Wondering how to use hashtags on Instagram?
Trying to make sense of conflicting information?
Here’s all you need to know about:
- What are Instagram hashtags?
- How many hashtags to use on Instagram.
- Using Instagram hashtags in comments, caption, and after posting.
- The most popular Instagram hashtags.
- The best Instagram hashtags for likes.
- Banned Instagram hashtags.
- And exactly how to post Instagram hashtags.
Plus so much more, for #InstaSuccess!
What Are Instagram Hashtags?
You know that pound (#) sign on your keyboard? Just add it before a word and voila, you have a hashtag!
A hashtag is a word or a group of words preceded by a pound (#) sign, which is used to categorize and find conversations around a particular topic or trend.
Why Use Hashtags on Instagram?
Use hashtags if you want your content in front of people who will care about it, give it a like, and maybe even follow your account.
1 | Hashtags make it easy for people to find your content.
Hashtags become a link to a collection of other content marked with the same hashtag. It’s an easy way for people to find the kind of content they’re interested in.
2 | Users can follow hashtags they like.
Hashtags serve an additional purpose on Instagram – users can actually “follow” hashtags to see some of that content show up in their feed.
3 | Hashtags help you get recommended.
Hashtags also help Instagram understand what your content is about, so they can recommend it to users who’d be interested in it.
How Do I Add Hashtags on Instagram?
When you write an Instagram caption, type a hash mark # followed by your keyword or words.
As you type, Instagram will fill in some popular suggested hashtags, showing the number of posts already using them.
If you see one you’d like to add, simply tap and it’ll be added to your post.
Or type your own hashtags!
Be aware that typing a space or punctuation mark will end the hashtag right there.
For instance if I type #don’tdothis, the hashtag is going to be #don due to the apostrophe.
Or if I type #instagram marketing, it’ll be #instagram due to the space.
If you don’t want that, be sure to run the letters and/or words together with NO punctuation.
Does Adding Hashtags after Posting Work?
You can edit your caption to change or add hashtags after you post on Instagram.
Or, you can also add working hashtags to comments!
But these will only work on your own posts. More about this later.
Note that your post won’t pop to the top of the hashtag feed if and when you add hashtags after posting. It will appear in hashtag feeds based on the time it was originally posted.
How Many Instagram Hashtags Can I Use?
Instagram lets you add up to 30 hashtags – but that doesn’t mean you should.
Or should you?
Truth is, there’s no verified answer. You can find a study that backs every idea from using 1-3, through to all 30.
Perhaps because the research results have been inconclusive and unhelpful, no new studies have been done for several years. That’s historical in the world of social media.
But in March 2022, Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, explained that hashtags will help Instagram figure out what your content is about. That could increase the likelihood of your content appearing on a hashtag page.
Later he added,
…they’re not going to meaningfully change the amount of reach you get when you post. So if you expect a night-and-day difference, you’re going to be disappointed.
The bottom line, per Instagram, is that more hashtags won’t “meaningfully” increase your reach. You can’t expect twice as many eyeballs on your posts from using twice as many hashtags.
Yet research and users have found that more hashtags = more engagement.
Test it and see
Confused? No surprise there, it’s clear that even Instagram doesn’t know where the sweet spot is.
Many bloggers who specialize in Instagram just go for the full 30 hashtags. It’s never been shown to reduce results.
I cover the latest conflicting announcements from IG and how to test the best number for your own account.
Is There a Maximum of Hashtags on Instagram?
The maximum allowed Instagram hashtags is 30. I recommend you use them all – unless you’re happy with your follower number and engagement.
Want to grow? Use 30 hashtags!
What’s the hack to use 60 hashtags on Instagram?
There used to be a trick where you could first post 30 hashtags in a comment, then go back and edit the photo caption to add 30 more hashtags.
Instagram didn’t notice the hashtags in the caption edit, so you could effectively post a total of 60.
They caught on in 2018, though. So the maximum is 30 Instagram hashtags in 2024. And it’s plenty!
Should I Post Instagram Hashtags in Comments or Caption?
Instagram hashtags may be placed in the photo or video caption at the time you post.
Or, hashtags may be added in a comment (or several comments) after posting.
Is it better to put hashtags in comments or caption?
There’s no difference to their functionality, so it’s your choice.
I prefer adding hashtags in comments, as these are quickly buried once you get a few user comments.
Starting in 2018, the caption is cut off after 2 short lines of text, so caption hashtags don’t show at first glance either.
However, IGers clicking either the “More” tag or the comment icon will see the full caption – including all the hashtags you placed there.
If you write an engaging caption with a call-to-action or question (please do!), people may get distracted by a raft of hashtags and forget to complete your desired action.
This is why I recommend Instagram hashtags in comments rather than captions.
How to Hide Hashtags on Instagram
Want your hashtags in the caption? You can hide them, so they can’t look spammy!
Make them invisible by preceding them with five dashes or periods, each one on a line by itself.
NO space after the period or it won’t work. If you post this in your first comment, IGers will just see […] after your name in the photo stream.
