YouTube Tags and Hashtags Explained

YouTube tags and hashtags are often confused, but they are not the same thing. Tags are hidden metadata added in YouTube Studio. Hashtags are visible clickable words that start with # and can appear in titles or descriptions.

Both can help with organisation and discovery in limited ways, but neither is a magic ranking trick. YouTube says the title, thumbnail, and description are more important for helping viewers decide what to watch. Tags can be useful when your topic, brand, product, or name is commonly misspelled. Hashtags can connect your content with related hashtag pages, but they should be used carefully and honestly.

The biggest mistake is treating tags and hashtags as a shortcut for SEO. Keyword stuffing, irrelevant hashtags, excessive description tags, and misleading metadata can make a video look spammy and may violate YouTube policies.

This guide explains the difference between YouTube tags and hashtags, how to add each one, when they are useful, what not to do, and how creators, businesses, and agencies should use metadata without making videos look robotic or deceptive.

The Short Answer

YouTube tags are descriptive keywords added in the Tags field inside YouTube Studio. They are mainly useful for common misspellings or confusing terms. YouTube says tags otherwise play a minimal role in video discovery.

YouTube hashtags are visible #keywords added to the video title or description. Up to three hashtags from the description may appear by the video title, and hashtags link to pages with other videos using the same hashtag.

Use tags for misspellings, brand variations, and specific terms. Use hashtags for a few broad, relevant topics. Do not stuff the description with excessive tags or hashtags.

What YouTube Tags Are

Tags are hidden descriptive keywords you add in the video details area of YouTube Studio. Viewers do not normally use them the way they see a title, thumbnail, or description.

Tags can help with:

• Common misspellings
• Alternate spellings
• Brand name variations
• Presenter name variations
• Product names that people mistype
• Terms with multiple meanings

For most videos, tags should be a small support tool, not the centre of your SEO work.

How to Add Tags to a New Video

To add tags while uploading:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Select Create.
3. Choose Upload video.
4. Select your video file.
5. In the Details section, click More options.
6. Add your tags in the Tags field.

Keep tags relevant. Do not add unrelated popular terms to chase traffic.

How to Add Tags to an Uploaded Video

To add or edit tags after upload:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select Content.
3. Select the video.
4. Click Show more.
5. Add or edit tags in the Tags field.
6. Save the video.

Tags can be edited later, but changing tags alone is unlikely to transform video performance.

What YouTube Hashtags Are

Hashtags are words or phrases preceded by the # symbol. They are visible and clickable. Viewers can use them to find related videos and playlists that share the same hashtag.

For example:

• #YouTubeTips
• #VideoMarketing
• #CreatorTools
• #SmallBusiness

Hashtags can appear in the title or description. If you add hashtags to the description, up to three hashtags considered most engaging may appear by the video title.

How to Add Hashtags

To add hashtags, type the # symbol in the title or description and begin entering the topic or keyword. YouTube may suggest popular hashtags based on your input.

Use hashtags that are directly relevant to the video. A video about YouTube captions might use #YouTubeTips or #Accessibility, but it should not use unrelated trending hashtags just to get attention.

Tags vs Hashtags

The difference is simple:

• Tags: Hidden metadata in YouTube Studio, useful mainly for misspellings and variations.
• Hashtags: Visible clickable #keywords in the title or description.

Use tags for clarity behind the scenes. Use hashtags for visible topic grouping.

Do Tags Help You Rank?

YouTube says tags can be useful if the content of your video is commonly misspelled. Otherwise, tags play a minimal role in discovery.

That means your effort should go first into:

• Strong topic choice
• Clear title
• Compelling thumbnail
• Useful description
• Viewer satisfaction
• Retention
• Search intent match

Tags are not a substitute for a video people actually want to watch.

Do Hashtags Help You Rank?

Hashtags can connect your video to a hashtag results page. They may help viewers browse related content, but they should not be treated as a ranking hack.

Use hashtags when they help classify the topic clearly. Do not add a long block of hashtags hoping YouTube will push the video harder.

A few relevant hashtags are better than a messy list of weak ones.

How Many Hashtags Should You Use?

YouTube may show up to three description hashtags by the video title. That does not mean you need dozens more in the description.

A practical approach is one to three strong hashtags.

Choose hashtags that are:

• Relevant
• Readable
• Not misleading
• Not too narrow to be useless
• Not so broad they mean nothing

For example, #YouTubeTips is more useful than a made-up hashtag nobody recognises, unless the made-up hashtag is a real branded series viewers know.

Excessive Tags in Descriptions

YouTube warns that adding excessive tags to the video description is against policies on spam, deceptive practices, and scams.

This means you should not fill your description with long keyword lists such as:

youtube tips, youtube growth, youtube viral, youtube algorithm, youtube money, youtube subscribers, youtube views, best youtube tags, viral tags, trending tags

That looks spammy and does not help real viewers. Write a useful description instead.

Tags for Businesses

Businesses should use tags carefully for brand clarity.

Useful business tags include:

• Brand name
• Product name
• Common misspellings
• Model names
• Campaign names
• Presenter names

Do not use competitor brand names as tags unless there is a clear and legitimate reason. Misleading metadata can create trust and policy problems.

Hashtags for Businesses

Business hashtags should match real viewer topics.

Good business hashtags may include:

• Industry topic
• Product category
• Event name
• Campaign name
• Educational topic

If you use a branded hashtag, make sure it is clear and used consistently. A branded hashtag is only useful when viewers understand what it means.

Tags and Hashtags for Agencies

Agencies should not sell tags as a magic SEO service. That creates bad expectations and weak strategy.

A better metadata workflow is:

• Research the video search intent
• Write a strong title
• Create a clear thumbnail
• Write a useful first description paragraph
• Add a few relevant hashtags
• Add tags only for misspellings and variations
• Document the choices

Good metadata supports the video. It does not rescue a weak idea.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these mistakes:

• Stuffing tags into the description
• Using irrelevant hashtags
• Using dozens of hashtags
• Believing tags are the main ranking factor
• Copying tags from unrelated viral videos
• Adding competitor names deceptively
• Using hashtags that misrepresent the topic
• Ignoring the title, thumbnail, and description

FAQ

What are YouTube tags?

Tags are hidden descriptive keywords added in YouTube Studio. They can help with misspellings and term variations.

What are YouTube hashtags?

Hashtags are visible clickable #keywords added to the title or description.

Do tags help YouTube SEO?

They can help with misspellings, but YouTube says they otherwise play a minimal role in discovery.

How many hashtags should I use?

Use a few relevant hashtags. One to three strong hashtags is usually cleaner than a long list.

Can I put lots of tags in the description?

No. Excessive tags in the description can violate YouTube policies on spam, deceptive practices, and scams.

Should I use competitor names as tags?

Only if there is a truthful and relevant reason. Do not use misleading metadata to chase traffic.

Final Thoughts

YouTube tags and hashtags are useful only when used honestly and lightly. Tags help with misspellings and variations. Hashtags help group videos around visible topics. Neither replaces a strong video idea, clear title, useful description, and clickable thumbnail.

Use tags to remove confusion. Use hashtags to help viewers understand the topic. Avoid stuffing, misleading keywords, and copied metadata lists.

For creators, good metadata keeps videos clear. For businesses, it protects brand trust. For agencies, it should be part of a wider packaging strategy, not a fake shortcut.