New Delhi: Elon Musk has introduced another change on X; hashtags will no longer appear in promoted posts. Musk argues that the move will enhance the aesthetic appeal and the speed of advertisements. He referred to hashtags in advertisements as an aesthetic nightmare and ensured that the ban will start forthwith.
Although the decision is rather unexpected, it complies with earlier recommendations made by former Twitter ad teams. It has been cautioned by experts that hashtags have the potential to decrease the performance of an advertisement because they serve as a distraction from the targeted call-to-action, such as clicking a link or following an account.
Starting tomorrow, the esthetic nightmare that is hashtags will be banned from ads on đť•Ź
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 26, 2025
A longstanding concern for advertisers
The concept that hashtags can damage conversions is not fresh. The previous guidelines issued by Twitter on advertisements discouraged the use of the same in promotions. Logic was straightforward; hashtags could be used to distract, causing users to click out instead of engaging directly with the ad. This has never been an easy juggling act between increasing participation and action.
Nevertheless, it is quite a radical step to prohibit them. Most brands adopt hashtags that are specific to a campaign with the aim of developing awareness or a greater marketing thrust. The disappearance of this option may restrict advertisers to creativity and cross-channel interaction.
Not Musk’s first aesthetic overhaul
Musk makes this design-related platform change, not the first one. He has already tried to eliminate all of the buttons of functions (like reply and share) on displays of posts in order to replace them with swipe gestures. Some testing and user feedback later, the site kept the original layout as its default, and the user could choose to opt in to the new interface.
It is doubtful that the ban on hashtags will produce a tremendous effect on the performance of ads in general. However, it is an indication of the increasing control Musk has over the design of the platform, which is perhaps at the cost of functionality.
