Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has officially unveiled its new "Original Content Rewards Programme" while phasing out its legacy Creator Revenue Sharing scheme, in a decisive pivot towards prioritising genuine creators and curbing content duplication across the platform.
Effective from August 2026, the updated monetisation framework will reward creators exclusively based on "Qualified Impressions" generated by X Premium subscribers. The shift is designed to dismantle bot farming, tackle artificial engagement manipulation and crack down on recycled content.
Under the rollout timeline, new applications for the legacy Creator Revenue Sharing programme have been halted with immediate effect. Existing participants will continue to accumulate earnings until Sept 7, receiving their final payout in the regular cycle. However, all creators must reapply and pass fresh eligibility checks to join the new rewards scheme, with previously suspended accounts permanently barred from entry.
The revamped scheme features a bi-weekly payment cycle. The first round of disbursements under the new framework is scheduled for Aug 28, while re-enrolled legacy creators will receive their initial payouts starting Sept 25.
To qualify for monetisation, post views must meet strict engagement benchmarks:
1. The views must originate from X Premium subscribers across Basic, Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business tiers.
2. The post must appear directly on the user's Home Timeline feed.
3. At least 50% of the post's pixel area must be visible on the user's screen.
X confirmed that repeated views from the same account (more than once per post), paid advertising impressions and engagement driven by automated bots or view-boosting schemes will be entirely excluded from payout calculations.
To be eligible for the Original Content Rewards Programme, creators must be at least 18 years old, reside in an eligible country, and maintain a Personal or Business account in good standing with no history of repeated policy breaches. Applicants must also subscribe to an X Premium tier, possess at least 500 verified followers and generate at least 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users within the past 90 days, excluding reply threads.
Eligible users can apply via Creator Studio under the "Original Content Rewards" tab, with applications reviewed within three working days. Rejected applicants are entitled to one appeal. If unsuccessful, they must wait 90 days before reapplying.
The new policy exclusively rewards self-produced work, such as in-depth written analyses, original photography, self-produced video and graphics or social commentary that provides transformative added value, education or creative editing.
Conversely, non-monetisable content includes re-uploaded material from other sources, low-effort repurposing (such as simple cropping, applying filters, borders, watermarks, speed changes or basic captions), automated bot posts, content flagged for misinformation, get-rich-quick tutorials, explicit sexual material and copyright-infringing or unlawful posts.
The strategic overhaul underscores X's drive to champion quality over quantity, forcing creators who previously relied on reposting third-party clips to produce authentic, distinct content if they wish to remain profitable on the platform.
Source: Platform X
