YouTube Hashtag Landing Pages Now Available to All Users

YouTube is now fully supporting the use of hashtags. The platform has been developing a new functionality that enhances content discovery through hashtags—users can now find content by either selecting a hashtag directly on YouTube or by entering a hashtag link into their browser. Previously, these actions would yield a variety of content related to the hashtag, but not exclusively videos that had directly incorporated it. This has now changed with the complete implementation of YouTube’s new “hashtag landing pages.”

From now on, clicking on a hashtag within YouTube will direct you to a specific landing page showcasing only videos that utilize that hashtag. YouTube also states that this page prioritizes videos based on a ranking system designed to display the “best” content first. However, the algorithm powering this ranking may require refinement, as it currently presents a somewhat unusual combination of both recent and older videos, and appears to prominently feature content from creators based in India across several popular categories.

Consequently, the experience differs from hashtag searches on platforms like Facebook or Twitter, where newer content typically receives greater visibility. This distinction may make it challenging to use these hashtag landing pages for discovering fresh videos, although they could prove valuable as a research resource for creators aiming to optimize their hashtag strategy.

As an illustration, the hashtag #interiordesign encompasses a large community with 8,400 channels and 29,000 videos, while a more specific hashtag like #interiordesignlivingroom includes fewer than 100 channels and videos. Should users consistently employ hashtags when searching for videos, utilizing highly focused tags could potentially improve the visibility of creators’ content.

Access to these hashtag landing pages is achieved by clicking on a tag within YouTube, rather than performing a hashtag search. Nevertheless, you can directly access a specific hashtag page by using the URL format youtube.com/hashtag/[yourterm] (for example, youtube.com/hashtag/beauty).

Our testing of the feature revealed that hashtag pages are not available for certain contentious terms linked to content that YouTube has previously indicated it would restrict, such as QAnon and videos promoting election conspiracy theories, including #stopthesteal.

The introduction of this feature was initially announced on YouTube’s Community forum earlier this month, where it was described as a new method for “grouping content together and assisting users in discovering videos through hashtags.”

On Tuesday, YouTube communicated through its “Creator Insider” channel that the feature had been fully deployed to all users. (The presenter in the video, however, incorrectly stated that hashtags could be “searched” to access the new landing pages. This is not currently the case.) The hashtag landing pages are accessible on both desktop computers and mobile devices.