Use three to five hashtags that describe the specific topic of the post. Instagram's own guidance recommends that range, and adding more does not increase reach. Put them in the caption, mix one broad tag with several narrow ones, and avoid banned or unrelated tags.
What hashtags actually do now
Hashtags used to be the main way posts were discovered. Today most discovery comes from recommendations, and Instagram reads the caption, the audio, the on-screen text and the image itself to understand a post. Hashtags are one more label that helps categorise it. They are useful, and no longer decisive.
How many
Instagram's creator guidance suggests three to five hashtags. The long-standing technical limit has been 30 per post, and Instagram has tested lower limits, so do not build a routine around filling the maximum. Past the first handful, extra tags add nothing measurable.
How to choose them
Pick tags that a person interested in this exact post would search for or follow.
- One broad tag for the category: for example the craft, sport or city.
- Two or three narrow tags for the specific subject, style or community.
- One tag of your own, if you run a series or a brand.
Before you use a tag, tap it. Check that the recent posts look like yours and that the tag is active. If the page shows a notice that recent posts are hidden, the tag has been restricted; skip it.
Where to put them
Put hashtags in the caption. Instagram has confirmed that tags in the caption are the ones it uses for search, and tags placed in a comment are less reliable. If you dislike how they look, add them after the last line of the caption.
Habits that no longer help
- Pasting the same 30 tags on every post. Repetition makes the tags less descriptive of each post.
- Using huge tags only. A tag with hundreds of millions of posts gives your post a few seconds near the top.
- Tags unrelated to the post. They attract people who scroll past, which is a negative signal.
- Hiding tags under rows of dots. It changes nothing for ranking.
Keywords matter as much
Instagram search matches words in captions, not only hashtags. Write the caption the way someone would describe the post: "sourdough scoring patterns for beginners" does more than three vague tags. Put the important words in the first line.
Frequently asked questions
Do hashtags in Stories work?
A hashtag sticker or text tag can make a Story eligible to appear on that hashtag's page, but few Stories are shown there. Use one or two at most.
Should I use the same hashtags every time?
Keep one or two that describe your account overall and change the rest to fit each post.
