Short answer: On Instagram you can use up to 5 hashtags on a post, in the caption or in a comment. If your account is public, the post shows up in the search results for those hashtags. Pick five that say what you do and where, and check what each hashtag page already shows before you use it.
What hashtags do on Instagram
A hashtag groups your post with others on the same subject. If you have a public account and add hashtags to a post, the post will be visible in the search results for those hashtags. When people with private profiles tag posts, those posts don’t appear publicly.
Once your post carries a hashtag, you can tap it to see a page with every photo and video people have uploaded with it. Instagram says the order of those posts may depend on when each post was shared, how others engage with it and whether it meets its Recommendation Guidelines.
How to add hashtags to an Instagram post
- In the Instagram app, take or upload a photo or video.
- Choose a filter if you want one, then tap Next.
- Tap the Write a caption field.
- Type # followed by text or emoji, for example #flower.
- Add the rest of your hashtags, up to 5 in total.
- Tap Share.
- To add a hashtag later, edit the caption or include it in a comment on your post.
Numbers work in hashtags, but spaces and special characters such as % don’t. You can only tag your own posts, not other people’s photos or videos. If you include more than 5 hashtags on a single photo or video, Instagram says your comment won’t post.
Instagram hashtags and Threads topics
| Rule | Instagram hashtags | Threads topics |
|---|---|---|
| How many per post | Up to 5 | 1 |
| What they can contain | Text, numbers or emoji, with no spaces or special characters like % | Up to 50 characters, spaces and special characters included |
| The # symbol | Type # before the text | Optional |
Our own summary of the Instagram Help Center pages on hashtags and on Threads topics, read on November 6, 2026.
On Threads, a tagged topic lets people discover your post and others on the same topic in real time. You add it with Tag, or by typing # and then the topic, before you post. Threads says the # symbol may enable more features on other platforms once Threads works with the fediverse.
When a hashtag can’t be searched
Instagram may make a hashtag unsearchable when its text or the content posted with it keeps breaking its Terms of Use or Community Standards. It reviews those hashtags from time to time and may make one searchable again when the content changes. Instagram can also remove posts from hashtag results when people use the hashtag for content against its Community Standards.
So before you use a hashtag, open its page and look at what is already there. If it doesn’t come up in search, or the posts don’t look like something you want next to your business, choose another one.
How to choose your hashtags
Instagram doesn’t say which hashtags to pick, so this part is our advice. With only five per post, each hashtag has to earn its place. Use one that names what you sell and one for your city or neighborhood. Add one for the specific service or product in the post and, if you have one, your own brand hashtag. Very broad hashtags put your post among thousands of others, while specific ones reach people looking for exactly that.
Hashtags work best on posts that are worth finding. Our guide to Instagram reels covers the format, and our guide to Instagram insights shows how to see which posts reach people who don’t follow you yet. To see those numbers you need a professional account, as our guide to Instagram business accounts explains.
Before you publish with hashtags
- Your account is public, so the post can show in hashtag results.
- The post carries 5 hashtags or fewer.
- No hashtag has spaces or special characters like %.
- You opened each hashtag page and liked what was there.
- At least one hashtag names your city or area.
- You compare the reach of posts with different hashtags in your insights.
RememberInstagram takes up to 5 hashtags per post, in the caption or a comment, and only public accounts show up in hashtag results. Choose specific hashtags for what you sell and where, and check each hashtag page before you use it.
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Quick answers about Instagram hashtags
How many hashtags can I use on Instagram?
Instagram’s help says you can use up to 5 hashtags on a post. If you include more than 5 on a single photo or video, your comment won’t post, so pick the five that describe the post best.
Do hashtags work on a private Instagram account?
When people with private profiles tag posts with hashtags, those posts won’t appear publicly on search results. With a public account, a post with hashtags becomes visible in the matching search results, which is what a business needs.
Can I add hashtags after I post?
Yes. Edit the caption of the post you already shared, or include the hashtag in a comment on your photo or video. After that, tapping the hashtag shows the page with every post that uses it.
Why can’t I find a hashtag in Instagram search?
Instagram may make a hashtag unsearchable when its text or the content posted with it keeps breaking the Terms of Use or Community Standards. Instagram reviews those hashtags from time to time and may make one searchable again if its content or text changes.
How do hashtags work on Threads?
On Threads you tag a topic instead, and you can include 1 topic per post. A topic can be up to 50 characters, can contain spaces and special characters, and doesn’t need the # symbol.
Sources
Sources from the Instagram Help Center, read on November 6, 2026: Use hashtags on Instagram. How posts appear on Instagram hashtag search results. Why you can’t search for certain hashtags on Instagram. Tag a topic in your post on Threads.