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As of today, 27 June 2025, hashtags are no longer allowed in promoted posts on X (formerly Twitter). Tech billionaire Elon Musk announced the update on X yesterday, marking yet another change in how advertisements appear and function on the platform.

From now on, any kind of paid post on X, whether it is a video, image, carousel or plain text ad, cannot include hashtags. If a post contains even one, it will not be approved for promotion.

Musk announced the move on X, saying he finds hashtags in ads to be an “esthetic nightmare.” He believes they make the screen look messy and take attention away from the main message. His aim is to clean things up so ads blend in more smoothly with the feed instead of standing out like loud billboards.

This rule doesn’t apply to regular users. They can still use hashtags in their posts, as usual. In fact, X’s AI assistant, Grok, still encourages using one or two smartly chosen tags in everyday posts, especially when trying to reach niche communities or join trending conversations.

For advertisers, though, this is a major shift. Hashtags have been a go-to tool in social media marketing for years – helping brands spark conversations, boost engagement, and create buzz around events or new launches. Now, with that option off the table, marketers will need to rethink their approach. Campaigns will have to lean more on eye-catching visuals, sharp copy, and smart targeting – especially the kind powered by X’s own algorithms.

And that’s not the only update. In another tweet shared earlier today, Elon Musk revealed that X is also introducing a new pricing model for ads based on their vertical size.

He wrote: “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 at a time when image and video ads on X are becoming increasingly dominant, often occupying almost the full height of a user’s phone screen. Carousel formats such as 1.91:1 have become the standard, replacing older, more horizontal layouts like 16:9.

The aim is to discourage oversized, disruptive ads that detract from the user experience. Under the new model, larger ad formats will carry a higher price tag, while smaller, less intrusive ones will be offered at a lower cost. These changes show that social media platform X is moving in a new direction.

Since Musk took over in 2022, X has added features like paid verification, long-form posts, and AI tools like Grok. Now, its advertising is also changing, focusing more on simple and relevant content.

For regular users, this could mean a more streamlined, visually appealing feed. But for brands and marketers, the change signals a need to rapidly adjust their creative and measurement strategies to stay effective under the platform’s new rules.