How Many Hashtags Should You Use on Instagram? The New 5-Hashtag Rule (2026)

What does the rule say?

Since December 2025, Instagram allows at most 5 hashtags per post and Reel. Write more and you get a warning when you share.

According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, hashtags help content get found in search, but they don't on their own get it shown to more people. Reach depends on watch time, likes and sends.

Which 5 hashtags should you pick?

Few but specific. A formula that works:

1. 1Topic: what the post is about (e.g. #winteroutfit, #skincare).
2. 2Place: the city or neighbourhood you serve (e.g. #brooklyn, #londoncafe).
3. 3Product or service: what you sell (e.g. #pilatesclass).
4. 4Brand: your own brand tag (e.g. #mavimoda).
5. 5Campaign or series: a seasonal tag if you have one (e.g. #newseason).

Generic tags like “love”, “instagood” or “photooftheday” get lost among millions of posts. They won't bring you customers.

What to focus on instead

We cover the signals that really decide reach in Why aren't your Reels getting views? Instagram's 3 signals.

• Write keywords in the caption. Instagram search now reads caption words too. A natural sentence like “pilates classes in Brooklyn” works better than a tag.
• Mind the first 2 seconds. Holding viewers at the start of a Reel affects reach the most.
• Make content worth sharing. Posts that get sent to friends reach new people.

Preparing hashtags with IZY Social

When you write a post in IZY Social, the Write with IZY AI button knows your brand and suggests the text together with up to 5 specific hashtags. You can ask for separate text for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. See the steps in the Creating a post guide.