Hashtag Suggestions

When a member starts typing a hashtag, the plugin shows a dropdown of existing hashtags that match what they have typed so far. This is similar to how @mention autocomplete works in BuddyPress.

What it Does

• Shows a dropdown list of matching hashtags as the member types
• Each suggestion displays the hashtag name
• Members can click a suggestion or press Enter to insert it
• Helps members discover existing hashtags instead of creating near-duplicates

Where Suggestions Appear

Suggestions are available on:

• BuddyPress activity post form (main activity page, activity directory)
• BuddyPress activity comments
• BuddyPress group pages (activity section)
• Member profile pages (activity section)
• Members directory
• Single activity views
• bbPress forum topics and replies (when bbPress is active)
• Profile > Settings > Follow Hashtags (when searching for hashtags to follow)

Suggestions also appear in the WordPress admin post and page editor (Classic Editor textarea#content) when the site has admins or editors creating content. This allows hashtag autocomplete while writing posts or pages inside wp-admin.

How to Use Suggestions

1. In any supported text area, type # followed by at least two characters
2. A dropdown appears showing hashtags that start with or contain those characters
3. Use the arrow keys to move through the list, or click a suggestion
4. Press Enter or click to insert the hashtag into your text

Example: Typing #wo might show #wordpress, #work, #world.

What Each Suggestion Shows

• The hashtag name (with # prefix)

Suggestions are ordered by usage count - the most-used hashtags appear first.

Enabling or Disabling Suggestions

1. Go to WB Plugins > BuddyPress Hashtag > General
2. Find Enable Hashtag Suggestions
3. Toggle it on or off
4. Save changes

When disabled, no dropdown appears. Members can still type hashtags manually - they just will not see autocomplete.

Customising the Dropdown Appearance

The suggestions dropdown uses the CSS class .bpht-suggestions. You can add custom CSS to your theme to change its look:

/* Suggestions container */
.bpht-suggestions {
    border: 1px solid #ccd0d4;
    border-radius: 4px;
    background: #fff;
    box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
    max-height: 200px;
    overflow-y: auto;
}

/* Individual suggestion item */
.bpht-suggestion-item {
    padding: 8px 12px;
    cursor: pointer;
    border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f0f1;
}

/* Hover and keyboard-selected state */
.bpht-suggestion-item:hover,
.bpht-suggestion-item.selected {
    background: #f0f6fc;
    color: #0073aa;
}

Troubleshooting

Suggestions Are Not Appearing

1. Check if enabled. Go to WB Plugins > BuddyPress Hashtag > General and confirm “Enable Hashtag Suggestions” is on.

2. Check the page type. Suggestions load on BuddyPress activity pages, bbPress forum pages, and the WordPress admin post/page editor. If you are on a different admin screen or a front-end page that is not a BuddyPress or bbPress surface, the dropdown will not appear.

3. Try a different browser. Some browser extensions interfere with JavaScript events. Test in an incognito window with extensions disabled.

4. Check for JavaScript errors. Open your browser’s developer tools (F12) and look at the Console tab. If another plugin or theme is throwing a JavaScript error on the page, it can stop the autocomplete from loading.

5. Clear caches. If you have a caching plugin or server-side cache, clear it. Then clear your browser cache and reload.

Suggestions Show Unexpected Hashtags

Suggestions are drawn directly from the hashtag index in the database. If you see hashtags that should not be there:

1. Go to WB Plugins > BuddyPress Hashtag > Manage
2. Search for and delete the unwanted hashtags
3. Suggestions will no longer include deleted hashtags

If content moderation is enabled and a hashtag is on the profanity list, it will not appear in suggestions even if it exists in the database.

Empty State

If no hashtags in the database match what the member has typed, the dropdown closes automatically. There is no “no results” message - the dropdown simply does not appear.