- How a hashtag works on a Facebook post
- The formatting rules Facebook enforces
- How many hashtags to use on a Facebook post
- Hashtags for small business posts
- Local and community hashtags
- Event and holiday hashtags
- Food, travel, fitness and fashion hashtags
- Motivation and popular everyday hashtags
- Hashtags for Facebook groups
- Hashtags to skip
- My plain advice for Facebook hashtags
- Frequently asked questions
The best hashtags for Facebook are 1 to 3 specific tags that match your post, such as your topic, your town or your event name, written as one word with no spaces. On Facebook they only help strangers find you when the post is public, because the hashtag feed shows each person only posts shared with them.
Hashtags on Facebook work differently from Instagram, and that's why so many people find they do nothing. Facebook treats them as a search link, not a reach booster. Used on the right post, with the right audience setting, they help people interested in your topic find you.
How a hashtag works on a Facebook post
Facebook's Help Centre says hashtags turn topics and phrases into clickable links in posts on your profile, Page or groups. Tap one and you'll see a feed of posts that include that hashtag, sometimes with related hashtags at the top. You can also type a hashtag into the search bar.
Here's the catch that decides whether yours ever get seen: Facebook says you'll only see posts that were shared with you. So if your post's audience is Friends, the hashtag only shows it to your friends. Only a Public post, or a post on a public Page or in a public group, can turn up in a hashtag feed for people who don't know you.
| Where you post | Who can find it through a hashtag |
|---|---|
| Profile post set to Public | Anyone, including people off Facebook |
| Profile post set to Friends | Your friends, and tagged people and their friends |
| Public Page post | Anyone who searches or taps the hashtag |
| Public group | Anyone on or off Facebook |
| Private group | Current members only |
The formatting rules Facebook enforces
- One word, no spaces. #SmallBusiness works; #Small Business stops at 'Small'.
- Letters and numbers only. Facebook says punctuation and special characters won't work, so no apostrophes, hyphens or symbols.
- Use capitals to make it readable. #ShopLocalLeeds is easier to read than #shoplocalleeds, and it's the same tag.
How many hashtags to use on a Facebook post
Facebook doesn't set a limit, but my rule is 1 to 3. One tag for the topic, one for the place or community, and one for the event or campaign if there is one. More than that looks like spam on Facebook, where people aren't used to rows of tags, and it pulls attention from what you've written.
Put them at the end of the post, or work one naturally into a sentence: 'Join us at the #LeedsFoodFestival this weekend.' Don't open with a block of hashtags, because the first line is what people see before they tap 'See more'.
Hashtags for small business posts
| Hashtag | Use it for |
|---|---|
| #SmallBusiness | General posts about your business |
| #ShopLocal | Encouraging local customers |
| #SupportSmallBusiness | Behind-the-scenes and owner stories |
| #SmallBusinessOwner | Posts about running the business |
| #Entrepreneur | Founder lessons and milestones |
| #WomenInBusiness | Women-led businesses and events |
| #BehindTheScenes | How you make or do things |
| #CustomerLove | Thank-yous and reviews |
For more on building a set that fits your own niche, a hashtag strategy for Facebook posts goes through the method.
Local and community hashtags
These are the ones that pull their weight on Facebook, because people search their own town. Build them from your place name:
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| #[Town] | #Manchester, #Pune |
| #[Town]Business | #BristolBusiness |
| #ShopLocal[Town] | #ShopLocalLeeds |
| #[Town]Events | #DelhiEvents |
| #[Town]Community | #CardiffCommunity |
| #[Neighbourhood] | #Bandra, #Clapham |
Event and holiday hashtags
| Hashtag | When to use it |
|---|---|
| #EventName | Your own event, kept short and unique |
| #Christmas | December posts and festive greetings |
| #Diwali | Festival greetings and celebrations |
| #Eid | Festival wishes to friends and customers |
| #Holi | Spring festival posts |
| #HappyNewYear | New year wishes and reflections |
| #MothersDay | Gift ideas and thank-yous |
| #BlackFriday | Only if you're running something for it |
For your own event, invent one short hashtag and use it everywhere: invites, the event page and every post. Check it first by searching it, so you don't join someone else's conversation by accident.
Food, travel, fitness and fashion hashtags
| Topic | Hashtags |
|---|---|
| Food | #Foodie, #HomeCooking, #Recipe, #StreetFood, #FoodLovers |
| Travel | #Travel, #TravelGram, #Wanderlust, #WeekendGetaway, #Explore |
| Fitness | #Fitness, #Workout, #HealthyLiving, #FitnessMotivation, #Yoga |
| Fashion | #Fashion, #OOTD, #StyleInspo, #Handmade, #ShopSmall |
These broad tags are crowded, so pair one with a local or niche tag: #Foodie with #MumbaiFood tells people more than #Foodie on its own.
Motivation and popular everyday hashtags
| Hashtag | Good for |
|---|---|
| #MondayMotivation | Start-of-week tips and goals |
| #ThrowbackThursday | Old photos and milestones |
| #FridayFeeling | Light, end-of-week posts |
| #Inspiration | Quotes and success stories |
| #Gratitude | Thank-you posts |
| #TipTuesday | Quick how-tos |
Hashtags for Facebook groups
Inside a group, hashtags work as filing labels. Admins can ask members to tag posts with #Introductions, #Question, #Win or #Event, so people can tap the hashtag and see every post on that theme. Remember that in a private group, Facebook says only current members can see what's posted, so these tags help members, not outsiders. If you're using groups to build an audience, how Facebook groups help you reach people covers where they work and where they don't.
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Hashtags to skip
- Anything unrelated to the post. It confuses people who tap it and makes you look spammy.
- Tags with punctuation. Facebook won't link them.
- Very long phrases. #ThingsWeLoveAboutOurLittleShop won't be searched by anyone.
- Trending tags about news or tragedy. Jumping on them to promote a post looks tone-deaf.
- Engagement bait. #LikeForLike and #FollowForFollow attract the wrong crowd.
My plain advice for Facebook hashtags
Fix the audience before you worry about the tags. A brilliant hashtag on a Friends-only post can't reach anyone new. If you want discovery, post publicly from your Page, add one topic tag and one local tag, and leave it there.
Then check whether it helped: search your own hashtag a day later and see whether your post shows up and what sits beside it. For a quicker way to come up with options, generating Facebook hashtags that work has a simple process.
Frequently asked questions
Do hashtags work on Facebook?
Yes, as clickable links to a feed of posts on that topic. They only help new people find you on public posts, Pages and public groups.
How many hashtags should I use on a Facebook post?
Facebook sets no limit, but 1 to 3 relevant tags look natural and keep the focus on your words.
Where do I put hashtags in a Facebook post?
At the end of the post, or one worked into a sentence. Avoid starting the post with them.
What are the most popular hashtags for Facebook?
Everyday ones such as #MondayMotivation, #ThrowbackThursday, #SmallBusiness and #ShopLocal, plus festival tags like #Diwali and #Christmas.
Why doesn't my Facebook hashtag work?
It may contain a space, punctuation or a special character, which Facebook won't link. Or the post isn't public, so others can't see it.
Can people outside my friends see my hashtag posts?
Only if the post is public. Facebook shows people only posts that were shared with them.
