Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is known for his bold decisions and unpredictable moves, especially when it comes to his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).
Since acquiring the platform, Musk has rolled out several changes, some of which have sparked debates and confusion among users. And now, there’s another new update that’s making headlines.
No More Hashtags in Ads on X
Starting Friday, June 27, hashtags will no longer be allowed in paid advertisements on X. Musk announced the change in his usual direct style, posting on X:
“Starting tomorrow, the esthetic nightmare that is hashtags will be banned from ads on X [sic].”
According to Musk, the move is driven purely by design and visual appeal. He finds hashtags in ads to be messy and unpleasant to look at. However, it’s important to note that this ban applies only to paid advertisements, not to regular user posts. So everyday users can still use hashtags freely on their tweets.
Why This Matters for Advertisers
Hashtags are not just symbols or trends — for advertisers, they’ve been a vital part of campaign strategies. Brands often use specific and relevant hashtags to reach target audiences, increase visibility, and track engagement.
Some even create unique branded hashtags to build awareness, drive participation, or encourage users to share content using the tag. Removing hashtags from ads could limit that reach and interaction.
Hashtags also help marketers analyze ad performance, showing which keywords or trends are drawing attention, clicks, or conversions. Without them, ad analytics may become less detailed or harder to track.
What Users Can Expect
While some advertisers may find this new rule limiting, others may welcome the cleaner, sleeker look Musk is aiming for. It all boils down to how much a brand relies on hashtags for reach versus aesthetics.
For now, regular users don’t need to worry — hashtags will continue to be a part of everyday posts. But this decision once again shows how Musk continues to reshape X based on his personal vision, whether it aligns with advertising norms or not.