X to introduce new ad pricing model based on visual size

New Delhi: X will soon begin charging advertisers based on the vertical size of their ad visuals, according to a recent announcement by CEO Elon Musk. 

The change is designed to discourage oversized ads that disrupt the user experience.

Musk revealed the new policy in a post on X, stating, “𝕏 is moving to charging for ads based on vertical size, so an ad that takes up the whole screen would cost more than an ad that takes up 1/4 of the screen, otherwise the incentive is to create giant ads that impair the user experience.” 

The decision comes amid growing user complaints about large, attention-grabbing ads, such as 1.91:1 image carousels and full-screen video promotions, which have become increasingly common on the platform.

The new pricing model aims to address these concerns by aligning ad costs with the amount of screen real estate they occupy. For instance, an ad spanning the entire height of a user’s smartphone screen will incur higher costs than one taking up only a quarter of the display. This approach, which mirrors practices already in place on other social media platforms, is intended to incentivise advertisers to create less intrusive content while still allowing X to boost its advertising revenue.

The exact pricing structure remains undisclosed, leaving advertisers uncertain about the financial impact. 

In addition to the size-based pricing, Musk announced that hashtags, including branded “Hashmojis,” will be banned from X ads.

The changes come as X continues its transformation into an “everything app,” with recent expansions into financial services through its X Money platform and enhanced AI capabilities via Musk’s xAI, which acquired X in a deal valuing the combined entity at $80 billion. 

X has not yet announced an official implementation date for the new pricing model or provided details on how it will be communicated to advertisers.