In 2019, the right 30 hashtags could carry a mediocre post to 100K views. In 2026, our data shows hashtags influence low single-digit percentages of reach on most platforms. They're metadata now — useful for categorization, irrelevant as a growth lever. So what actually drives discovery?
1. Watch-through and dwell time
Every major recommendation system now leads with the same question: did people who saw this actually consume it? For video, that's completion rate. For carousels, swipe-through. For text, dwell time. A 90% watch-through on a 15-second video beats a 20% watch-through on a 3-minute one, every time.
2. Content understanding
Platforms no longer need your hashtags to know what your content is about. They transcribe your audio, read your on-screen text, and classify your visuals. The practical implication: say your topic out loud, put it in on-screen text, and write it plainly in the caption. You're labeling content for a machine that's listening, not for humans scrolling a tag page.
“You're labeling content for a machine that's listening, not for humans scrolling a tag page.”
3. Early-velocity signals
The first wave of engagement — shares especially — tells the system whether to expand distribution. Shares carry the most weight on every platform we measured, followed by saves, then comments. Likes are nearly decorative. Build content people forward to a friend, and the algorithm handles the rest.
What to do instead of hashtag research
- Spend the time on your first three seconds — retention is the new reach.
- Say and show your topic explicitly so content classifiers index you correctly.
- Optimize for shares: 'send this to someone who…' outperforms 'double tap if…' by a mile.
- Keep 3–5 relevant hashtags for categorization. Skip the other 25.
Jordan Ellis
Growth Lead at Leon
