Getting Started with BuddyPress Hashtags

BuddyPress Hashtags adds hashtag functionality to BuddyPress activities, bbPress forums, and WordPress posts and pages. When someone writes #webdesign or #photography, the plugin converts it into a clickable link that loads all content tagged with that hashtag.

What You Can Do With Hashtags

For Members

Write tagged posts

Add a # before any word while writing an activity update, forum post, or blog post. The hashtag becomes a link automatically after you save.

Example: “Just launched the new site #webdesign #wordpress”

Follow topics

When hashtag following is enabled, members can click “Follow” on any hashtag page and receive a personal feed of matching content. Followed hashtags are managed at Profile > Settings > Hashtags.

Discover trending content

Sidebar widgets show a tag cloud or list of the most-used hashtags, making it easy to spot what your community is discussing.

For Site Administrators

Control where hashtags work

Enable or disable hashtag detection separately for BuddyPress activities, bbPress forums, and WordPress posts/pages. Each can be turned off independently from General Settings.

Set length rules

Choose the minimum and maximum character count for valid hashtags. The defaults (3-16 characters) work well for English-language communities. If you enable international language support, length limits are lifted to accommodate CJK characters and emoji.

Moderate content

Connect BuddyPress Hashtags to the BuddyPress Profanity plugin. When the BuddyPress Profanity plugin is active, blocked words appear as plain text rather than becoming clickable hashtags.

Manage the hashtag index

The Hashtag Index tab lists every hashtag in the database. You can search, delete individual hashtags, or bulk-delete. Deleting a BuddyPress activity hashtag also removes the associated activities. Deleting forum, post, or page hashtags removes only the index entry.

View statistics

The Statistics tab shows total unique hashtags, total usage counts, week-over-week growth, top trending hashtags (by recency), and top popular hashtags (by total usage). You can export either the full hashtag list or the statistics summary as CSV.

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System Requirements

• WordPress 5.0 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• BuddyPress 5.0+ or bbPress 2.6+ (at least one must be active)

The plugin deactivates automatically if neither BuddyPress nor bbPress is active.

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Installation

1. Go to WordPress Admin > Plugins > Add New.
2. Search for BuddyPress Hashtags.
3. Click Install Now, then Activate.
4. After activation, you are redirected to WB Plugins > BuddyPress Hashtag automatically.
5. Review the General Settings and click Save Changes. The defaults work for most sites without any changes.

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Quick Start

Your first hashtag in a BuddyPress activity

1. Go to your site’s activity stream.
2. Type a post: Hello everyone! #welcome
3. Post the activity.
4. The word #welcome is now a link. Click it to see all activities using that hashtag.

Your first hashtag in a WordPress post

1. Open a post in the editor.
2. Write Learn about #SEO best practices somewhere in the content.
3. Publish the post.
4. Visit the published post - #SEO is now a clickable link.

Your first hashtag in a bbPress forum

1. Enable bbPress hashtags in General Settings (on by default when bbPress is active).
2. Create a forum topic or reply: Need help with #bbPress setup
3. Post it. Click #bbPress to find related discussions.

Letting members follow hashtags

1. Go to WB Plugins > BuddyPress Hashtag > General Settings.
2. Make sure Enable Hashtag Following is checked.
3. Members can now click Follow on any hashtag page to track that topic.
4. They manage followed hashtags at Profile > Settings > Hashtags.