How to Measure a Hashtag Campaign with Metricool

When you launch a social media campaign, choosing a hashtag is only the beginning. You also need to understand how that hashtag is being used, what kind of content appears around it, and whether the activity offers useful insights for your next campaign.

Guessing is not a reliable research method. A hashtag may look popular, but popularity alone does not tell you whether it fits your campaign goals.

Metricool includes a Hashtag Tracker that lets you monitor selected hashtags on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Unlike routine content publishing, this feature is designed for time-limited hashtag monitoring and uses a separate pay-per-use model.

Metricool hashtag campaign analysis helps marketers investigate hashtag activity on Instagram and X, understand monitoring limitations, and use available data to make more informed campaign decisions.

In this guide, you will learn how to plan a monitoring session, understand the platform-specific limitations, interpret the available results, and use your findings to make more informed campaign decisions.

What Is Metricool’s Hashtag Tracker?

Metricool’s Hashtag Tracker is a monitoring tool for researching activity around selected hashtags and related terms on supported networks.

It is different from simply checking how your own posts perform. Hashtag monitoring helps you investigate activity associated with a selected tag, while your regular account analytics focuses on the performance data available for your connected profile.

Related Guide: How to schedule posts with Metricool – Step-by-Step Tutorial.

The tracker currently supports Instagram and X, but the collection rules are different for each network.

What Can You Track on Instagram and X?

Before setting up a campaign, understand what each platform allows.

Instagram monitoring

Instagram tracking uses one hashtag per monitoring session. You must enter the hashtag with the # symbol.

The session collects data from the day monitoring begins. It does not retrieve historical hashtag activity from before your session started.

The tracker covers qualifying feed posts and Reels, not Stories. If your campaign relies heavily on Stories, this tool alone will not provide a complete picture of that activity.

X monitoring

X offers different tracking options. Depending on the setup, you can monitor a hashtag, a keyword, or an account using its @ handle.

You can also look back up to seven days before creating a session.

X allows multiple hashtags or keywords in a single session, but the resulting data is combined. If you need to evaluate each hashtag separately, keep them in separate monitoring sessions.

Important: X monitoring requires the appropriate X add-on and a connected X account.

Step 1: Define Your Campaign Research Question

Before purchasing monitoring time, decide what you want to learn.

A monitoring session should answer a practical question rather than simply collect numbers.

For example, you might want to investigate:

• How a branded campaign hashtag is being used.
• What kinds of posts appear around a selected hashtag.
• Whether a particular community conversation is relevant to your campaign.
• Which related hashtags might deserve further research.
• How a campaign’s public activity changes during a defined period.

Write down your question before choosing the hashtag.

If your objective is unclear, even a large amount of collected data may not help you decide what to do next.

Step 2: Check Your Account and Access Requirements

Sign in to Metricool and look for Reporting → Hashtag Tracker in the top menu.

Before creating a monitoring session, confirm that the relevant network is connected to your account.

For Instagram, check the connected Instagram profile. For X, confirm both the connection and the required add-on.

If a network is not connected or the required access is unavailable, its tracking option may appear disabled.

Do not purchase monitoring time until you understand which network you will use and what data you want to collect.

Step 3: Set Up a Monitoring Session

Once your research question and account access are ready, you can prepare the session.

Follow this workflow:

1. Open the Hashtag Tracker section.
2. Review the available monitoring balance and cost.
3. Add the hashtag or tracking terms appropriate for the selected network.
4. Select Instagram, X, or the relevant supported network.
5. Choose the start date.
6. Select a duration based on your available balance.
7. Review the configuration before creating the session.

The exact fields and tracking options depend on the network.

For Instagram, enter one hashtag per session. For X, remember that multiple terms in the same session produce combined data rather than separate results for each term.

Review your configuration carefully. Metricool’s documentation states that a monitoring session can be cancelled and refunded only if it has not started.

Step 4: Understand the Cost Before Monitoring

The Hashtag Tracker is not included in a standard Metricool subscription. It uses a separate pay-per-use model.

According to Metricool’s current Help Center documentation, the listed cost is €25 per day per social network. Buying four days of credit provides one additional day at no charge under the documented offer.

Each network consumes its own monitoring balance. For example, monitoring Instagram and X simultaneously requires separate balance for each network.

The documented capacity for one day of balance is up to 10,000 Instagram posts or 25,000 X posts for a monitored hashtag. Actual collection depends on the network and session configuration.

