TikTok Hashtags: How Many Should You Use?

There’s an unlimited number of hashtags you can use on TikTok.You can choose from hundreds of trending hashtags, relevant hashtags that tell searchers the topic of your TikTok video, or you can make up your own, if you’d like.

However, a common question we see in emails from visitors and customers is “How many hashtags on TikTok?” without specifying the context. And we assume what most people are really asking is “How many hashtags can I use on TikTok?” or “How many hashtags should I use on TikTok?”

Those questions are important ones, so let’s start there.

Optimal Hashtag Use on TikTok

You can use as many hashtags as you can fit into 100 characters, but most experts caution against what’s called “packing” your TikTok posts with hashtags. (The same advice is valid for any other social media platform, by the way.)

The best approach is to use around 3-5 hashtags, divided between relevant and trending hashtags — but only if can you find trending ones that connect to your video in some way. They should be appended to a description that includes important keywords related to the topic of your content.

The most productive use of hashtags (and keywords) is to bring like-minded TikTok users to your post via the app’s search function, which is why relevant hashtags can be so important.

Using trending hashtags to bring in search visitors can be a double-edged sword. If the people finding your TikTok video are interested in your post and want to engage with it, that’s the perfect scenario. You’ve attracted users who probably wouldn’t have found your TikTok account any other way, they’ve boosted your engagement rate metric, and they may even follow you.

However, those who check out your video because of its trending hashtag — but have no interest in your post — can hurt your engagement rate. They’ll scroll away quickly, dragging the metric down. Why is that a problem? It’s simple; the TikTok algorithms decide how much random exposure your video deserves based largely on its engagement rate. Low metrics = low visibility.

Bottom line: 3-5 hashtags per post is optimal, and a good mix of relevant and trending hashtags is best if trending hashtags make sense for your content. Look for trending hashtags by finding ones used often in the videos on your For You page, by using the TikTok search bar, by seeing what hashtags others in your niche are using, or with a third-party analytics tool.

We mentioned at the start that you can create your own hashtags. That generally won’t help you attract new viewers, but there’s one big exception. If you have a video, challenge, or TikTok marketing campaign that you’re trying to make the next “big thing” on the app, other users may pick up on the hashtag and use it themselves. It’s a great TikTok strategy for going viral.