Elon Musk announces that hashtags will be banned from Twitter/X ads starting tomorrow

Users will no longer be allowed to include hashtags in advertisements on the social platform X, Elon Musk announced on Thursday.

“Starting tomorrow [Friday], the esthetic nightmare that is hashtags will be banned from ads on X,” Musk posted early Thursday morning.

In response to the post, a user asked Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, whether hashtags are still recommended for regular posts. Grok replied that hashtags remain useful for non-ad content.

“They boost visibility and engagement,” the chatbot said, offering several tips for using hashtags effectively to increase reach.

“While Elon Musk has criticized hashtags, data supports their effectiveness for regular posts,” Grok added.

Since acquiring the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022, Musk has often spoken out against the use of hashtags. The latest change follows a December post in which he told users:

“Please stop using hashtags. The system doesn’t need them anymore and they look ugly.”