How hashtags help on Instagram
Hashtags tell Instagram and its users what a post is about. They can help your content appear when people search or browse a topic. Relevant hashtags help categorize your content, while a long list of loosely related tags does not help and can make a post look spammy. A few accurate tags beat a long list of popular ones.
Mix three kinds of hashtags
- Broad: big topics like #HealthyFood. Many posts compete here, so posts disappear quickly.
- Niche: communities and sub-topics like #MealPrepIdeas or #BreakfastIdeas, where your post can stand out to an interested audience.
- Specific: tags for this exact post, your location or your brand, like #DubaiFoodie or a branded campaign tag.
Check every hashtag before you use it
- Search it in Instagram. Look at the top posts. If they have nothing to do with your content, skip the tag.
- Watch for restricted tags. Some hashtags are limited because they attracted spam or content that breaks the rules. If recent posts are hidden or the tag shows a notice, do not use it.
- Avoid engagement bait. Tags like #followforfollow or #like4like attract low-quality accounts and say nothing about your content.
- Do not hijack trends. A trending tag that is unrelated to your post misleads people and can hurt how your account is seen.
How many hashtags should you use?
Instagram caps the number of hashtags a post can have, so check the current limit in the app if you plan to use many. In practice, a small set of highly relevant tags is easier to manage and more likely to reach the right people. Use the generator's list as a pool, and pick the strongest few for each post.
Where to put them
Hashtags work in the caption, and keeping them there puts everything in one place. Put them at the end so your first line stays readable. Write multi-word tags in CamelCase, such as #HealthyBreakfastIdeas, so they are easier to read and screen readers can pronounce them correctly.