# YouTube hashtag limit: how many can you use?

> Use up to 60 hashtags on a video or Short. Past 60, YouTube ignores all of them. Three show by the title. Where to put them and if they still help.

Page: https://omnisocials.com/youtube-hashtag-limits
Checked: October 17, 2026

Up to 60 on a video or Short. Add a 61st and YouTube ignores every hashtag on it, not only the extra one. Paste a description below to check it.

## The short answer: Up to 60 hashtags. Past 60, YouTube ignores all of them.

YouTube's Help Center is direct: "If a video or playlist has more than 60 hashtags, we'll ignore each hashtag on that content." Hashtags go in the title or the description, and each one links to a page of other videos with the same tag. Up to three that YouTube finds "most engaging" show by the title.

YouTube does not recommend a number, but it warns that "the more tags you add, the less relevant they become". Tags are a different, hidden field of up to 500 characters, and YouTube says they "play a minimal role" in discovery. A few relevant hashtags and a clear title do more than 60.

- **Per video**: 60 (Past 60, all are ignored)
- **Shown by the title**: 3 (The ones YouTube finds most engaging)
- **Tags field**: 500 (Characters, separate from hashtags)

## Check a description against the 60-hashtag limit

- Description: up to 5,000 characters, about 157 show before "more".
- Hashtags: up to 60 per post.

## Where YouTube hashtags go, and what they do. Title, description, tags.

| Place | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Counts toward the 60; each hashtag links to a results page | YouTube Help Center |
| Title | Hashtags in the title link too and count toward the 60 | YouTube Help Center |
| By the title | Up to 3, the ones YouTube finds most engaging | YouTube Help Center |
| Shorts | The same rules; YouTube suggests hashtags as you add text | YouTube Help Center |
| Tags field | Not hashtags: hidden keywords, 500 characters in all | YouTube Help Center; Data API |
| Uploads through the API | No hashtag field; hashtags live in the title and description text | Data API |

Checked on October 17, 2026 against YouTube's hashtag and tag help pages and the Data API's videos resource.

## YouTube's hashtag rules. In YouTube's words.

| Rule | What YouTube says |
|---|---|
| More than 60 | "We'll ignore each hashtag on that content." |
| No spaces | "Hashtags don't contain any spaces." Write #TwoWords. |
| Stay on topic | "Don't add hashtags that are not directly related to the video or playlist." |
| No misleading tags | Misleading or unrelated hashtags can get a video removed. |
| Do not over-tag | "The more tags you add, the less relevant they become." |
| Policy breaks | Hashtags that break YouTube's policies do not show and may be removed. |

## Use hashtags that help. Fewer, more relevant.

1. **Pick a few that fit** YouTube sets no ideal number, only the 60 ceiling. A handful of specific hashtags stays relevant to people searching.
2. **Expect YouTube to choose the three** The hashtags by the title are the three YouTube finds most engaging, not always your first three.
3. **Keep the title readable** Hashtags in a title link and count, but they take room from the 100 characters. One at most is plenty.
4. **Write the topic in plain words** YouTube calls the title, thumbnail and description more important for discovery than tags. Name the topic there.
5. **Use tags for misspellings** The hidden tags field helps when people often spell a name or word wrong. Otherwise it does little.
6. **Save your best sets** Keep a few sets for your main topics, so every Short gets a fitting group without retyping.

## Schedule it with OmniSocials

Save your YouTube hashtags as a set and add them to any Short in one click. OmniSocials schedules posts to YouTube and 11 more networks from one calendar, and AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT and others) can plan and schedule through its MCP server. $10 per seat a month billed yearly, $12 monthly; 14-day free trial, a card is needed to start it. https://omnisocials.com/pricing

## Sources and method

The limit and the rules come from YouTube's Help Center, read on October 17, 2026, quoted word for word. YouTube recommends no hashtag count, so the page gives none; counts other guides suggest are tactics, not YouTube rules. The tag limit comes from the YouTube Data API reference.

- YouTube Help, [Use hashtags for search on YouTube](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6390658), Read Oct 2026. The 60-hashtag rule, the three shown by the title, spaces and relevance.
- YouTube Help, [Add tags to your YouTube videos](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/146402), Read Oct 2026
- YouTube Help, [Edit video settings](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57404), Read Oct 2026
- YouTube Data API, [Videos resource](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs/videos), Read Oct 2026. Tags: 500 characters in all.
- YouTube Help, [Upload YouTube Shorts](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15424877), Read Oct 2026

## Related guides

- [Best time to post on YouTube](https://omnisocials.com/best-time-to-post-on-youtube)
- [How often to post on YouTube](https://omnisocials.com/how-often-to-post-on-youtube)
- [YouTube image sizes](https://omnisocials.com/youtube-image-sizes)
- [YouTube character limits](https://omnisocials.com/youtube-character-limits)
- [YouTube video lengths](https://omnisocials.com/youtube-video-lengths)
- [Schedule YouTube posts](https://omnisocials.com/youtube)
- [Connect YouTube](https://omnisocials.com/help-center/integrations/youtube)
- [Create a post](https://omnisocials.com/help-center/creating-content/create-post)
- [MCP server](https://omnisocials.com/mcp)
- [REST API](https://omnisocials.com/api)
- [API reference](https://docs.omnisocials.com)

## FAQ

### How many hashtags can you use on YouTube?

Up to 60 per video or Short. With more than 60, YouTube ignores every hashtag on the video.

### What happens if I use more than 60 hashtags?

YouTube ignores all of them, not only the extra ones. Too many or misleading hashtags can also lead YouTube to remove the video.

### Do hashtags work on YouTube?

Yes, for search and browsing: each hashtag links to a page of videos with the same tag, and up to three show by the title. They label a video; the title, thumbnail and description still do most of the work in discovery.

### How many hashtags should I use on YouTube Shorts?

YouTube gives no number for Shorts or videos. The rules are the same: up to 60, and fewer stay more relevant. A handful of specific ones is a common choice.

### Where do hashtags go on YouTube?

In the title or the description. Hashtags in either place link to results pages. Up to three show by the title.

### Which hashtags show above the title?

Up to three that YouTube considers most engaging. They are not always the first three you typed.

### What is the difference between tags and hashtags on YouTube?

Hashtags sit in the title or description and link to other videos. Tags are a hidden keyword field of up to 500 characters that YouTube says plays a minimal role in discovery.

### Do I need #Shorts on a Short?

YouTube's Shorts page names shape and length as what makes a Short: square or vertical, up to 3 minutes. It does not mention a #Shorts hashtag.

### Can a hashtag have spaces?

No. Join the words, as in #TwoWords or #twowords.