TikTok has become one of the most influential social platforms for creators, brands, and marketers. With its fast-paced content and powerful algorithm, the app rewards visibility and engagement—both of which are boosted significantly by the proper use of hashtags. Whether you’re trying to grow a personal brand, drive traffic to a business, or simply gather more views for your content, understanding how to find trending TikTok hashtags is essential for success.
TLDR
Trending TikTok hashtags are key to increasing your content’s visibility and engagement. To find the best hashtags, explore TikTok’s Discover page, analyze competitors, use analytics tools, and watch out for current events and challenges. It’s important to strike a balance between trending and niche hashtags to reach the right audience without getting lost in the noise. Staying consistent and observing what works will improve your reach over time.
Why Hashtags Matter on TikTok
Unlike some other platforms where hashtags may feel optional, hashtags play a significant role in TikTok’s discoverability and content categorization. When you use the right hashtags:
- Your video becomes more discoverable through TikTok’s search and “For You” algorithms
- You align your content with current trends or popular discussions
- You can attract a more targeted audience who are interested in those topics
In short, hashtags help TikTok users find content that matches their interests—and that could be your video, if you’re using hashtags strategically.
1. Leverage the Discover Page
The easiest place to start when looking for trending hashtags is the Discover page within the TikTok app. This page showcases the latest trending sounds, challenges, effects, and hashtags. Here’s how to use it effectively:
- Open TikTok and tap the magnifying glass icon or the “Discover” tab.
- Scroll through the featured content and observe the hashtags displayed at the top of each item.
- Click on any hashtag to explore the videos using it. Note how recent and popular these videos are.
The Discover page is updated regularly, so it’s important to check it often to stay current with what’s trending.
2. Pay Attention to Viral Challenges and Sounds
On TikTok, trends often emerge from viral challenges or audio clips. These trends usually include specific hashtags to unify the user-generated content related to them. By participating in a trending challenge and using its associated hashtag, you increase your chance of being seen by a larger audience.
To identify trending challenges and sounds:
- Spend some time scrolling through your For You Page (FYP) and take note of recurring music tracks and actions.
- Click on the sound or hashtag attached to a popular video and look at how much engagement is being generated.
- Join the trend early to benefit from lower competition.
Timing matters. Jumping in while the wave is still building gives your content a higher chance of being picked up by the algorithm.
3. Use TikTok’s Search Feature
You don’t have to wait for TikTok to serve you trends. You can also proactively search for hashtags that align with your content or niche. Simply go to the search bar and type in a keyword related to your video. TikTok will auto-suggest a list of related hashtags, each of which displays the number of views it has accumulated.
For example, if your content is about fitness, type “fitness” in the search bar. TikTok might suggest:
- #fitness – 10B views
- #homeworkout – 1.2B views
- #fitnesstips – 600M views
This data offers direct insight into what viewers are actively watching and engaging with. Pairing high-view hashtags with more specific tags can create a balanced hashtag strategy.
4. Analyze What Competitors and Influencers Are Doing
Another effective way to find trending hashtags is by analyzing successful TikTok creators in your niche. These creators often have teams or experience behind their strategy, and studying their work can give you insights without starting from scratch.
Steps to follow:
- Identify 3–5 popular TikTok accounts in your niche (e.g., beauty, cooking, tech gadgets).
- Watch their latest videos and write down the hashtags they commonly use.
- Note which hashtags appear in consistently high-performing posts.
Keep in mind that not all used hashtags are trending, but some may be part of evergreen lists that reliably drive traffic.
5. Use Third-Party Tools and Analytics Platforms
For those who want to get a technical edge, there are several third-party tools designed to help you identify which TikTok hashtags are trending. These platforms analyze engagement rates, usage growth, and other dynamic metrics.
Popular tools include:
- TrendTok Analytics – Specially built for TikTok trends, this app offers insights on emerging sounds and hashtags across different regions.
- Tokboard – Provides lists of top trending hashtags, influencers, and video formats.
- Hashtag Expert – Generates hashtag sets based on keyword input and trend tracking.
These tools can uncover trends you might otherwise miss just by using the app alone. Just make sure you use credible sources and always verify the suggestions against current content trends on TikTok.
6. Monitor Seasonal and Cultural Trends
Hashtag trends often correspond with seasonal events, holidays, or pop culture moments. For example, hashtags like #holidayseason, #backtoschool, #Oscars2024, or #elections often spike in visibility around their respective events. If your content can naturally tie into these events, using the related hashtags can enhance visibility among users currently engaging with the trend.
However, it’s essential to ensure your use of trending hashtags feels authentic and relevant. Forcing a trending tag onto unrelated content may result in lower engagement or even penalization by the algorithm.
7. Mix Trending with Niche Hashtags
While it’s tempting to only chase viral hashtag trends, that strategy can be dangerous if overused. Highly popular hashtags are extremely competitive, which means your content can easily get lost in the flood of posts. A best-practice approach is to combine different types of hashtags:
- Trending – High-traffic hashtags that reflect current interest.
- Evergreen – Steady-performance hashtags relevant to your topic.
- Niche-specific – Tags that may not have millions of views but help you reach your target audience more precisely.
For example, a fitness influencer might use #SummerWorkout (Trending) + #HIIT (Niche) + #FitnessTips (Evergreen). This creates layers of discoverability and audience relevance.
8. Track What’s Working
The final step is to track your performance. TikTok offers built-in analytics for Pro accounts (which are free to set up). Here, you can track which videos performed best and what hashtags were used in them. Look for patterns in engagement (likes, comments, shares) and retention (watch time).
Questions to ask yourself include:
- Which hashtags drove the most engagement?
- Are certain types of hashtags consistently underperforming?
- Does my audience tend to react more to trending or evergreen tags?
Once you understand these data patterns, refine your hashtag strategy accordingly and continue optimizing.
Final Thoughts
Finding trending TikTok hashtags isn’t just about jumping on the bandwagon—it’s about aligning your content with where attention is flowing. By integrating a thoughtful hashtag strategy into your TikTok workflow—using tools, competitor analysis, and platform features—you can extend your reach, grow your audience, and enhance engagement. Stay curious, stay observant, and keep experimenting; TikTok rewards creators who adapt quickly and deliver content that resonates. Your next viral post might just be one hashtag away.
