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X advertising

X (Twitter) Takeover Ads: Timeline Takeover, Trend Takeover+ and Reach Blocks

A Takeover is like buying a day on X, formerly Twitter. In the auction you compete for every impression; with a Takeover, a specific surface is reserved for your brand for 24 hours. We use X Takeover ads when a single day matters: a launch, a film release, a big match or a sales period. We choose among the four products based on what people will be doing on X that day, and plan the next day's campaign at the same time.

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social-feed · exploreYour brandTop of trendingPromotedTrending · 1Trending · 2Trending · 3Trending · 4Your takeover ad
Illustrative view: illustrative view of an ad at the top of the Explore tab.
Purpose and appearance

What do we use this format for?

We use Takeover products and Reach Blocks to reserve X's most visible spaces for the brand on the day of a fixed-date launch, film release or big match. The goal is to build broad awareness quickly that day, nationwide or within a chosen age group, and to carry the spike in branded search to the site with campaigns that go live the following day.

Funnel stages it serves

  1. Awareness
  2. Consideration
  3. Conversion
  4. Loyalty

X Takeover ad products compared

All of them last one day, but they reach users at different moments. One appears in the home timeline as soon as the app opens, two sit on the Explore tab where people check what's trending, and one appears to a selected audience throughout the home timeline. The right choice depends on what users will be doing on X that day. The main differences between the four products:

  • Timeline Takeover: The first ad a user sees in the Home timeline when they first open X that day. It continues with additional impressions in the timeline over 24 hours; X positions these as its most valuable video impressions.
  • Trend Takeover+: Sits at the top of the Explore tab, next to trending topics. It adds immersive media to the classic Trend Takeover and runs for 24 hours.
  • Spotlight Takeover: Covers the Explore tab and the "What's happening" module on X.com for 24 hours. According to X, it supports video of up to 3 minutes, GIFs and still images.
  • Reach Blocks: A one-day, targetable reach package in the home timeline. It can be targeted by age range, gender and country, and 2 blocks are sold per day. X states that it delivers a more efficient CPM than the auction.

Timeline Takeover or Trend Takeover: how we choose

If the brand wants to be the first thing people see on a day everyone will be talking about, Timeline Takeover. If it wants to ride that day's conversation, such as a derby or an awards ceremony, Trend Takeover+ or Spotlight Takeover on the Explore tab. Because Spotlight offers more of a stage, with long video and the trending module, it stands out for trailers and launch films.

Reach Blocks is a different case. For a brand that wants to reach only 18 to 34-year-olds, for example, it provides targeted reach instead of the showcase of a Takeover. Since only 2 blocks are sold per day, finding a date gets harder in busy periods; we recommend booking early for the November sales and the weeks before religious holidays. We identify busy days in advance with seasonal behavior analysis.

After Takeover day: retargeting and measurement

A Takeover budget is rarely wasted on the day itself; it is wasted when no campaign goes live the next morning. Reaching a very large audience in one day and then going quiet turns the spend into one-off visibility. That's why we always plan a Takeover together with an auction-based follow-up campaign and get both budgets approved at the same time.

Using Post Engager targeting, we build a separate audience of users who engaged with the Takeover post or watched 50% or 100% of the video. From the next day on, we show them the product page with Promoted Ads and a Website Card. We read the impact of Takeover day not only in X's reporting but also through direct and branded traffic in GA4, and with a brand awareness survey where possible.

Takeover and Reach Blocks: when do we recommend it?

We recommend it

  • A fixed-date launch, release, season opener or campaign day
  • Brands that want broad nationwide awareness on the same day
  • Advertisers wanting high one-day reach among a specific age and gender group (Reach Blocks)
  • Budgets that can support the Takeover with an auction-based follow-up campaign

We don't recommend it

  • Periods with nothing new to say and no news value
  • Campaigns judged only on cost per conversion
  • Projects where creative will be prepared at the last minute and the approval process is long

How we manage Takeover and Reach Blocks

  1. Date and surface selectionWe choose the product based on the launch calendar and confirm date availability with X's sales team.
  2. Creative and approvalWe prepare video and images suited to the surface and submit them for X's creative approval on time.
  3. Same-day monitoringOn Takeover day we monitor replies and the conversation hour by hour and update the exclusion list if needed.
  4. The next morningThe day after, we launch the auction campaign approved alongside the Takeover budget and show that day's engagers posts with a Website Card.
  5. Takeover week comparisonWe compare changes in reach, branded search and site traffic with the week before the Takeover.

Takeover and Reach Blocks: metrics and requirements

Metrics we track

  • Total and unique reach
  • Video view rate
  • Engagement rate
  • Branded search lift
  • Brand awareness lift

What you need to get started

  • A confirmed launch or campaign date
  • Video, GIF or images suited to the surface
  • A managed account or reservation set up through X's sales team
  • An auction campaign ready to run after the Takeover

Official sources

The Brand Move X Team

To learn more about Takeover and Reach Blocks or other X ad formats, contact The Brand Move X team today.

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Explore further

Other X Ads campaign types and ad formats

X Ads overview

Vertical Video Ads

Full-screen X vertical video ads with sound in the Immersive Media Viewer, reaching people who came to watch video with a 9:16 edit.

Explore

Dynamic Product Ads

X (Twitter) Dynamic Product Ads built from your catalog: reminders for cart abandoners and relevant products for new audiences.

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Related pages

Frequently asked questions

Takeover and Reach Blocks: frequently asked questions

What is an X Timeline Takeover?

By X's definition, Timeline Takeover is the first ad a user sees in the Home timeline when they first open X that day, followed by additional impressions in the timeline over 24 hours. Reach and targeting options are confirmed with X's sales team at the time of reservation.

What is the difference between Trend Takeover+ and Spotlight Takeover?

Both run for 24 hours on the Explore tab. Trend Takeover+ sits next to trending topics and adds immersive media to the classic Trend Takeover. Spotlight Takeover covers the Explore tab and the "What's happening" module on X.com and, according to X, supports video of up to 3 minutes, which suits trailers and launch films.

Which is more efficient, Reach Blocks or a Takeover?

If the aim is to secure the day's first impression nationwide, a Takeover. If broad one-day reach within a specific age, gender and country group is enough, Reach Blocks can be more efficient; X states that Reach Blocks deliver a more efficient CPM than the auction.

Can X Takeover ads be bought in Türkiye?

Yes. Timeline Takeover, Trend Takeover+, Spotlight Takeover and Reach Blocks are available in Türkiye. Slots are limited per day, so we confirm availability with X's sales team for each campaign and book weeks ahead for busy days.

How far in advance should Takeover creative be ready?

Creative for reservation-based products must be approved by X. We aim to deliver the final creative at least one week before the run date and prepare backup versions for copy that might change with the news. If there are uncertainties such as a match result, we get separate copy approved for each scenario.

Let's run a first Takeover and Reach Blocks review together.

In a free call we review your creatives, pixel and Conversions API setup and audience structure, then send you the first three opportunities in writing.

Book a growth call No sales pressure. Just findings.