X began testing “advertising without advertising” – brand tips are placed directly under posts

X conducts a test of a new advertising format

TechCrunch reports that the social network X is currently running an experiment with a new type of advertisement. As part of the experiment, a recommendation related to a company or product mentioned in the post appears under a regular publication.

What a user noticed
In Europe, one X user pointed out a post by @levelsio where they claim that Starlink satellite internet “works great” in Portugal. Under this message an ad block appeared with the link “Try Starlink.” Clicking it directed visitors to the official Starlink website.

How the ad looks
At present, this format is only visible to users from regions where the test is being conducted. In other areas, under @levelsio’s text a random piece of text appears in a bordered box – not “Try Starlink,” but just an incomprehensible phrase.

X leadership comment
Nikita Bier, head of X's product department, confirmed that the test is underway. He noted: “We’re trying to create an advertising product that doesn’t look like traditional ads.” When the question of including affiliate links in the block was raised, Bier rejected the idea, saying: “If we put affiliate links, people will lie. I want recommendations to be reliable.”

Additional changes
Within a week, X announced plans to introduce “Paid Partnership” tags for creator content. These tags will allow sponsored posts to comply with social network rules without requiring authors to use hashtags like “ad” or “paid partnership.”