X revamps creator payouts to reward original content over clickbait
What's the story
Elon Musk's social media platform, X, is revamping its revenue sharing program. The update will see low-quality content being deranked and original, high-quality posts being rewarded. Nikita Bier, the head of product at X, announced the changes in a post on the platform. "For this creator payout cycle, we're experimenting with new tools to identify original authors of content and allocating a portion of revenue to them," Bier wrote.
Policy details
X aims to build a richer timeline
Bier emphasized that while reposts and commentary are important parts of X, the Revenue Sharing program should incentivize original, high-quality content. "This means rewarding the effort it takes to produce something, not just the poster who helped it travel furthest," Bier added. The goal is to build a richer Timeline and make X the most valuable platform in the world.
Engagement farming
Addressing the issue of engagement farming
X has been criticized for encouraging engagement farming, a practice where accounts post low-quality viral videos or clickbait content to boost impressions on their posts. This was one of the main factors in the X creator payout. Earlier this year, Bier announced another update to the X creator payout program, stopping impressions on replies from counting toward monetization payout to curb 'reply spam.' Now, only organic views on the main homepage timeline count toward payouts.
Twitter Post
Bier's announcement
For this creator payout cycle, we’re experimenting with new tools to identify original authors of content and allocating a portion of revenue to them.
— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) April 11, 2026
Over the last few months, we've seen incredible work from original creators on X. Nick Shirley uncovered billions of dollars of…
Policy pause
Musk halted proposed changes to revenue sharing program
A proposed change by Bier to the revenue sharing program was halted by Musk. The X Product Head had suggested giving weight to impressions from the poster's home region to promote content that resonates with people in that country. However, after facing criticism, Musk intervened and said the policy was on "pause moving forward with this until further consideration."
Payout eligibility
Monetization criteria for creator payouts on X
To qualify for the creator payout, users must meet certain monetization criteria set by X. These include subscribing to X premium or Premium+, having at least 500 followers, and generating at least five million organic impressions over a three-month period. According to X's official blog, impressions from verified users on the home timeline carry more weight in payouts.