hashtag keywords are actually not needed

ifya cannot see, it reads

"the hashtag function for dA's keyword searches are actually not necessary to find your art in searches"

and it is true
now recently Deviantart made a new update to the keywords part of submission where it adds the hashtag to it, some people find it annoying and hard to get used to. but for me, well since its not been mandatory for over 5 years to use keywords, well i know that its not really necessary

"but how will people find my art in searches if i don't use it!?"

simple, just put your keywords into the description box. which is where your artist statement as its also known, is. DA still does track the words put in there for their searches. in other words, ifya either 1/ list your keywords at the end in the description box (in other words where this whole thing is being typed) or 2/ hide the keywords in a paragraph about the pic (what i do) as well as, for fanarts, put the copyright ownership stuff at the bottom, those can be used as keywords in searches. and ifya do and search the newest of your work, it'll be there, trust me, go ahead and try that next time you make a pic, and search it up a few minutes later, it'll be there, i should know i've had checked that each time i submit and it works

also, you could also search using the category you put your art in too

"but but what if my art doesn't appear in searches cause i don't use the hashtag keywords?"
actually that may just be a glitch in DA's system, wait til they fix it and check back the newest and it'll be there

"will my work still appear in popular browsing if i don't use the hashtag keywords?"
depends on your popularity, but yes it will still appear. a few days back, i told this to a writer i watch cause he wasn't comfortable with the new hashtag stuff, after telling him the description works too, he uses that strategy in his next story, putting the keywords at the end of the description. it not only appeared in the searches but also in popular browsing.

but really to be very honest, ifya got supportive watchers, people who look at what you make, or know how to lure in creepers, and know how to put things in groups, you can get a lot of exposure in your work without using the hashtag stuff


"wait, if you can just search things without using the keywords function, and instead just use the description, title or even the pic's category, then why have it"

honestly i don't know, one of my friends told me there was a time when keywords were mandatory unlike now, but to me the only reason the hashtag is put in is because DA's conforming to the duur huurrrr social networking craze of #duuur iz kewl 2 uz hayshtags. cause you know its this generation -.-


so yea ifya don't believe me, well i've not used keywords since i've started here 4 years ago, and i've had my art appear in searches and occasionally popular browsing without using the keyword bar at all. i just put whatever keywords i had to use and hid them in the description area.
still ifya are skeptical, try it out, put your keywords in the description without a hashtag needed, and it'll still appear in searches. i guarantee it as long as da don't glitch out and freeze newest searches, which does happen, it did yesterday , that it will appear there.

so anyways comment and enjoy
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