X makes it more expensive to post links through its API

Social network X has made it more expensive to post links through its API. The change is designed to thwart spam and “vectors of misuse,” the company said. The new pricing increased costs from $0.01 per link to $0.20

Last week, the X developer account posted changes to its API rates. The two most notable hikes were an increase in link posting price and an increase in posting price, which went up from $0.01 to $0.15 per post.

These changes are designed to drive healthier developer behavior and curb vectors of misuse.

More great features & updates coming very soon. — Developers (@XDevelopers) April 16, 2026

This move might discourage many publications from posting links. For instance, tech news aggregator Techmeme stopped adding links to the original articles in its posts on X this week. Instead, the posts say “Visit Techmeme dot com for the link and full context!”

The US DOJ says a former ransomware negotiator pleaded guilty to helping cybercriminals extort companies in cyberattacks in five different incidents (@lorenzofb / TechCrunch)

(Visit Techmeme dot com for the link and full context!) — Techmeme (@Techmeme) April 21, 2026

Earlier this week, Techmeme said that the price increase was one of the reasons to remove links, which it said may return later. The publication also cited a Nieman Lab study, which noted that including links with posts on X resulted in dropped engagement.

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