The microblogging platform X, owned by Elon Musk, appears to be reinstating a feature that was controversially removed last year, which affected how links are displayed. Reports indicate that the site is set to reintroduce headlines on link previews for articles. This shift follows X’s earlier decision to eliminate headlines from shared links, a change Musk attributed to aesthetic considerations. Initially, links only displayed an image, requiring users to click through to access the related article or website. Users had widely criticized this adjustment for creating confusion and diminishing clarity in posts that contained external links.
A recent report by Technology News confirms that X is rolling back its previous change by reintroducing headlines to shared link previews. However, there is a notable alteration; the headlines and website names now appear in a small font at the bottom left of the preview image. This differs from traditional URL cards that other social media platforms utilize for sharing external links. Additionally, the new format may truncate longer headlines.
While numerous news organizations have observed the return of headlines within link previews, there has been no official confirmation from either X or Musk regarding this feature’s reinstatement. Notably, in India, the feature does not yet seem to be functioning, with the Gadgets 360 account on X still unable to display headlines on shared article links, showing only the website name in the bottom right corner of the image instead.
This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 22, 2023
The removal of headlines sparked confusion for users sharing links, as posts lacked context about the content they linked to. Previously, news links appeared as “cards,” including an image, URL, and a brief headline, which helped users easily comprehend what they were engaging with. Post-change, only the primary image from a news article was visible in a link preview on X, prompting news organizations to adjust their posting strategies on the platform.
X, formerly known as Twitter, has seen the introduction and withdrawal of various features since Musk’s acquisition of the platform in late 2022. Recently, the site launched Grok, an AI chatbot developed by Musk’s AI company, xAI. Currently, Grok is available exclusively to X Premium+ Subscribers across web, iOS, and Android platforms.
