Twitter is testing a new feature called “Articles” that will enable users to publish long and complex posts with mixed media, company owner Elon Musk has confirmed on the platform. Responding to a tweet from a user discussing the upcoming tool, Musk revealed that the feature would open up the possibility of sharing very long posts, similar to publishing a book on the platform.
The move represents a significant expansion beyond Twitter’s traditional microblogging roots. Currently, Twitter Blue customers are allowed to publish tweets of up to 10,000 characters, a substantial increase from the standard 280-character limit for non-Blue users. With the introduction of the “Articles” feature, users will have even more room to express themselves in the form of comprehensive messages.
The new feature is in line with Twitter’s recent efforts to attract and retain content creators. As part of these efforts, Twitter Blue customers have been offered revenue-sharing opportunities, giving creators an incentive to remain on the platform rather than move onto alternatives such as Meta’s threads or Substack. Interestingly, Substack previously offered a Twitter-like feature called “Notes”, but it eventually evolved into a separate entity.
While Musk didn’t reveal a specific release date for the “Articles” feature, Twitter’s interest in the surprise launch suggests it could appear suddenly without prior warning. As the platform continues to diversify its offerings and explore new ways for users to engage, the feature promises to provide a better platform for sharing deeper and multimedia-rich content.
Furthermore, in a recent tweet, Musk revealed that Twitter is still struggling with “negative cash flow,” with advertising revenue down nearly 50 percent. In April, Musk claimed that the company was “nearly loss-making” as some advertisers who left the platform after his acquisition have returned. However, a later NYT report contradicted this, indicating a significant 59 percent drop in advertising revenue compared to the previous year.
It will be interesting to see how the company will be able to retain users for a long time with the competition being fierce. The tech giant has already started paying some users as part of its latest creator advertising revenue-sharing program. As of now, the feature is limited to a small group of people, but Twitter is expected to expand it to a wider audience soon.