X cuts aggregator payouts: what counts as original now

What happened in April

On April 12, 2026, X's head of product Nikita Bier said that "all aggregators had their payouts reduced to 60% this cycle," with "another 20% deduction in the next cycle." His explanation: "flooding the timeline with 100 stolen reposts and clickbait everyday crowded-out real creators and hurt new author growth."

Bier also said X was experimenting with tools to identify the original authors of content and allocate a share of revenue to them, and that "Reposts & commentary will always be a core pillar of X, but our Revenue Sharing program should incentivize original, high-quality content." Coverage noted the kind of accounts X had in mind: high-volume news aggregators that put "BREAKING" on almost every post.

From payout cuts to a hard rule

The cuts were a stopgap. In August X announced Original Content Rewards, which replaced Revenue Sharing on September 7, 2026 and builds originality into the rules: impressions on content that isn't yours simply don't qualify. Read the announcement story.

What X counts as original

X defines original content as content "you have personally created – written, filmed, designed, or produced – that reflects your own voice, perspective, or expertise." It explicitly includes commentary: "Reacting to, analyzing, or building on what's happening in the world is a legitimate and valued form of original expression."

• A thread explaining why a court ruling matters, in your words.
• Your own photo or video of an event.
• A chart you made from public data.
• A clip you quote with a substantial breakdown of what it shows and why it matters.

What doesn't count

• Copied content, including anything downloaded from X or elsewhere and reuploaded.
• Minimal edits: a changed word, a filter, a speed change or a text overlay.
• Aggregation: compilations of other people's posts or media without substantial new framing.
• Cross-platform reposts: TikToks, Reels or YouTube clips posted by someone other than their creator.

How aggregator accounts can adapt

News accounts don't have to stop covering news; they have to add something. Summaries in your own words, context from your expertise, original charts and direct reporting all count. A useful test: if the post would be worthless without the other person's clip or screenshot, it probably won't earn. X can also remove accounts from the program for repeatedly posting unoriginal content, so switching early is safer than testing the limits.

Check whether you still qualify with the eligibility checker, or read the step-by-step guide.