How to choose YouTube hashtags that fit your video

Start with a sentence a viewer might use to describe your video. For a tutorial on repairing a loose bicycle brake cable, “beginner bike maintenance” is more informative than “viral tips.” Extract the subject, the task, and any relevant audience qualifier from that sentence. Those are candidates, not requirements.

Build a short list

1. Open YouTube Hashtag Generator to brainstorm from the subject.
2. Keep one tag for the broad subject and one for the specific job. An example pair is #BikeMaintenance and #BrakeCable.
3. Add a third only if it distinguishes a real series, community, or format. A channel tag can be useful for a recurring series when you use it consistently.
4. Read the title and description without the tags. The viewer should already understand what they will learn.

YouTube says up to three hashtags from the description may appear near the title. It also says that a video with more than 60 hashtags will have all of its hashtags ignored. Check YouTube’s hashtag rules for limits and restrictions on unrelated tags.

Compare two descriptions before posting

“Adjust a loose rear brake cable without replacing it” identifies the task in plain language. A description that opens with a dozen generic tags makes readers hunt for that information. Put the explanation first and keep the tags that tell the truth about the video. Capitalizing words in a multiword tag can make it easier to read. Spaces break the tag.

Use the title and description checker to review the copy after editing. If your thumbnail already promises a short repair, make sure the title adds useful context, such as the type of brake or what viewers should have on hand. Our thumbnail preview checklist shows how to check that combination in a feed mockup.

Review changes across videos

Keep a note of which tags you used and why. Compare similar videos by topic and format rather than assuming a change in views came from a hashtag. Replace a tag if it now describes a different subject or if the video was edited. Treat hashtags as labels that help the right viewer recognize the subject.