X adds a label dedicated to sponsored content

Long criticized for its lack of tools dedicated to creators, the X platform continues to adjust its strategy to attract content professionals.

After multiplying monetization mechanisms and recently organizing a contest, Elon Musk's social network is now adding a label to identify sponsored content. An anticipated development that finally aligns X with market standards…

An integrated label to replace hashtags

The badge is very easy to configure – Source: X

Announced in a social media post by Nikita Bier, X's product manager, The new feature allows creators to activate a "Paid Partnership" badge directly from the publishing interface. This adds a visible label below the post, indicating that it is sponsored content.

Until now, content creators had to rely on hashtags like #ad or #commercialcollaboration to signal a commercial collaboration. This was an inelegant solution, and sometimes insufficient in light of regulatory requirements.

With this new feature, X is catching up with platforms like Instagram, which has offered a similar tool since 2017, following a warning from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Indeed, the American authority requires that sponsored posts be marked in a "clear" and "visible" manner. Furthermore, Nikita Bier specifies that the label can be applied retroactively. This means that a creator who forgot to indicate the sponsored nature of a post can therefore correct the post afterward, without deleting their publication.

Transparency, regulation and brand image…

The mention appears directly below the post – Source: X

In his communication, Nikita Bier emphasizes the issue of trust: undeclared collaborations would harm the integrity of the platform and the credibility of the content. In other words, the message is clear: X wants to encourage economic activity on its network, while further regulating practices.

This announcement is also part of a broader strategy, as for several months, X has been trying to attract creators with advertising revenue sharing tools, paid subscriptions, and visibility "Boosts". But despite these efforts, many content creators continue to favor platforms like YouTube or Instagram, which have historically been better suited to brand partnerships. At a time when X is facing several controversies related to moderation and artificial intelligence, this new label appears to be an attempt at normalization by the social network. Now, only time will tell if this upgrade will be enough to convince creators and advertisers to make X a preferred channel for their upcoming advertising campaigns.