Is X sending fake traffic to major websites?
08 Nov 2025

X is facing criticism over its new link experiment on iOS. The update has been accused of artificially inflating web traffic.

Websites like Substack and Bluesky have reported a sudden spike in "fake" views after the change was introduced.

Nick Eubanks, VP of owned media at digital marketing platform Semrush, explained this could be due to a new behavior that preloads content before users click on it.

Eubanks explains how X's new setup works
Metrics distortion

Eubanks told The Verge that the issue is a "classic case of metrics distortion caused by product experimentation at the platform layer."

He explained how X's new experiment collapses a post when its link is clicked, letting users interact with like, repost, reply and bookmark buttons while viewing the webpage.

Earlier, when X's in-app browser opened a link in a post, it completely blocked the original content on X.

How does this inflate analytics?
Analytics inflation

Eubanks further explained that "X's new browser is pre-loading link content in the background," meaning it fetches the destination page before a human taps or views it.

He said this "inflates analytics in a few key ways," including boosting click rates and deceiving advertisers, publishers, and creators into believing they're seeing more traffic, when it might not correlate to actual human visits.

Substack and Bluesky report 'fake' views
User impact

Substack CEO Chris Best was initially impressed by the spike in traffic to his site after X's update, only to realize later that "most of the apparent lift is fake."

However, he noted that Substack still saw an increase in traffic "even after correcting for the fake views."

Meanwhile, Paul Frazee from Bluesky said X's new preloading system has "ruined" their metrics for measuring logged-out daily active users.

Why preloading links is good for X users
Feature explanation

X's product head Nikita Bier defended the new link setup, saying it solves a common complaint from creators.

He said posts with links often get lower reach on the platform because the web browser covers the post and people forget to Like or Reply.

This way, X doesn't get a clear signal whether the content is any good.

Eubanks warns of metrics inflation through interface tricks
Potential drawbacks

While preloading might boost engagement on X, it could hurt creators and publishers outside the platform by making it harder for them to track their traffic sources.

Eubanks warned that "we're entering an era where metrics inflation through interface tricks, preloading, autoplay, and AI summarization will blur the line between user engagement and machine behavior."

He added platforms wanting credibility with creators/advertisers should be transparent about how engagement is counted.