How many hashtags should you use on Instagram?
You can use up to 5 hashtags per Instagram post or Reel caption, following Instagram’s announcement in December 2025. Use all five, and make them specific: a mix of one broad niche tag, two or three narrower topic tags, a location tag if you serve a city, and your branded tag.
How to choose the right 5 hashtags
- Describe the post, not the brand. Tags should match what the content is about.
- Check the tag page. Search it on Instagram and make sure the top posts look like yours.
- Test for two weeks. Keep the same set, then read reach from hashtags in Insights.
- Swap the weakest. Replace the lowest performer and test again.
These pools are starting points to test, not guarantees of reach. For the full strategy read our Instagram hashtags guide, the Instagram Reels guide and our social media marketing guide.