Hashtags work a little differently across the main social media platforms.
This is a companion guide to our main post on how hashtags work, with important information specifically on how hashtags work on X. As you'll see, there are some important differences between X and other social platforms.
You can also find links to guides on how to use hashtags on other platforms below.
How to Use Hashtags on X
Hashtags can be used anywhere within a post, whether right at the beginning…
At the end…
Or maybe somewhere in the middle by using a hashtag within the normal flow of text.
Finding Trending Hashtags
To find trending hashtags on X, click Explore and then Trending.
However, this only shows trending hashtags based on your geographic location.
GetDayTrends provides a tool to view trending hashtags either worldwide, or in any country around the world.
Some trending hashtags on X recur on a regular basis. For example, there are hashtags that start trending on the relevant day each week:
- #MotivationMonday or #MondayMotivation—used interchangeably
- #TransformationTuesday
- #WednesdayWisdom
Others appear yearly, such as:
- #Valentines
- #Thanksgiving
- #Christmas
Searching for Hashtagged Content
To search for content with specific hashtags, simply use X’s search facility, typing in the hashtag in question.
You can also click on the hashtag from any post that’s using it.
Optimal Number of Hashtags to Use
First off, you should definitely be using hashtags.
That’s because research shows that posts with hashtags attract double the engagement rate of those with no hashtags.
Although you can use as many hashtags as you like in a post, X recommends using “no more than 2 hashtags per post as best practice”.
In fact, this is a good guideline to follow—the same research as above shows that:
- By using no more than two, you’ll attract 21% higher engagement than by using three or more.
- If you use more than two hashtags, engagement can drop by as much as 17%.
You should also be aware of X’s guidelines on platform manipulation, which state you should not use “excessive, unrelated hashtags in a single Tweet or across multiple Tweets”.
But in fact a single hashtag is probably optimal—posts with only one hashtag are 69% more likely to be reposted than those with two.
So in general, brevity is the name of the game on X.
Additional Hashtag Tools for X
Hashtagify provides a tool to search X hashtags, and get back data on popularity, trends, influencers using that hashtag, and more.
It’s free for limited use, with paid options available.
Finally…
Of course, the more followers you have on X, the more impact and influence your posts will have. See our guide which gives you 10 top ways to grow your X followers.
Remember to consult back with our main post for information on how hashtags work in general:
And then see our separate guides for other social platforms too—as you'll find out, each one has distinct differences that are important to be aware of:
