Nearly a decade after its launch, TikTok has grown into a social media giant with close to two billion monthly active users — and a jaw-dropping amount of content. One study analyzing daily activity estimates that a whopping 269 million TikTok videos are posted every single day.
But with so much content flooding the platform, how can you stand out? Well, using trending TikTok hashtags makes things easier.
Hashtags fuel TikTok’s algorithm, helping videos reach the right audience, boost engagement, and even go viral. But slapping on a few trending hashtags isn’t enough. The key is finding the right hashtags — ones that not only match your content but also drive real engagement.
In this guide, we’ll cover the hottest TikTok hashtags, how to identify the best ones for your brand, and the smartest way to track hashtag performance (hint: you don’t have to do it manually). But first, let’s talk about what hashtags are really for.
Why Use TikTok Hashtags?
Let’s start with what hashtags aren’t. They’re not magic keywords that instantly guarantee virality. They’re also not just for aesthetics or for stuffing as many as possible into your caption.
So, what do hashtags actually do? They act as labels that categorize your content, making it easier for TikTok to show your videos to the right audience. More importantly, they help you:
- Get discovered. Hashtags can expose your content to users who are actively engaging with similar topics.
- Join trending conversations. Popular hashtags often link to challenges, trends, or niche communities where users interact with specific types of content.
- Boost engagement. TikTok tracks how users engage with videos under a hashtag. The more engagement your video gets within a certain hashtag category, the more likely TikTok is to push it to more viewers also engaging with that tag.
- Reach your ideal audience. The right hashtags ensure your content is seen by people who actually care about it rather than just a broad, uninterested audience.
Now that we’ve established why hashtags are important, let’s dive into the top trending TikTok hashtags of 2026 and how to find the ones that’ll work best for you.
The Top Trending TikTok Hashtags Right Now
TikTok’s algorithm loves trending hashtags, and using them strategically can have your content reach more eyes. However, what’s trending changes fast, so it’s important to keep an eye on real-time trends.
TikTok’s Creative Center offers a real-time look at the hottest hashtags, making it easy for you to tap into current trends. These are constantly updating, but we’ll list a few here so you can get an idea of the kinds of topics that make it to the top of the trending list. Here are the top 10 trending TikTok hashtags in the United States from the last 30 days (December 27, 2025, to January 25, 2026):
- #2016throwback
- #marvelrivalsdeadpool
- #owl
- #mlk
- #mlkday
- #udanationals
- #martinlutherking
- #uda
- #the_sin_vanish
- #winterstorm
TikTok also reports trending hashtags in certain industries, giving marketers a more tailored perspective. These include food & beverage, health, and travel, among others:
Let’s dive into two industries for a closer look at how TikTok categorizes its hashtags. For the Baby, Kids & Maternity industry, the top 10 trending hashtags from the last 30 days (December 27, 2025, to January 25, 2026) were:
- #daughters
- #christmasmorning
- #funnykids
- #oldersister
- #aibaby
- #fatherhood
- #girlmomlife
- #firstbirthday
- #nicubaby
- #embarazada
Meanwhile, under the Pets industry, the top trending TikTok hashtags in that same time frame were:
- #aquarium
- #funnydogs
- #americanbully
- #birdsoftiktok
- #chihuahuastiktok
- #mainecoon
- #vetmed
- #catsoftiktok
- #belgianmalinois
- #fishtank
Using your own judgment is essential here. TikTok’s categorization isn’t perfect. For instance, you might see an out-of-place “#ubereats” under the Education industry. The good news is that TikTok shares detailed insights and related videos for each hashtag, allowing you to decide for yourself whether a trending hashtag is relevant to your brand.
Various data points, like the number of posts using the hashtag, interest over time, audience age range, related interests, and regional popularity, can help you determine whether you want to use a particular hashtag.
Again, what’s trending will change rapidly, especially if you’re looking at shorter time frames, such as the last 7 days. If you want to stay up to date with what’s trending, make it a habit to check TikTok’s Creative Center regularly. Keep in mind, though, that while these hashtags can give your posts a visibility boost, they don’t always guarantee engagement. Relevance is key, and choosing the right hashtags for your specific audience is just as important.
How to Find the Right Trending TikTok Hashtags for Your Brand
TikTok’s trend reports are one way to find hashtags, but they’re not necessarily the best way to find tags that will work for your brand. Simply jumping on trends can lead to wasted efforts and missed opportunities, especially when those trends have little to do with your post, product, or customers.
To truly drive engagement, you need hashtags that resonate with your specific audience. Here are three ways to find them.
1. Competitive Analysis
One of the most effective ways to find trending TikTok hashtags relevant to your brand is through competitive analysis. By examining what hashtags your competitors are using, you can identify high-performing tags that align with your niche and ensure that your content is being exposed to the right people.
You can do this manually by scrolling through your competitors’ TikTok profiles, tracking which hashtags they use in their most successful posts, and making note of patterns.
Or you can use a social analytics tool to streamline the process. For instance, Rival IQ does the heavy lifting for you by analyzing your competitive landscape to uncover which hashtags your competitors are using the most, which ones are driving the highest engagement rates, and more.
You can build your competitive landscape from scratch by adding relevant brands or dive into pre-built industry landscapes for instant insights. Our Athletic Shoes landscape, for example, already includes seven of the top brands in the sector.
What’s helpful about Rival IQ is that you don’t just get the data — you get actionable insights and feedback. For instance, our hashtag analysis for athletic shoe brands over the past 90 days shows that the focus company (Adidas) used seven out of eight of the most broadly used hashtags, highlighting both strengths and opportunities.
With a social analytics tool, you can move beyond basic data collection to gain an in-depth understanding of what drives your audience. Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about knowing what’s trending — it’s about understanding what actually drives results
2. Hashtag Generators
Another way you can find relevant TikTok hashtags is with a hashtag generator. There are plenty of free ones that you can find online. Just submit a keyword or caption, and they’ll generate a handful of related hashtags.
Ahrefs, for instance, has a free AI TikTok hashtag generator that can generate as many as 20 hashtags based on your post’s caption.
These tools are useful when you’re short on time or need inspiration for new content ideas. However, we recommend treating the results as a starting point, not a final answer. Always check generated hashtags to make sure they’re relevant to your content, aligned with your brand voice, and not misleading or overly generic.
3. The TikTok Search Bar
Our final hashtag hack is the TikTok search bar. You can type in a hashtag you’re interested in, and TikTok will suggest trending related searches that can help you refine your strategy. For example, searching #runningshoes led to #runningshoeswomen and #runningshoesmen, both specific and impactful tags that can help you reach the right audience.
Best Practices for Using TikTok Hashtags
Beyond picking the best trending TikTok hashtags for your brand, here are four more best practices to keep in mind.
1. Mix Hashtag Types
A well-rounded hashtag strategy should include a blend of trending, niche, and/or branded hashtags. Trending hashtags can boost visibility, while niche hashtags that are relevant to your brand and industry help you connect with the right audience. Branded hashtags are great for building brand identity and user-generated content campaigns.
Take this TikTok posted by Adidas. It features James Harden and the Harden Vol 10s, the latest iteration of his signature line with Adidas. The caption includes five hashtags: #jamesharden (niche), #UNO (branded), #vol10 (branded), #adidas (branded), and #sneakers (trending). This mix boosts visibility with a broad trending tag like #sneakers while strengthening branding and connecting with die-hard fans of #jamesharden.
2. Don’t Overload Your Captions
More hashtags don’t always mean more engagement. TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes relevance, and using too many hashtags can dilute your message. Adding around three to five well-researched hashtags per post keeps your content targeted and effective without overcrowding your caption.
Also, beware of overused hashtags like #fyp and #viral. While they might seem like a shortcut to more views, they’re incredibly saturated. TikTok boosts posts that generate real engagement — likes, comments, shares — so if you use a super broad hashtag but don’t get much interaction, the algorithm may see your post as irrelevant and limit its reach.
Instead, focus on tags that are specific to your content and audience. This helps TikTok show your video to the right people, increasing the chances of real engagement. Over time, this also helps train the algorithm to better understand your content category, making it easier for future posts to reach the right audience organically.
3. Keep an Eye on Performance
To get the most out of your efforts, regularly analyze which hashtags are actually driving engagement. Are certain hashtags consistently driving high engagement? Use them more often. Not seeing traction with a trending TikTok hashtag? Swap it out for something more relevant. With real-time insights, you’re not just guessing what works. You’re making data-backed decisions that amplify your reach and engagement.
Pro tip: You can use Rival IQ’s social posts analysis dashboard to quickly see which hashtags you use are driving the most engagement — and which ones are falling flat.
4. Experiment and Adapt
TikTok trends move fast, and what works today might be irrelevant next week. Track engagement, swap out low-performing tags, and stay flexible with your approach. Pay attention to patterns as you experiment. Are shorter hashtags performing better? Are industry-specific tags bringing in more engagement than broad ones?
You can also run simple A/B-style tests by rotating hashtag sets across similar types of content. Try using one group of niche hashtags on one video and a different mix on another, then compare engagement rates, views, and other interactions. Continuously adjust your strategy to ensure you’re using the hashtags that maximize your reach and impact.
Wrapping It Up
Hashtags are still a powerful tool on TikTok in 2026, but success isn’t about chasing every trend — it’s about choosing the right ones for your brand and audience. When it comes to trending TikTok hashtags, focus on the ones that actually drive engagement for your brand.
From analyzing your competitors’ hashtag strategy to testing and adapting your own over time, a purposeful hashtag strategy will help you improve your performance. And with a powerful social media analytics tool, you can move beyond guesswork and build a data-driven approach that helps you maximize reach, engagement, and long-term growth on TikTok.
This post was originally published in March 2025 and has since been updated.
