What are Promoted Ads?

Promoted Ads are ordinary Posts purchased by advertisers who want to reach a wider group of users or spark engagement from their existing followers.

All Promoted Ads are clearly labeled as "Promoted" when an advertiser is paying for their placement on X. In every other respect, Promoted Ads are just like regular Posts and can be Reposted, replied to, liked, and more.

Promoted Ads can be text-only (as shown here), or include images or videos. To see more examples of Promoted Ads and their specifications, please click here.

Text ads

Where? 

There are a number of places you might see a Promoted Ad:

  • At the top of relevant search results pages on X. Promoted Ads from our advertising partners are called out at the top of some search results pages and through select ecosystem partners.
  • In search results for a Trend Takeover. You may also see a Promoted Ad in the search results when you click on a Trend Takeover.
  • Your timeline. Promoted Ads may be visible within your timeline if an advertiser has promoted a Post that is relevant to you.
  • User profiles. Promoted Ads will display on select profiles that fit the targeting credentials configured for a campaign.
  • Official X clients. Promoted Ads from our advertising partners may also be displayed through X’s official desktop and mobile clients, including X for iPhone and X for Android.

Note: It’s possible to see a Promoted Ad that doesn't appear on the advertiser’s profile page. Advertisers have the option to send highly-targeted and relevant Promoted Ads to a specific audience only, without that Post being sent to all followers. However, any Promoted Ad you see is still a part of X, and can generally be found by searching for the Post.

 

When? 

We’re focused on providing a great user experience, first and foremost. As a result, we’re thoughtful in how we display Promoted Ads, and are conservative about the number of Promoted Ads that people see in a single day.

Any Promoted Ad people see in their timeline will appear just once, at or near the top of their timeline. Then, the Promoted Ad will scroll through their timeline just like any other Post.

Don't like what you see? Dismiss the Promoted Ad from your timeline by clicking the arrow in the top right corner of the Post and clicking "I don't like this ad".

 

How? 

Promoted Ads are shown when an advertiser pays for their placement on X. Anyone can start a X Ads campaign*, and we have multiple campaign objectives to help you achieve your advertising goal. All X advertisers are subject to our X Ads Policies.

Learn how to get started

 

Frequently asked questions

How does X determine which Promoted Ads to display in a user's timeline?

A Promoted Ad will appear in a user’s feed only if the Post is likely to be interesting and relevant to them.

Our platform uses a variety of signals to determine which Promoted Ads are relevant to users, including who a user chooses to follow, how they interact with a Post, what they Repost, and more.

Why am I seeing a certain ad?

Your activity on X, the information you provide to X, and our relationships with ad partners all help make promoted content more relevant for you.

When you use X to follow, Post, search, view, or interact with Posts or X accounts, we may use these actions to customize X Ads for you. For example, if you search for a specific term, we may show you promoted content related to that topic. We also might customize ads using other information about you, such as your profile information, your mobile device location (if location features are turned on), your IP address, and the apps installed on your device. This helps us show you local ads and other ads that you might prefer.

X may also personalize ads based on information that X and our affiliates collect, and that our ad partners share with us, such as a hashed email address, a mobile device identifier, or browser-related information (such as a browser cookie ID).

This helps X display ads about things you’ve already shown interest in from brands and businesses that you may like. For example, you could receive a Promoted Ad that includes a deal or promotion from a business whose website you frequent, or whose email newsletter you subscribe to. You could also see this business as a Follower Ad in one of your "Who to follow" suggestions.

How can I dismiss a Promoted Ad?

You can dismiss a Promoted Ad from your feed by clicking the down arrow in the top right corner of the Post and choosing "I don't like this ad". 

Can I opt-out of seeing Promoted Ads?

We are strongly committed to delivering the most relevant ads to the right user at the right time.

You can simply dismiss a Promoted Ad from your feed by choosing "I don't like this ad," but you cannot opt-out of seeing ads in your feed entirely.

As always, we pay close attention to how consumers interact with Promoted Ads and continue to make iterations and improvements as we better understand consumer reaction. 

How can I report a Promoted Ad?

Use this form to submit feedback on X Ads, or learn more about reporting X Ads

Ready to get started?