How to create an X Ads account
This guide walks through setting up an X Ads account the right way the first time: the handle it belongs to, the settings you can’t change later, billing, and access for your team or agency.
An X Ads account is tied to the X handle you are logged in as when you create it. Your promoted posts run from that handle, so the first decision is which account you advertise from.
Most of the setup takes a few minutes. Two choices, country and time zone, are permanent, and getting them wrong means requesting a whole new ads account. Read step 3 before you click anything.
Log in as the brand account
Go to x.com and log in to the account you want to promote posts from. X links that handle to the new ads account, and your ads show its name, photo, and bio. Use the business account, not a founder’s or employee’s personal handle. Before you advertise, make sure the profile is complete and current, because people who see an ad often tap through to the profile.
TipUse an email on your company domain for this account, so recovery doesn't depend on one person's inbox.
Check the account follows X's rules
X requires the account to follow the X Rules to create an ads account, and the ads account must follow the X Ads policies. If your business is in a category with extra rules, such as financial services or health, read the relevant X Ads policy first. An ineligible account can’t advertise until X reviews it.
Go to ads.x.com and set country and time zone
While logged in, go to ads.x.com. X asks for your country and time zone. The country sets the currency you are billed in. The time zone sets how campaign results and schedules are shown.
Both are permanent. X says country, time zone, and currency can’t be changed after the account is created.
Watch outTo change them later, the account owner has to request a new ads account through X Ads support. Campaigns don't move over, you need a new payment method, and X says the review can take up to 2 weeks.
Add your payment method
After country and time zone, X takes you to campaign setup or Promote Mode setup, and asks for billing to finish the account. X accepts major credit cards, and Visa, Mastercard, and American Express debit cards.
You can manage cards later by clicking your account name in the top right of Ads Manager and choosing Payment methods, then Add new funding source.
TipX places a $5 pre-authorization hold (or local equivalent) to validate a new card. X says it's removed within 7 days.
Understand how X bills you
X has no minimum spend. You set daily budgets, and ads are priced by auction. Your card is charged when spend reaches your account’s credit limit, and if campaigns stop with no spend for 3 days, X charges the remaining balance. X says billing can take up to 2 days to process.
Advertisers planning to spend about $5,000 a month or more can apply for an insertion order instead of card billing.
Fill in account settings
Click your account name and choose Account settings. Here you can update the ads account name, contact information, and notification preferences. X lists a contact phone number and your industry as optional. You can turn off some notifications, such as performance summaries, but policy, approval, card payment, and billing notifications always stay on. Send them to an inbox someone reads.
Give your team or agency access
Don’t share the brand account’s password. X’s multi-user login lets each person use their own handle. As an account administrator, click your account name, choose Edit access to account, click Add access, enter the person’s handle, pick an access level, and click Save changes.
Levels include Account administrator, Ad manager, Creative manager, and Campaign analyst. Administrators have full access, including billing, and are the only level that can grant access.
TipAd managers can't create promoted-only posts unless you turn on Can compose promotable posts for them.
Secure the account
The ads account is only as safe as the handle behind it. X recommends a strong, unique password, login verification, and checking the URL is x.com before you enter credentials. Review connected apps regularly and remove any you don’t use. Keep at least two administrators so the account isn’t locked to one person.
Before you move on
- The ads account belongs to the brand handle, not a personal one
- Country and time zone match where you sell and report
- A valid card shows on the Payment methods page
- Billing and policy notifications go to a monitored inbox
- Everyone who needs access has their own login and the right level
Official resources
- X Business: Ads account creation
- X Business: Ads account management
- X Business: Billing basics
- X Business: Multi-user login FAQ
- X Business: X Ads campaigns 101
Ad platforms update their tools often. This guide was last reviewed against the official documentation above in November 2026. If your screen looks different, the official help pages have the latest steps.
At a glance
- Level
- Beginner
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- What you need
- The X account your business will advertise from
- Access to that account's login and login verification
- A credit or debit card for billing
- Your business country and the time zone you report in
- The X handles of anyone who needs access
Rather have it done for you?
Active Digital Marketing builds and manages X ad accounts for businesses doing $25,000+ a month in revenue.
Apply to work with usOr get an ad account auditWhere DIY setups go wrong
The most common problems with self-built X Ads setups, and what they cost.
Creating the account from a personal handle
The ads account is linked to the handle that created it. If that's an employee's account, the business can lose control of its ads when that person leaves.
Picking the wrong time zone or country
Neither can be changed. Fixing it means a new ads account, a new payment method, and rebuilding every campaign.
Sharing one password
Shared logins get in the way of login verification and leave no record of who changed what. Multi-user access gives each person their own credentials and a level that fits the job.
Ignoring billing emails
Failed payments can lead X to pause or halt an account. Make sure card and billing notices reach someone who acts on them.
What this guide doesn't cover
An ads account is the starting line. Whether X makes money for you depends on conversion tracking, targeting, creative, and how you judge results against margin.
Active Digital Marketing sets up X accounts with proper access and tracking, and runs X alongside Meta, judging both on cost per qualified lead and profit, not platform-reported numbers.
- X Pixel and Conversion API setup
- Campaign structure and objective choice
- Keyword, follower lookalike, and custom audience strategy
- Creative testing on a steady cadence
- Budgets set against what a customer is worth
Common questions
Is there a minimum budget for X ads?
No. X says there's no minimum spend. You set a daily budget and pay through an auction for the action you choose.
Can I change my X Ads account currency or time zone?
Not on an existing account. The account owner has to request a new ads account through X Ads support, and existing campaigns don't transfer.
Can an agency get access without my password?
Yes. Add the agency's X handle under Edit access to account and choose an access level, such as Ad manager or Campaign analyst.
Who can see billing details in an X Ads account?
Account administrators. X describes administrators as having full access, including card and billing information, and they are the only level that can add or change other users.
Keep learning
How to Create an X Ads Campaign
How to create an X ads campaign: choose an objective, set budgets and bids, target the right audience, pick placements and posts, then launch.
Read the guideHow to Install the X Pixel
How to install the X Pixel: create it in Events Manager, add base and event code, test with X Pixel Helper, and plan for the Conversion API.
Read the guideHow to Set Up X Lead Gen Ads
How to set up X Lead Gen Ads: build a lead form, launch a Leads campaign, and get leads from the Leads Center into your CRM, step by step.
Read the guideHow to Create a Meta Ad Account
Set up a Meta business portfolio, create an ad account, add a payment method, and give your team the right access, step by step.
Read the guideHow to Create a Google Ads Account
Step-by-step: sign up for Google Ads without a forced campaign, set billing and time zone, add users, and complete advertiser verification.
Read the guideHow to Create a TikTok Ads Manager Account
Set up TikTok Ads Manager step by step: sign-up, business details, payment method, account approval, Business Center, and team access.
Read the guideRather have it built right the first time?
If your business does $25,000+ a month in revenue, apply and Mitch will review your accounts personally. Earlier than that? An ad account audit gives you a senior-level fix list you can work through yourself.