Prices, credit offers, and feature limits can change, so check the official Hashtag Tracker documentation before purchasing.

A practical approach is to define the research question first, select the minimum useful monitoring period, and confirm the total cost before starting.

Step 5: Review the Collected Data

Once a session has collected data, open its results and examine what is available for the selected network.

Metricool refreshes monitoring data automatically every eight hours. The official documentation also describes the option to refresh the data manually up to three times a day.

Rather than focusing on one number, review the available report as a whole.

Examine the type of content

Look at the kinds of posts associated with the hashtag.

Do they contain educational content, product announcements, community discussions, entertainment, or something else? This can help you understand the context in which the hashtag is being used.

Look for relevant conversations

Review the posts and activity available in the report to identify recurring subjects or questions.

A hashtag may be associated with several different conversations. Only some may be relevant to your target audience.

Investigate related hashtags

Where the report provides related hashtag information, use it to identify terms that may deserve further research.

Do not automatically add every related hashtag to your own content. A related term should still fit your message, audience, and campaign objective.

Use the results to make a decision

Ask whether the collected evidence supports your original research question.

For example, you might decide to continue researching a relevant hashtag, test a more specific term in a future campaign, or stop investigating a hashtag that does not fit your audience.

Step 6: Compare Campaign Research Consistently

If you want to compare hashtags, make sure your comparison is meaningful.

Using similar monitoring periods and clearly defined research questions helps you avoid drawing conclusions from inconsistent data.

For example, comparing a hashtag monitored for one day with another monitored for a different period may produce misleading conclusions.

Keep a separate record of the session name, hashtag, network, monitoring dates, cost, and main findings.

Metricool states that separate monitoring reports cannot be merged into one report. You should therefore keep your own comparison notes if you need to review the findings from several sessions together.

A simple research log can include:

Research item	What to record
Hashtag	The exact term monitored
Network	Instagram or X
Period	Start date and duration
Main observation	Relevant activity found
Decision	Keep researching, test, or stop

This record makes it easier to explain why you selected a hashtag and what you learned from the monitoring session.

Common Hashtag Tracking Mistakes

Starting without a clear objective: Decide what you want to learn before paying to monitor activity.

Ignoring platform limitations: Instagram and X do not collect exactly the same kinds of historical data.

Combining unrelated terms: On X, multiple tracking terms in the same session produce combined results, making separate interpretation harder.

Assuming Stories are included: The documented Instagram tracker covers feed posts and Reels, not Stories.

Ignoring the cost: Hashtag monitoring is billed separately from Metricool’s standard subscription plans.

Treating activity as proof of success: Hashtag data can support campaign research, but it does not automatically demonstrate sales, conversions, or business impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Metricool’s Hashtag Tracker included in the Free plan?

No. Metricool documents it as a separate pay-per-use feature, not an included subscription benefit.

Can I monitor Instagram hashtags from before my session started?

No. Instagram monitoring begins from the session start date. The ability to look back up to seven days applies to X, not Instagram.

Does the tracker monitor Instagram Stories?

No. The documented tracker covers qualifying Instagram feed posts and Reels, not Stories.

How often does monitoring data update?

Metricool’s documentation says the data refreshes automatically every eight hours, with up to three manual refreshes per day.

Can I combine different monitoring reports?

Metricool states that reports from separate monitoring sessions cannot be merged. Keep a separate research log if you want to compare their findings.

Final Thoughts

Hashtag monitoring is most useful when it helps you answer a specific research question.

Metricool’s Hashtag Tracker offers a way to investigate hashtag activity on Instagram and X, but it is important to understand the platform restrictions, historical data limits, monitoring duration, and separate usage cost before starting a session.

Define your research objective first. Then choose the appropriate network, monitor the hashtag for a suitable period, examine the available results, and document the conclusions that matter to your campaign.

This approach helps you use monitoring data as evidence for future decisions instead of choosing hashtags purely by guesswork.

Explore Metricool Through Odyfox

You can visit Metricool through the Odyfox referral link below:

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Promotional code: ODYFOX30

The code is intended to provide a 30-day free trial, subject to the offer’s current terms and eligibility. The Hashtag Tracker itself is a separate pay-per-use feature, so do not assume that the trial covers tracking credits or monitoring charges. Check the terms shown during registration and before purchasing tracking time.

Disclosure: Odyfox may receive a commission from eligible purchases made through its referral link, at no additional cost to you.