What is hashtag?

A hashtag is a word or phrase after a # sign that groups posts about the same topic, making them easier for people to find and follow.

Hashtags can help your posts reach people who are interested in a topic but do not follow you yet. They also let you join conversations, events and trends, and can make your branded campaigns easy to track.

Hashtags work differently across networks. On Instagram and TikTok, they help categorize content and can appear in search. On LinkedIn and X, a few relevant hashtags can help, while too many look cluttered. Some networks have reduced the role of hashtags in favor of keywords in captions. The number allowed and the best practice vary by network and change over time.

Use a small number of relevant hashtags that describe your post accurately, mixing broad topics with more specific or local ones. Avoid unrelated trending tags. Create a branded hashtag for your business and encourage customers to use it.

Example

A local yoga studio adds #yogaforbeginners and its city's name as a hashtag to posts about its new starter class.