November 4, 2025
Ghost clicks, real rage
Tell HN: X is opening any tweet link in a webview whether you press it or not
X’s “ghost clicks” inflate traffic, users cry foul and brands feel duped
TLDR: X is auto-opening links in its in‑app browser, inflating site visits without real engagement. Commenters are divided: some call it junk traffic and a privacy headache, others like the reach, while a side feud rages over whether X previously suppressed links or is just spinning the story now.
X (formerly Twitter) is quietly preloading links in its in‑app browser — so when you open a post with a link, the webpage spins up in the background and pops in instantly when you tap. Result: traffic spikes everywhere. A Substack exec cheered the surge, and one ecommerce owner says their visits “doubled or tripled” overnight… until they realized it’s not new fans, it’s the app auto-loading pages. Cue chaos.
The community is split. Some, like braza, just want to use their own browser, not X’s pop-up window (aka an in‑app “webview”). Others call it junk traffic: “now there would a lot of worthless traffic,” says pavelai. The spiciest thread? A clash over whether X ever punished link posts. Investor Nikita Bier argued it wasn’t suppression — merely that links cover posts and hurt engagement. Critics shot back with receipts, pointing to past Musk-era crackdowns and bans, calling this a rewrite of history. See Bier’s defense here and the victory laps here.
Sarcasm flowed. saagarjha mocked the switch to X’s own browser — “they can inject their own JavaScript” — and that you can’t turn it off. ares623 went full gallows humor: “fascist money is still money.” Meanwhile, stinkbeetle dropped a “pretend gasp” linking to politicians, roasting the idea that linking was never a problem. Drama level: spicy, with a side of ghost clicks.
Key Points
- •Author reports X/Twitter preloads an in‑app webview for any tweet containing a link, loading in the background and showing when tapped.
- •This behavior can inflate referral traffic metrics, causing perceived surges without corresponding engagement increases.
- •An ecommerce store saw traffic double or triple overnight; the author attributes it to the webview change rather than algorithmic boosts.
- •Chris Best (Substack CEO) celebrated increased traffic; Nikita Bier argues lower reach of link posts is due to UI covering posts, not suppression.
- •The author references prior instances suggesting X/Twitter suppressed external links, including actions affecting Paul Graham and statements by Elon Musk.