X is testing a new ad format that places a product prompt beneath some posts that mention a company or service, creating a commerce feature that looks more like part of the conversation than a traditional ad.
An early example drew attention because it did not appear as a standard promoted post. Instead, the recommendation sat directly under a user’s post about Starlink service in Portugal, raising a bigger question about how far X wants to push shopping into ordinary user activity.
Why X is testing this now
According to TechCrunch, the test displayed a “Get Starlink” button beneath a post that said Starlink’s satellite service works well in Portugal. X head of product Nikita Bier confirmed the experiment and said the company is trying to make “an ad product that isn’t an ad.”
That framing matters. X is not just testing another ad unit. It is experimenting with a format designed to feel native to the post itself, which could make it more attractive to advertisers looking for less disruptive placements.
The timing also fits X’s broader business push. According to Social Media Today, X was projected to generate about $2.9 billion in revenue for 2025, up 10% from 2024. That is a sign of recovery, but it still leaves the company below Twitter’s pre-acquisition revenue levels.
X is also still facing declining user trends. According to Social Media Today’s report on X’s latest EU disclosure, the platform’s active EU user count fell from just over 76 million to 64.8 million in the second half of 2025. That decline helps explain why the company is still searching for new ways to improve monetization.
What could make the format work or fail
The test points to a simple idea: if users are already talking positively about a product, X may be able to place a relevant shopping prompt beneath that post without interrupting the experience in the way a normal ad might.
But the feature also comes with obvious risks. The system will need to identify when a mention is genuinely positive and commercially relevant. If prompts appear beneath posts that are neutral, sarcastic, or critical, the format could feel intrusive fast.
The move also lines up with X’s recent creator-focused ad updates. According to TechCrunch’s report on X’s new Paid Partnership labels, the platform is giving creators a built-in way to disclose sponsored posts without relying on hashtags. Together, these features suggest X is trying to make commercial content easier to create, easier to disclose, and easier to place directly inside the flow of user activity.
For now, this is still a limited test, not proof of a major shift in how social advertising works. But it does show where X appears to be heading: toward a version of social media where product recommendations, creator promotions, and ordinary posts sit closer together than ever.
Also read: X’s algorithm is facing growing scrutiny in Europe.
