X will soon begin to charge for ads based on ad sizes. According to the company’s owner, Elon Musk, ads that take up more screen space will soon cost more than those that occupy less.

In a post on the platform, Musk stated, “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…”

Why Musk wants to curb oversized ads

Musk claims the move aims to discourage oversized ads that disrupt user experience. Right now, ad dimensions vary widely depending on the media used. A static image might take up one portion of the screen, while a video might stretch much farther.

With no standard limit on vertical space usage in the current model, some advertisers lean into bigger formats to grab attention. The change is framed as a way to reduce the number of full-screen ads in users’ feeds.

Advertisers running full-screen creatives, especially those using vertical video or image formats, could face higher costs once the update goes live.

What the current ad system on X looks like

Ad pricing on X is still largely determined by auctions. Advertisers place bids for impressions or engagements, and the ad with the highest relevance and bid gets the slot. Advertisers are also charged based on metrics like clicks, video views, app installs, and engagement rates.

There’s no timeline for when the new pricing format will be implemented, but if it is, ad format will start to play a bigger role in media buying decisions on the platform. Advertisers using creatives that span the entire screen could see higher costs.

Another step in Musk’s changes to X’s ad model

This update is part of Musk’s push to change how advertising works on the platform. Musk recently announced the ban of hashtags from promoted posts. He called hashtags in ads “an aesthetic nightmare.”

Since acquiring the platform in 2022 for $44 billion, X has rolled out several updates aimed at both revenue growth and user experience. These include subscription-based verified checkmarks, an AI-powered tool to automate ad creation, the addition of video tabs, and a broader push to make the app an “everything” platform.

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