use X Search when the signal is broader than any single account or curated list. This is the right connector when your real source definition is the query itself.
X Search Setup
Start with the narrowest useful query you can write, then decide whether you want recency or relevancy. Add engagement filters only after the query shape itself is doing most of the work.
You need an active X API credential. For the full field reference, see Create Source in the API docs.
Key Configuration Fields
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Search Query |
Write the exact standing query you want Cortex to monitor. This connector works best when the signal is defined by topic, event, or keyword logic instead of fixed accounts.
Example
solana has:links -is:retweet lang:en
|
| Sort Order |
Use recency when you want systematic capture of newer matching posts over time. Use relevancy when you want X’s ranked search results for the query instead.
Example
recency
|
| Max Tweets per Poll |
Lower this when a broad query returns too much volume in each poll cycle.
Example
50
|
| Engagement Filters |
Use minimum likes, retweets, or replies when the query is too broad and you only want the posts that are already attracting attention.
Example
Min Likes = 5
|
| Content Max Age |
This still applies as a shared per-source ingestion limit when you want Cortex to ignore older matching posts after they surface in the query results.
Example
7
|
Examples
These examples show common ways to turn a standing X query into a usable source.
Topic Monitor Query
Standing topic query with boolean terms, exclusions, and an engagement threshold. Use this when the query logic itself defines the source better than any fixed account list.
Query operators: Use OR between terms, parentheses for grouping, -is:retweet / -is:reply to exclude, has:links for link-bearing posts, min_faves:N for engagement threshold.
Sort order: recency uses incremental cursor-based polling. relevancy re-ranks on each poll and may return duplicates.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
The source will not activate.
X sources require an active organization-scoped X API credential.
If the credential is missing or invalid, Cortex cannot poll the X API at all.
The query returns too much noise.
Tighten the query first.
Add operators, exclusions, or quoted phrases before leaning too hard on engagement filters, because a better query usually improves the source more than threshold tuning does.
What is the practical difference between relevancy and recency?
Relevancy follows X's ranking for what seems most relevant to the query.
Recency is better when you want a steadier capture of newer matching posts over repeated polls.
When should I use X List or X Profile instead?
Use X Profile when one account matters most. Use X List when the signal comes from a curated account set. Use X Search when the signal really is the query logic itself.