How Hashtags Work in Publlish
Learn how to add hashtags to posts in Publlish, how hashtags work differently on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, and best practices for hashtag use on each platform.
Hashtags behave differently on every platform — what works on Instagram can actively hurt you on LinkedIn, and TikTok's hashtag culture is completely its own thing. This guide covers how to add hashtags in Publlish and how to use them effectively on each of the six supported platforms.
How to Add Hashtags in Publlish
Adding hashtags in Publlish is straightforward — you type them directly into the caption field in the composer, just like you would natively on the platform.
- Open the composer (New Post)
- Write your caption
- Type
#followed by your hashtag anywhere in the caption - Publlish will recognise it as a hashtag and display it highlighted
If you're posting to multiple platforms at once, use per-channel caption customisation to add platform-appropriate hashtags for each channel separately — the right hashtags for TikTok are very different from the right hashtags for LinkedIn.
Using the AI Assistant for hashtags: Click the AI Assistant in the composer and select Suggest hashtags — it will generate relevant hashtag suggestions based on your caption content and the selected platform. Using the AI Assistant →
Hashtag Best Practices by Platform
TikTok
TikTok hashtags are primarily used for content discovery and algorithm signals. The For You Page algorithm uses hashtags as one of many signals to understand what your video is about and who to show it to.
How many: 3–6 hashtags is the current best practice. More isn't better — irrelevant hashtags can confuse the algorithm.
Types to use:
- 1–2 niche hashtags specific to your content or industry (e.g. #skincareroutine, #marketingtips)
- 1–2 broader topic hashtags (e.g. #skincare, #marketing)
- 1 trending hashtag if genuinely relevant to your content
Where to put them: At the end of the caption or on a separate line. TikTok users are used to seeing hashtags at the end.
Avoid: Stuffing 20+ generic hashtags like #fyp #foryou #viral — these are overused and no longer drive meaningful discovery.
Instagram hashtags drive discoverability through the Explore tab and hashtag search pages. Their impact has evolved — Instagram itself now recommends using fewer, more relevant hashtags.
How many: 3–10 highly relevant hashtags. Instagram allows up to 30, but current algorithm guidance favours quality over quantity.
Types to use:
- 2–3 niche hashtags (e.g. #veganskincareuk, #b2bmarketingtips)
- 2–3 mid-size community hashtags (100K–1M posts)
- 1–2 broader hashtags (1M+ posts) for wider reach
Where to put them: Two options:
- In the caption itself, at the end after a line break
- In the first comment immediately after posting (Publlish supports first-comment hashtags for Instagram)
Both work equally well for discoverability. First-comment hashtags keep the caption cleaner aesthetically.
Avoid: Banned hashtags — some hashtags have been restricted by Instagram due to abuse. Using a banned hashtag can limit the reach of the entire post.
Hashtags on Facebook have minimal discoverability impact compared to other platforms. Facebook's feed algorithm doesn't heavily weight hashtags for organic reach.
How many: 0–3 if you use them at all. Many high-performing Facebook Pages don't use hashtags at all.
When to use them: Brand-specific campaign hashtags (e.g. #YourBrandCampaign2024) are worth using for consistency and tracking. Beyond that, hashtags add little value on Facebook.
Where to put them: If used, at the end of the post.
YouTube (Shorts)
YouTube treats hashtags differently — they appear above the video title and are clickable for discovery. They're also used by YouTube's algorithm to categorise content.
How many: 3–5 hashtags in the description. YouTube automatically shows the first 3 hashtags above the title.
Where to put them: In the video description field (not the title). YouTube will display the first 3 above the title automatically.
Note: If you add more than 15 hashtags to a YouTube video, YouTube ignores all hashtags on that post — so keep it to 3–5.
X (Twitter)
Hashtags on X increase discoverability through search and trending topics, but they also take up your limited 280-character count.
How many: 1–2 maximum. More than 2 hashtags on X actually correlates with lower engagement — they make posts look spammy.
Types to use: Trending topic hashtags when genuinely relevant (e.g. during a live event or news story), or established community hashtags (e.g. #MarketingTwitter, #B2B).
Where to put them: Integrated into the text naturally, or at the very end.
Hashtags on LinkedIn function as topic channels — users can follow hashtags and see posts tagged with them in their feed.
How many: 3–5 hashtags. LinkedIn recommends no more than 5.
Types to use:
- Industry-specific (e.g. #B2BMarketing, #SaaS, #ContentStrategy)
- Function-specific (e.g. #CMO, #SocialMediaManager)
- Broad professional topics (e.g. #Leadership, #Marketing)
Where to put them: At the end of the post, on a new line. LinkedIn users are used to seeing them there.
Avoid: Generic hashtags like #business, #success, or #motivation — they have millions of followers but very low engagement rates.
Hashtag Limits Per Platform
| Platform | Maximum hashtags | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | ~30 (via API) | 3–6 |
| 30 | 3–10 | |
| No limit | 0–3 | |
| YouTube | 15 (more = all ignored) | 3–5 |
| X (Twitter) | No limit (character limit applies) | 1–2 |
| No official limit | 3–5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do hashtags in the first comment count the same as hashtags in the caption on Instagram? Yes — Instagram treats first-comment hashtags the same as in-caption hashtags for discoverability purposes. Many accounts prefer first-comment hashtags to keep captions cleaner.
Can Publlish suggest hashtags for me? Yes — use the AI Assistant in the composer and click Suggest Hashtags. It generates platform-specific suggestions based on your caption content. AI Assistant guide →
Do hashtags count toward character limits? Yes, on all platforms. Each character in a hashtag (including the # symbol) counts toward your post's character limit. Character limits guide →
Why are my Instagram hashtags not generating reach? A few possible causes: the hashtags are too broad (millions of posts, hard to rank in), you're using banned hashtags, or Instagram's algorithm is not prioritising hashtag-based discovery for your account type. Try switching to more niche, specific hashtags.
Should I use the same hashtags on every post? Rotating your hashtag sets is generally better than using identical hashtags on every post — it prevents your account from being flagged for repetitive behaviour and exposes your content to different audiences.