Sprout Listening: Tracking Reposts FAQs

Previously I could see individual retweets or reposts in the Messages Tab – why don't I see this anymore?

To eliminate redundant noise and clutter, Social Listening rolls up all reposts as quantitative metrics on the original parent post. Individual repost cards are no longer created in the message stream, allowing your team to focus on unique messages and original authors.

Why did my historical Message Volume and Sentiment shift or show spikes on earlier dates in my Performance Summary?

Due to an update that took place in September 2026, you may see a general increase in your message volume compared to your previous tracking if you select to to include reposts in your message volume total for your Topic. This is due to the fact that X previously did not provide all reposts as messages via their API. Sprout’s updated tracking now pulls this information from X post metrics which captures the true number of reposts.

Additionally, repost volume is attributed to the timestamp of the original parent message rather than the exact moment each individual repost occurred. When analyzing historical timeframes, repost volume consolidates on the original post's publication date, which may redistribute volume spikes compared to older reporting views.

Can I export historical individual retweet message cards from my Social Listening Topic?

No. As part of this architectural update, historical standalone retweet message records from X have been permanently deprecated and purged from topic storage. All historical and net-new repost metrics are now stored and exported as rolled-up metric values on original parent messages.

Why don't I see the post versus repost Volume Chart breakdown in Competitor Topics?

The Volume breakdown and Topic Summary metric selectors for reposts are currently supported on standard Listening Topics. Competitor Topics do not support repost breakdown views at this time.

What permissions do I need to view repost metrics and change Query Builder settings?

All users with Listening Access can view updated repost metrics, standardized terminology, and chart breakdowns. To edit topic configuration—including toggling repost volume on or off in Query Builder—users must have the Manage Topics permission.

How does including reposts affect Sentiment and Word Cloud calculations in Topic Insights?

When the repost volume toggle is enabled for a Topic, the sentiment classification and keywords of the original post are multiplied by the total number of reposts, giving high-reach viral messages proportional weight in your overall sentiment distribution and word clouds.

Do Quote Posts appear as standalone message cards in Message Explorer?

Yes. Because Quote Posts contain original text, analysis, or commentary from the user sharing the post, they will appear as standalone message cards in Message Explorer and contribute their own unique sentiment and keywords.

Why can't I see author profile details for people who reposted a message?

Because reposts are recorded as numeric metric tallies rather than individual user message records, reposter profile data is not tracked. Author analysis in Listening remains focused on creators of original posts and quote posts.