H – #Grateful for Hashtags for Helping to Find Your Genealogy People

Hashtags might seem small, just a pound sign followed by a word or group of words, but they’ve completely transformed how I connect with the genealogy community. Honestly, I’m so grateful for how these little digital threads have helped me find people who “get” this journey.

When I first got into social media for genealogy, hashtags felt a little intimidating. What do they even do? Why does everyone use them? I had seen them in the Twitter world for ages and slowly began to show up on other platforms. But I slowly realized they’re like virtual signposts—guiding us to conversations, people, and content we might’ve never discovered otherwise.

Thanks to hashtags, I’ve found:

• Researchers working in the same regions or with the same surnames.

• Family historians sharing relatable struggles (and wins).

• New tools, record collections, and educational resources.

• Encouragement when I’ve hit those all-too-familiar brick walls.

And here's the beautiful part, hashtags don’t just help you find others. They help others find you. That’s where the magic happens. Genealogy can be a lonely road sometimes, especially when no one in your offline circle understands your obsession with 19th-century census records. But hashtags have opened up a space where I feel seen and supported.

🔖 Some of my favorite hashtags to use:

• #GenealogyCommunity – My go-to for connecting with other researchers.

• #FamilyHistoryFriday – Perfect for sharing ancestor stories at the end of the week.

• #AncestorStories – A hashtag filled with meaningful glimpses into the past.

• #FamilyHistoryJourney – Because this life has its own kind of rhythm and quirks.

Honestly, it’s amazing how just adding a hashtag to your post can open up your story to someone else across the globe who’s searching for the same name or county.

📢 Have a hashtag you swear by? Drop it in the comments! I’m always on the lookout for new tags to follow or include in my own content. Because if hashtags are roads, I’m always ready to follow the next one to wherever it leads.