Hashtag advice is all over the place. Some people say they’re dead; others wish they could still copy-paste 30 of them into every caption. If you’re not sure what your Instagram hashtag strategy should be, the short answer is to focus on relevance (not volume). But there’s more to it than that, so stick with me.
TL;DR
- Instagram hashtags still matter, but the algorithm now weighs engagement signals (saves, shares, watch time) more heavily than hashtag volume.
- Instagram recommends three to five hashtags per post — the hashtag stuffing days are over.
- A good Instagram hashtag strategy mixes niche, branded, and community hashtags tailored to your content and audience.
- Track your hashtag performance so you know what to keep using and what to test next.
Let’s Settle the “Are Hashtags Dead?” Debate
In case you just woke up from a very long nap: an Instagram hashtag is a searchable word or phrase preceded by the # symbol, like #SmallBusiness or #Creator. Tap one, and you’ll land on a curated page of posts using that same tag. Simple enough.
Historically, hashtags were the primary way Instagram categorized and distributed content. These days, they’re one signal among many.
Instagram’s algorithm now prioritizes engagement (saves, shares, comments, watch time) over hashtags. Adam Mosseri has said publicly that more hashtags don’t equal more reach — they help with categorization but aren’t the main driver of discovery anymore.
So hashtags won’t single-handedly carry your content to the Explore page. But they still help Instagram understand what your post is about and surface your content to people browsing niche topics.
Use keywords and hashtags for maximum discovery
Instagram indexes captions, alt text, profile bios, and even on-screen text in Reels to categorize content. That means the words you add to your content matter for discovery in addition to the hashtags you tack on at the end. If someone searches “meal prep for beginners” in the Instagram search bar, posts with those words in the caption can show up, hashtag or not.
Ultimately, you should use both keyword-rich captions that describe your content naturally, AND a handful of targeted hashtags. Keywords help Instagram’s search engine understand your content. Hashtags help categorize it and connect it to browsing behavior.
Example: A Reel about home workout routines with “no-equipment home workout” in the caption AND #HomeWorkout in the hashtags gives the algorithm two ways to match the content with the right audience. Skip either one and you’re leaving reach on the table.
8 Types of Instagram Hashtags Worth Knowing
Not all hashtags do the same job. Before you start researching, it helps to know what’s in the toolbox. Here are eight types of Instagram hashtags worth mixing into your strategy:
- Branded hashtags: unique to your business or personal brand. Example: #MyCalvins for Calvin Klein.
- Campaign hashtags: tied to a specific launch, promotion, or event you’re running, such as #[Brand]HolidaySale for a seasonal push, putting [your brand] in the brackets.
- Product or service hashtags: describe what you sell or offer, for example, #CustomCakes or #SocialMediaMarketing.
- Community hashtags: connect you to like-minded people, like #CreatorsLife or #RunningLife (using tags like #Creators or #Running is still too broad).
- Location hashtags: geo-specific tags that help with local discovery, i.e., #NYCfoodie or #ATXeats.
- Niche hashtags: tied to the content of your posts and the theme of your account. For example, a vegan food creator might use #VeganDinner for one reel and #VeganBaking for another.
- Event hashtags: tied to a real-world or virtual event like #SXSW or #IGSxM
- Trending hashtags: timely tags related to cultural moments or whatever’s flooding the Explore page this week.
The magic is in the mix; a single post might use a branded hashtag, two niche hashtags, and a community hashtag. They all work together to reach different pockets of your audience.
Use branded hashtags to build community
A branded hashtag is one that only you or your community uses. It won’t reach as many people as something like #FitnessMotivation, but that’s not the point. Branded hashtags build community and curate user-generated content you can reshare.
Say you’re a skincare creator. You create #YouGlowGirl and encourage followers to tag you in their routines. Now you’ve got a feed of real people using your recommended products — social proof you didn’t have to produce yourself. You browse the hashtag results, repost the best content to your own page, and your customers feel seen. Everybody wins.
The key is making the hashtag short, memorable, and easy to spell. Then actually use it — in your bio and captions (but probably not your Stories). If you don’t use it consistently, nobody else will either.
What Makes a Good Hashtag
Before you use a hashtag, consider this: not every hashtag with millions of posts is worth using, and obscure tags won’t get you very far either. (They can be a good punchline, though.)
A solid hashtag checks these boxes:
- It’s relevant to your specific content. A hashtag should describe what’s actually in the post. #BeforeAndAfter works great for transformation carousels, but not so much for a flat-lay product shot.
- Your target audience actively searches for it. Instagram removed the ability to follow hashtags a while ago, so scrolling and tapping them are now the primary ways users discover hashtag content. If your audience isn’t browsing a tag, you shouldn’t be using it. So, check the hashtag’s page. Are the posts there similar to yours? Are they getting engagement?
