Block Lists and How to Block Everyone in a Bluesky Starter Pack

One of the great things about Bluesky is the Starter Pack function. This lets you find a gathering of people or a whole community in one go. But since Bluesky launched, I’ve seen a number of posters asking if they can block everyone in a Starter Pack, instead of following them.

I’ve been looking into how this can be done and have worked it out.

Bluesky Block Lists

Bluesky has three systems that let you group accounts into listings. The first is a Starter Pack. These are designed to show you lots of similar users for a given topic, like this Irish media Starter Pack built by Alexander.

Then there are lists. These offer slightly different functionality. Starter Packs are a one and done affair, but lists can be pinned to your profile and offer some different management options.

The third is a variation of lists. The Moderation List. The most important option for this article being the ability to bulk block.

Blocking a List of Bluesky Accounts

Say you find a lovely Moderation List of MAGA accounts you want to block on Bluesky. The slightly scary part here is that you have to click the Subscribe button of that list. But this is a moderation list which you can find further settings for in Settings > Moderation.

And that’s it. Done.

Converting a Starter Pack to a Block List (Moderation List)

If you find the perfect Starter Pack for blocking, there’s a little bit more work involved and you’ll need to use a third party app.

1. Head to Settings > Privacy and security
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2. Now choose App passwords
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3. On the next screen click “Add App Password”
4. Give your password a recognisable name like “Pack Flipper”. There’s no need to provide access to direct messages
5. Copy the password that appears. I recommend saving it in a password manager.
6. Now, you should have the URL of the Starter Pack you want to flip and the app password you just generated handy.
7. Head to this website. Remember to never use your original Bluesky password here, just the app password.
8. Enter your Bluesky handle, the app password you just generated, the URL of the Starter Pack you want to flip and ensure you’ve clicked on the “Moderation” option.
9. Then hit “Submit.

The tool will then give you a link to your new Moderation List, with all the accounts from the Starter Pack. Just as earlier, click “Subscribe” to either mute or block all of the accounts in there.

There is almost certainly a better way to do this, and if I find it I will share it. But this does work if you want to bulk block a list of Bluesky users you find in a Starter Pack. There are ever other options in that tool too. I don’t love giving any information to third-party tools like this so feel free to create a “burner” Bluesky account for development purposes if you want some additional protection beyond using the App Password functionality.

Why Blocking is Important

Taking control over the technology we use is incredibly important. For far too long we have trusted people behind technology to have our welfare in their thought process. But they often don’t. This is why I love Apple’s Focus Modes on mobile devices. I can control when and how I get notifications, if I get them at all. It’s so powerful I stopped having two phones because I can manage when work apps can reach me or when I even have to see them.

Social media is the exact same. I personally believe it’s really important we follow as many reputable news sources as possible. But the post that inspired this article was a Bluesky user trying to block Ireland’s news outlets. I totally respect that because if you don’t want news in your feed or just don’t like the Irish media, that’s your right. Make Bluesky a place you want to hangout. Happy blocking.

Just be actively taking control of your own experience.