How do you use the readability checker?
Type a hashtag and press Check; you get a score, the words it hears, the problems it found and a suggested spelling.
The example buttons show the common problems. Try #throwbackthursday (hidden word breaks), #SMALLBUSINESSSATURDAY (a capital run) and #summer sale! (characters that cut the tag short). If a suggestion appears, "Check this" tests it straight away.
What does the checker look for?
Hidden word breaks, double readings, capital runs, length, characters that break the tag, and look-alike characters.
| Check | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-case run of several words | Screen readers may read it as one long word | #smallbusiness |
| More than one reading | Readers may see the wrong words | #childrenswear |
| All capitals | Often spelled out letter by letter | #THROWBACKTHURSDAY |
| Length over about 20 characters | Hard to read, remember and type | #SummerSaleEventForEveryone |
| Spaces or punctuation | The tag stops at that character | #rock&roll |
| Digits mixed with O, l or I | Easy to misread or mistype | #L0afClub |
How should you read the score?
85 or more reads easily, 65 to 84 is readable, and below 65 deserves a fix or a new tag.
The score is a guide, not a certificate. A tag can score well and still clash with someone else's tag, so search it on each platform too. The guides on branded hashtags and event hashtags cover that step.
Why does readability matter?
A readable tag is easier to share by word of mouth, avoids embarrassing misreadings and works for people using screen readers.
The accessible hashtags guide explains how screen readers handle tags and why CamelCase is the simplest fix. To fix many tags at once, use the hashtag formatter.
Is my hashtag sent anywhere?
No; the check runs in your browser, and nothing you type is uploaded or saved.
Frequently asked questions
How is the score calculated?
It starts at 100 and subtracts points for each problem: lower-case or all-caps runs that hide word breaks, more than one possible reading, length over about 20 characters, characters that cut the tag short, and look-alike digits and letters. It is a heuristic, not a formal standard.
Can it tell exactly how my screen reader will pronounce a tag?
No. Pronunciation depends on the screen reader, the voice and the user's settings. The checker flags the patterns that commonly cause trouble, such as missing capitals and long capital runs.
Why does it say my tag can be read two ways?
It splits lower-case runs into English words using a built-in word list and lists every reading with the fewest words. #childrenswear, for example, splits as 'children swear' or 'childrens wear'. Capitals remove the doubt.
Does it work for names and other languages?
Partly. Character checks and length work for any language. Word splitting only knows common English words, so it may not find breaks in names or non-English tags; type the capitals yourself.
Other hashtag tools
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Hashtag Formatter & Cleaner
Paste messy tags or phrases and get a clean, deduplicated, CamelCase hashtag list trimmed to a platform's limit.
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Hashtag Counter
Counts the hashtags and characters in a caption and checks them against X, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads and YouTube limits.
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Hashtag Set Builder
Build, save and copy reusable hashtag sets in your own browser, with JSON export and import.