X's new ad format to suggest products under posts
What's the story
X is testing a new ad format which places product recommendations directly under posts mentioning the company or its offerings. The first test was spotted by an X user in Europe and showed a suggestion to "Get Starlink" under a post praising Starlink's satellite service in Portugal. Clicking on the link took users to Starlink's website.
Confirmation
Nikita Bier confirms the trial
Nikita Bier, X's head of product, confirmed the trial by saying they are "Trying to make an ad product that isn't an ad." While this new ad format isn't visible to all users yet, a placeholder for it has been spotted. If you check a recent post from user @levelsio, you'll see an outlined box under their post. This box currently displays a random X post unless you're in a market where the ad test is active.
User feedback
Users thought it was a joke
The new ad format has been noticed by several users in markets where it is displayed. One user even asked, "lmao, did you add this Starlink button?" Bier responded to a suggestion that X should allow affiliate links in this ad slot by saying, "No, then people will lie. I want to trust recommendations on here."
Twitter Post
Recommendations to be shown under posts referencing companies or products
X now adds a [ Get Starlink ] button if you tweet about Starlink https://t.co/Jgtu5fOsba pic.twitter.com/df3TxSeaEt
— @levelsio (@levelsio) March 6, 2026
Platform evolution
'Paid partnership' labels for sponsored posts
This ad format test comes after X's recent introduction of "Paid Partnership" labels for creators. These labels can be used on posts to meet social media advertising regulations, instead of using hashtags like "ad" or "paid partnership." If sponsored posts by creators were to be paired with a link like the one being tested, it could draw more advertisers to the platform.
Creator focus
X's ongoing efforts to attract creator content
X has been trying to attract creator content for a long time, even before it was rebranded as "X" and acquired by Elon Musk. The company has launched several products for creators, including payouts for viral content, ad-revenue sharing, and subscriptions. This week, X also updated its Creator Subscriptions with new features such as monetizing individual threads.