My hashtags or replies aren't working

Some users report difficulty using a hashtag (#) in their Tweets, or that Tweets sent as @replies aren't working as expected. Read on to find out possible causes of these issues and how to fix them.

My @replies/mentions aren't working!

If you're having trouble with @replies or mentions, check for the following:

• Is there a symbol in/after the username? If you write @Support.123, your message will be sent to the user @Support, not @Support123.
• Is there text or a symbol preceding the @ symbol?  If you write .@Support or ?@Support, it will appear as a regular Tweet, meaning all of your followers will see it in their timeline, rather than just you, the intended recipient and those who follow both of you.
• Is there a letter preceding the @ symbol? If you write 123@Support or word@Support, Support will not receive your Tweet. Mentions and @replies will not work with letters or numbers in front of the @ symbol. The @ symbol must be at the beginning of a Tweet or it must have a space directly in front of it in order for the mention to work.
• Are your Tweets protected? If your Tweets are protected, the person you're trying to @reply or mention has to be one of your approved followers in order to see your Tweet. For example, if @Support has protected Tweets, @justinbieber won't be able to see their Tweets unless he follows that account.

My hashtags aren't working! 

Hashtags are subject to many of the same rules described above. Check your hashtags for the following:

• Is there a symbol or punctuation in or after the hashtag? If you write #it'ssotasty, your message will be categorized under #it. Punctuation marks ( , . ; ' ? ! etc.) will end your hashtag wherever punctuation occurs.
• Is there a letter preceding the hashtag symbol? If you write 123#sotasty or word#sotasty, your Tweets will not show in searches for the hashtag #sotasty. Hashtags will not work with letters or numbers in front of the # symbol. The # symbol must have a space directly in front of it in order for it to show correctly in searches.
• Is the hashtag made up entirely of numbers? If you write #1 or #123 the hashtag will not be hyperlinked and is therefore not searchable. However, if you include letters following the numbers in the hashtag, for example, #123go, then the hashtag will work correctly.

Still need help? Contact Support.