TikTok Hashtags: How to Use Them And What Works
Hashtags have been part of social media for years, but they play a slightly different role on TikTok. Adding hashtags to your videos can help more people discover your content, boost your visibility, and connect you to trending topics.
But using hashtags correctly matters just as much as using them at all. Simply adding a dozen trending tags won’t guarantee that your video takes off — and in some cases, it could even hurt your chances.
Real creators and marketers agree: success comes from picking the right hashtags, keeping them relevant, and understanding how TikTok’s algorithm responds to them.
In this guide, we’ll break down how TikTok hashtags work, how to use them properly, and what real users have learned from their experiments.
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Hashtags help new audiences discover videos on TikTok. When you add a hashtag to your video, you give TikTok extra information about what your content is about. This helps the platform show your video to people who are interested in that topic.
Hashtags also make it easier for users to find content they’re actively looking for. Just like you can follow a creator on TikTok, you can also follow a hashtag. That means if you tag your video with something like #FoodTok or #Gaming, it has a better chance of reaching users who are already following those interests.
Trending hashtags, in particular, can boost your visibility if your content fits the trend. Joining in on popular challenges, seasonal events, or viral moments gives your videos another way to get noticed.
At the same time, not every hashtag is a good fit. Using random or unrelated hashtags will confuse the algorithm and make it harder for your video to find the right audience.
Hashtags can absolutely help get your videos seen by more people, but they aren’t a guarantee of success. TikTok uses hashtags to understand what your content is about and to surface it to users who are likely to be interested. Therefore, choosing relevant hashtags can improve your chances of landing on the For You Page (FYP) or appearing in search results.
However, creators on r/TikTokHelp point out that hashtags alone don’t make a video go viral. Some users found that hashtags gave their videos a boost in views and engagement, while others noticed no real difference unless the content itself was strong.
The bottom line: hashtags help TikTok categorize your video, but it’s the quality of your content, especially how people react to it, that ultimately drives growth. Think of hashtags as a helpful assist, not the main reason a video succeeds.
If you want your hashtags to work, a few carefully chosen ones are better than a long list. Most experts recommend using three to five hashtags per video. This gives TikTok enough information to understand your content without overwhelming the algorithm.
Real-world experiments back this up. In tests shared by TikTok creators, using just one or two highly relevant hashtags often led to stronger engagement and better retention. Adding too many hashtags can water down your video’s focus, making it harder for TikTok to know who to show it to.
Source: u/IntergalacticBurn, Reddit.com
The most important thing is relevance. Pick hashtags that match exactly what’s happening in your video. If your content is too broadly tagged, or worse, tagged with trending hashtags that have nothing to do with it, you’re less likely to reach the right audience.
Tip: Before posting, ask yourself: “If someone clicks on this hashtag, would they expect to see my video?” If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.
When you’re creating your video, you’ll add hashtags in the caption field right before you post. Start by typing the “#” symbol, and TikTok will automatically suggest popular hashtags as you type. You can choose from the suggestions or type your own.
Keep in mind that TikTok captions, including hashtags, have a 100-character limit. That means you need to be selective. If you try to squeeze in too many hashtags, you’ll quickly run out of space to write anything else. Some creators also add extra hashtags in the first comment after posting. While this can sometimes add a little extra visibility, it’s much less effective than including hashtags directly in the caption.
The best practice is to choose a few relevant hashtags, fit them naturally into your caption, and leave enough room for a short description or call-to-action.
TikTok often promotes specific hashtags like #SongOfTheDay or seasonal tags tied to major events and challenges. These promoted hashtags are designed to spark trends and encourage more users to create videos around a specific theme. In theory, using these tags can give your content a chance to ride the momentum of a trending topic.
However, real creators have mixed feelings about them. In discussions on r/TikTokHelp, several users reported that using TikTok’s promoted hashtags actually hurt their video performance, especially when the promoted tag wasn’t relevant to the content. Instead of helping, it seemed to confuse the algorithm or limit reach to the wrong audience.
