X to Charge Advertisers by Ad Size and Ban Hashtags

Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) is rolling out major changes to its ad policy. Starting soon, advertisers will be charged based on the vertical size of their ads, and hashtags will no longer be allowed in paid promotions.

“An ad that takes up the whole screen would cost more than one that takes up a quarter of it,” Musk posted, explaining the shift. “Otherwise, the incentive is to create giant ads that impair the user experience.”

This change comes as X users have grown increasingly frustrated with oversized video and image ads dominating their feeds. The trend toward tall, full-screen ads has replaced the old standard of 16:9 ratios, with 1.91:1 carousels now more common.

In a separate post, Musk declared that hashtags will be banned from all ads and boosted posts starting immediately. Calling them an “esthetic nightmare,” he said the move aims to simplify the platform’s visual appeal.

Twitter, in its earlier days, popularized hashtags, but their use has been declining. Musk didn’t clarify if “Hashmojis” (formerly branded hashtags), often used in high-profile campaigns like Apple’s, will also be affected. We may find out during September’s Apple Event, where new iPhones are expected to be announced.

These changes reflect Musk’s ongoing efforts to make X more user-friendly and reduce clutter in feeds. For marketers, however, they signal a more expensive and restrictive ad environment where size and design will now directly impact costs.