Hashtag

A hashtag is a word or unspaced phrase preceded by the # symbol, used on social platforms to label a post with a topic so it can be found, grouped and followed. Clicking or searching a hashtag shows other public posts that use it.

Why it matters

Hashtags make a stream of posts searchable by subject, which helps events, campaigns and communities organize conversation. Brands use branded hashtags to collect user posts, and news events often develop their own. Their influence varies by platform: some rely on them heavily for discovery, while others now lean more on their own recommendation systems and keywords.

Example

Just finished my first 10K! #running #10k #fitnessjourney

The three tags place the post in three topic streams. In multiword tags, capitalizing each word, as in #FitnessJourney, makes them easier to read and friendlier to screen readers.

Common mistakes

• Stuffing a post with dozens of loosely related tags, which looks like spam.
• Using spaces or punctuation inside the tag. The tag usually ends at the first space or symbol.
• Choosing a tag without checking what else it is used for, since it may carry an unrelated or offensive meaning.

Related

• Social media
• Influencer
• Keyword
• Spam

This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.