: Difference between social tag and hashtag? Official Google Search operators page has entries: @ Find social tags Example: @agoogler # Find popular hashtags for

@Angela700

@ refers to users or accounts. Like here on stackexchange @gavenkoa would refer to your account. That helps the machine understand that the specific user has been referred to and can act on it (like send you a notification).

# refers to topics. If I write #gavenkoa , the machine (in this case google or any script that identifies hashtags) would classify the text along with #gavenkoa as a piece of string relating to the topic #gavenkoa . It does not specify that gavenkoa is a username.

So to put it in an example,


@gavenkoa , I hope your answer about #SocialTags and #Hashtags is answered.

Vote Up Vote Down

@Smith883

When you use @ , you are directing what you are writing to a person or thing.

When you use #, you are directing what you are writing to a topic.

Many people get this wrong, including one specific client of mine who, every year, I have to jump on them for using the @ tag for everything they write.

If you want to speak to everyone that likes butterflies, it's #butterflies , otherwise you are speaking to one thing, likely socially to a person, @butterflies .

Vote Up Vote Down