- It’s not too broad. Tags like #Love or #Happy have billions of posts. No point in using these, since your content will get buried in seconds, and they’re very generic (so there’s probably no one scrolling through them). Aim for niche hashtags with enough activity to show demand but not so much that you’re invisible.
- Instagram does not ban it. Instagram bans hashtags associated with spam or inappropriate content — including seemingly innocent ones. Using banned hashtags can tank your reach or, worst case, get your account shadowbanned. Before adding a hashtag to your rotation, search for it in the app. If the results page shows a notice that posts are hidden, steer clear.
An Easy Hashtag Research Strategy
You know what a good hashtag looks like. Now let’s find some.
1. Start with the Instagram Search function
Open the Instagram app and head to the search bar. Select Tags, then type the overarching theme your content is about (FYI, you will probably only see this feature if you have an ancient version of the app).
Found one you want to use? Click the hashtag and scan through posts using it to make sure it’s relevant to your post.
It’s also worth doing a quick scroll through the Explore page. Make a note of the hashtags on recommended posts — since the algorithm has surfaced them, they should be relevant to your niche too.
2. Spy on creators in your niche
A great way to find Instagram hashtags is to spy on creators in your niche. Open the profile of a creator whose content is similar to yours and scan their posts. What hashtags are they using to expand their reach? Keep in mind that brands and creators often “hide” their hashtags by pasting them in the comments section.
3. Let a tool do the digging for you
Don’t have time for manual research? Want to make sure you didn’t miss any glaringly obvious opportunities? Tools like Later, Sprout, and Hootsuite can all offer data-backed hashtag suggestions based on your content.
How Many Hashtags? The Real Answer
The old way was to use as many hashtags as Instagram allowed (30 per post). That advice is outdated. Instagram now caps posts at five hashtags, with the platform recommending three to five relevant ones that actually describe your content.
Why fewer? Because the algorithm has gotten smarter over time. It doesn’t need 30 hashtags to figure out what your post is about. A handful of well-chosen tags is enough. Every hashtag you use should earn its spot. If you can’t explain why a specific tag is relevant to that specific post, cut it.
For Reels, you might lean toward the higher end (five) since they have broader distribution potential. For feed posts, three is plenty. Don’t use any for Instagram Stories, as they’re not designed to be discoverable (they’re mostly shown to your followers) and they expire after 24 hours. Also, you can put your hashtags in the caption or the comments — they’ll work either way.
Hashtags by Niche (Steal These for Your Next Post)
Theory is great, but sometimes you just need hashtags you can use right now. Here’s a starter list of best hashtags for Instagram across popular niches — mid-range tags with enough activity to drive discovery without your post getting lost in the endless scroll.
| Niche | Hashtag examples | Volume range |
|---|---|---|
| Fitness and wellness | #HomeWorkoutIdeas, #FitnessTipsDaily, #MindfulMovement, #GymMotivation, #HealthyHabits | 500K – 5M posts |
| Food and restaurant | #Foodie, #HomeCooking, #Restaurant, #Recipes, #CleanEatingRecipes | 1M – 10M posts |
| Fashion and beauty | #StyleInspo, #BeautyRoutine, #OutfitIdeas, #SkincareJunkie, #SustainableFashion | 1M – 15M posts |
| e-commerce and small business | #SmallBizTips, #ShopSmallBusiness, #EcommerceTips, #HandmadeWithLove, #SmallBusinessOwner | 500K – 8M posts |
| Coaching and education | #OnlineCourseCreator, #CoachingBusiness, #LearnOnInstagram, #DigitalMarketing, #CreatorEconomy | 200K – 5M posts |
| Travel | #TravelGram, #HiddenGems, #SoloTravelTips, #BucketListTravel, #WeekendGetaway | 1M – 20M posts |
Don’t just copy-paste these forever. Use them as a starting point and swap in more specific tags as you learn what actually drives discovery (views).
Track What’s Working, Ditch What Isn’t
When analyzing your posts’ performance, start with Instagram Insights. If you have a Professional account (Business or Creator), tap any post, hit “View Insights,” and look at the reach breakdown. Instagram shows you how many accounts you reached through specific hashtags. It’s not granular enough to tell you which individual hashtag did the heavy lifting, but it gives you a directional read on whether your hashtag game is contributing to reach or just taking up caption space.
Here’s a simple rotation cadence that works: review your hashtag performance every two weeks. Keep using sets of tags that are driving reach. Swap out the ones that aren’t pulling their weight. And every month, do a fresh round of hashtag research to find new tags gaining traction in your niche.
What does “working” look like?
- Reach (are new people finding you?)
- Profile visits (are they looking for more content?)
- Saves (the algorithm’s favorite engagement signal)
If a hashtag group consistently drives those metrics up, you’ve found your winners.
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