Source: u/poickles, u/IntergalacticBurn, Reddit.com
One creator explained that earlier on, promoted hashtags sometimes boosted visibility no matter what the content was. But more recently, the algorithm seems stricter about matching hashtags to video relevance. If the hashtag doesn’t accurately reflect what’s in the video, it could end up throttling views
The short answer: Only use TikTok’s promoted hashtags when they genuinely fit your video. If they don’t, it’s better to stick to relevant, organic hashtags that clearly describe your content.
Choosing the right hashtags starts with knowing where to look. Here are a few simple ways to find hashtags that fit your videos and help you reach the right audience:
- Use TikTok’s Discover tab
Open TikTok’s Discover tab to see trending hashtags in real time. This gives you a sense of what’s popular right now and which trends might match your content.
- Study similar creators
Look at videos from creators in your niche and see what hashtags they’re using. If a certain tag keeps showing up on successful videos, it’s worth considering for your own posts.
- Mix popular and niche hashtags
Using a mix of widely popular hashtags and more specific niche tags can give you the best of both worlds. Popular hashtags help with broad exposure, while niche ones connect you with a more targeted, engaged audience.
- Watch your own results
After you post a few videos, check which hashtags seem to bring the most views and engagement. TikTok’s analytics can show you where your traffic is coming from, helping you refine your hashtag strategy over time.
Tip: You don’t have to chase every trending tag to find the best hashtags. The best hashtags will always be the ones that are most relevant to your video.
If you’re having trouble generating TikTok hashtags, there are countless tools available to research and generate them. Check out the table below for an overview of popular tools.
| Tool | Description | Trending hashtags | Analytics and insights | Scheduling and management | AI-powered | Free version available |
| Ahrefs | SEO-focused AI tool generating strategic hashtags with language customization | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | Limited |
| Social Champ | Social media manager with hashtag generator and cross-platform scheduling | ✔️ | Basic | ✔️ | ✔️ | Yes |
| TikTok Creative Center | Official TikTok platform for discovering trending hashtags and viral content | ✔️ | Limited | ❌ | ❌ | Yes |
| ContentStudio | AI-powered generator producing 3 distinct hashtag sets instantly | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | Yes |
| Hopper HQ | Generator allowing up to 30 hashtags per request with no login required | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Yes |
| TikTokHashtags.com | Simple web-based generator for trending tags without analytics | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Yes |
| OneUp | Free generator offering precise hashtag quantity control (1-30) | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Yes |
| Hootsuite | ChatGPT-powered generator supporting multiple languages | ✔️ | Basic | ✔️ | ✔️ | Yes |
| SocialPilot | Customizable AI generator with tone and language options | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Yes |
| Pallyy | Fun-focused generator creating 20 hashtags per request | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | Yes |
| Nuelink | Impression-focused AI generator requiring no login | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | Yes |
| Planable | Performance-oriented generator with tone and format customization | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | Yes |
Hashtags are just one piece of the puzzle. When you combine smart hashtag use with strong content, you give your videos the best chance to succeed. Refer to the checklist below to make your hashtags as effective as possible.
Checklist for effective TikTok hashtags
- ✔️ Focus on relevance.
Only use hashtags that directly match your video’s content. Relevance helps TikTok’s algorithm show your video to the right audience — and boosts your chances of better engagement. - ✔️ Don’t overload your caption.
Stick to three to five hashtags at most. A few strong, well-chosen tags will always outperform a wall of unrelated ones. - ✔️ Test and adjust.
What works once might not work forever. Try different combinations of popular and niche hashtags, and watch how your videos perform. Small adjustments can make a big difference over time. - ✔️ Stay flexible.
TikTok trends move fast. Be ready to swap out old hashtags and experiment with new ones as audience interests shift.
Final thoughts
Hashtags are a useful tool for boosting your TikTok visibility, but they work best when you use them with a strategy.
A few well-chosen, relevant hashtags can help the right audience find your content, while spamming random tags usually does more harm than good.
Real TikTok creators agree: focusing on content quality first, then using hashtags to support your reach, leads to better and more consistent results. Whether you’re joining a trending challenge or carving out your own niche, staying thoughtful about your hashtags will give you a stronger foundation to grow your account.
