YouTube Hashtag Limits & Strategy in 2026
YouTube allows up to 60 hashtags per video, but only the first 3 appear above your title. Learn the rules, limits, and best practices for YouTube hashtags.
All YouTube Hashtag Rules & Limits
| Rule | Value | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Limits | ||
Maximum HashtagsKey | 60 | Videos with more than 60 hashtags will have all hashtags ignored |
| Best Practices | ||
Recommended Count | 3-5 | YouTube recommends a small number of highly relevant hashtags |
| Format & Placement | ||
Description Placement | End of description | Place hashtags at the end of your video description |
| Platform Behavior | ||
Title Hashtags | First 3 shown | First 3 hashtags from description appear above the video title |
Shorts Hashtags | #Shorts recommended | Adding #Shorts helps categorize content as YouTube Shorts |
Over 60 Penalty | All ignored | If you use more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all of them |
YouTube Hashtag Tips
Only the first 3 hashtags show above the title
YouTube displays up to 3 hashtags as clickable links directly above your video title. Place your most important hashtags first in the description so they appear in this prominent position.
Stay under 60 or lose them all
If you add more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all of them and none will be displayed or indexed. Keep your total well below this limit to avoid accidentally nullifying your tags.
Use hashtags for searchability
YouTube hashtags are clickable and create a search results page. Viewers who click a hashtag see all videos tagged with it, making specific hashtags a genuine discovery channel for your content.
Put hashtags in the description, not just the title
Adding hashtags in your video description is the standard approach. YouTube pulls the first 3 from the description to display above the title. You can also place them in the title itself, but it can look cluttered.
Do not confuse hashtags with tags
YouTube has two separate systems: hashtags (visible, start with #) and tags (hidden metadata in upload settings). Both help with discovery, but they serve different roles. Use both for maximum reach.
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Frequently Asked Questions
YouTube allows a maximum of 60 hashtags per video. If you exceed 60, YouTube will ignore all hashtags on that video entirely. The recommended number is 3-5, since only the first 3 appear as clickable links above the video title.
The first 3 hashtags from your video description appear as blue clickable links directly above the video title. Viewers can click them to see other videos with the same hashtag. Additional hashtags remain in the description but are not displayed above the title.
YouTube tags are hidden metadata you enter during upload to help the algorithm understand your content. Hashtags start with # and are visible to viewers in the title or description. Both contribute to discoverability, but hashtags are public and clickable while tags are not.
Yes, hashtags are useful on YouTube Shorts. Adding 3-5 relevant hashtags helps categorize your Short for the Shorts shelf algorithm. The hashtag #Shorts was once important but is no longer required since YouTube automatically detects vertical short-form content.
Yes. Exceeding 60 hashtags causes YouTube to strip all hashtags from your video. Even below that limit, stuffing irrelevant hashtags can be flagged as misleading metadata, which may result in your video being removed from search results.
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