Instagram Now Allows Only 5 Hashtags Per Post: What Creators Need To Know

Instagram has announced a change to how hashtags work on its platform. The company is now limiting the number of hashtags that creators can add to a Reel or post, saying that fewer and more relevant hashtags work better than using many generic ones. Also Read: Instagram Brings Reels To Your TVs: Here's How It Works, Who Can Use? ALL Details

The update was shared on Friday through Instagram’s Creators account and is rolling out starting today. Also Read: WhatsApp Gets New Layout Options In Status And 2026 Stickers Ahead Of New Year

Only Five Hashtags Allowed Per Post

Hashtags have been part of Instagram since 2011 and were originally meant to help users find content through topic-based searches and recommendations. Until now, creators were allowed to add up to 30 hashtags to a single post. That limit has now been reduced to five. Also Read: What Went Viral In India On Instagram In 2025? Cricket, Nostalgia, Memes, More

According to Instagram, adding a large number of hashtags does not improve reach and can sometimes hurt a post’s performance. The company said creators who use a smaller number of targeted hashtags are more likely to see better engagement and discovery.

“We find that using fewer, more targeted hashtags can improve both your content’s performance and people’s experience on Instagram,” the platform said.

Generic Hashtags No Longer Help Reach

Instagram also addressed the use of widely popular hashtags such as #reels and #explore. Such hashtags are often added with the hope of improving reach, but Instagram says they do little to help posts surface in the Explore feed or recommendation sections. In some cases, relying on broad and commonly used hashtags may even negatively affect a post’s performance.

Instead, the company is asking creators to use hashtags that directly relate to what they are posting. For example, a beauty-focused Reel should use beauty-related hashtags, which are more likely to reach users who already engage with that kind of content.

Tested Before Public Rollout

Earlier this month, reports suggested Instagram was already testing tighter limits on hashtags. Some users reportedly saw a message while adding hashtags, saying only three were allowed.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri has also said in the past that hashtags are no longer a major factor when it comes to reach, pointing out that relevance of the content matters more than the number of hashtags used.