Instagram hashtags: the 30-tag limit and how to choose them

Reviewed by Ajay Garg, founder of MAWD Agency, 17 years in digital marketing. LinkedIn

In short: Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags on a post, in the caption or a comment. A few specific tags that describe the post help the right people find it; dozens of generic tags do not.

The rules

• Up to 30 hashtags per post. Instagram says that if a comment includes more than 30, it will not post.
• Tags can go in the caption or in a comment.
• Spaces and special characters such as $ or % do not work inside a tag.

How to choose hashtags

1. Describe the post. #sourdoughscoring tells Instagram more than #food.
2. Add your place if you serve a local area, such as #fremontbakery.
3. Use the tag your audience uses. Search it and check that the top posts look like yours.
4. Keep a short list per topic and reuse it, rather than inventing new tags each time.

Hashtags are a helper, not the engine

Instagram ranks Reels and Explore mainly on how people respond: watch time, shares, saves and comments. Hashtags help Instagram understand a post, but they will not rescue one that people scroll past.