Note: The hashtags are only invisible in the photo stream! If someone clicks to read comments, they will see the hashtags.
It’s easiest to create your hashtag text file in your phone’s Notes app (see image below), and paste it into Instagram. Even though there are now ways to add line breaks on Instagram, it’s a bit clunky to use.
NOTE: If you’re having problems with this trick, it’s almost always because you have a space at the end of your line. It’s a bizarre and annoying quirk, but Instagram will take out the return if there’s a space at the end of the preceding line.
If you’re confused on whether to hide hashtags in a comment or caption, and which actually works better, do a split test! You can do this manually, or for easier comparing, use Tailwind.
Tailwind makes setting up either way easy. Schedule your posts, then automatically publish them to your business account.
Try a week each way, then check Tailwind’s fabulous analytics to see which worked better for you.
Try out Tailwind’s Free Forever plan! No credit card required.
• • • Try TailWind for Instagram FREE now • • •
Disclosure: I’m a Tailwind affiliate, which means I may earn a referral fee if you sign up.
Can I add hashtags to someone else’s Instagram post?
No. You can’t add working hashtags by commenting on any other account than the one you’re signed into.
Anyone can comment on someone else’s post with hashtags, but the other IGer’s post won’t appear in that hashtag feed.
If you see people leaving hashtag comments on others’ posts, they may be suggesting that the original poster add that hashtag.
A little helpful advice, perhaps.
Or, they may not know. But generally I see these hashtag comments between groups of IG friends who are helping each other get featured on Instagram hub accounts.
What Are the Most Popular Hashtags on Instagram for 2024?
With Instagram stressing the importance of relevant hashtags as they pivot towards semantic keyword search, I don’t recommend using the most popular hashtags. They’re just not helpful.
Popular tags are definitely not the best way to reach your target audience. In fact, they virtually guarantee fake “bot” likes.
But you want to know what’s trending! So here goes.
The most popular hashtags of all time (according to Later’s data) are:
- #love
- #instagood
- #photooftheday
- #fashion
- #beautiful
- #like4like
- #picoftheday
- #art
- #happy
- #photography
- #followme
- #style
- #follow
- #instadaily
- #travel
- #life
- #cute
- #fitness
- #nature
But the top 50 hashtags for 2024 are a bit different. This list is based on usage within the Later app and updated April 2023.
- #interiordesign
- #love
- #design
- #fashion
- #instagood
- #inspiration
- #art
- #style
- #realestate
- #homedecor
- #travel
- #smallbusiness
- #foodie
- #wellness
- #shoplocal
- #selfcare
- #photography
- #health
- #food
- #home
- #motivation
- #beauty
- #lifestyle
- #architecture
- #linkinbio
- #fitness
- #luxury
- #nature
- #selflove
- #mentalhealth
- #handmade
- #shopsmall
- #ootd
- #photooftheday
- #skincare
- #business
- #interior
- #mindset
- #supportlocal
- #beautiful
- #valentinesday
- #homedesign
- #instafood
- #entrepreneur
- #interiors
- #wedding
- #realtor
- #weddinginspiration
- #delicious
- #community
Here are the 10 best Instagram hashtags for likes, according to All Hashtag, an Instagram analytics tool:
- #like4like
- #liking
- #likeall
- #likeforlike
- #likes4likes
- #love
- #instagood
- #tagblender
- #likesforlikes
- #ilikeback
Really want more? Here are the 100 top hashtags from December 18, 2023:
#blogger #USA #blackandwhite #instadaily #training #Selfie #newyork #landscape #summer #sky
#look #style #adventure #red #foo d#goodmorning #vsco #nyc #awesome #Home
#happiness #trip #follow4follow #flowers #travel #instalike #weekend #architecture #video #swag
#music #igers #instamood #success #fit #mood #makeup #italy #artist #photographer
#nature #wanderlust #follow #new #Family #me #likeforlike #business #photo #autumn
#beauty #boy #party #art #instapic #wedding #love #sea #color #foodporn
#sexy #happy #foodie #paris #fashionista #healthy #nice #model #ootd #london
#sun #lifestyle #photooftheday #sunset #vintage #dog #blue #cool #photography #Japan
#black #l4l #f4f #health #followforfollow #picture #night #bestoftheday #life #live
#TagsForLikes #beach #fun #bodybuilding #Halloween #amazing #pretty #inspiration #outfit #cute
However – just because these work for the “average” account doesn’t mean they’ll work for yours. And as I said before, they’re not a great way to reach the right people.
I suggest you get a little more creative with your hashtags. Read on…
Should I use popular Instagram hashtags?
If you’re using 30 hashtags, okay, go ahead and make 1 or 2 of those popular ones.
This will get you some quick likes. However, most of those will be fake, bot likes.
Yes, automated “bot” activity is still a problem on Instagram in 2024.
Use popular tags, and you’ll likely also be the target of annoying follow-unfollow activity.
This is where those rule-breaking IGers use automation to follow accounts they think might follow them back. If you don’t follow back, and sometimes even if you do, they’ll unfollow you later.
Don’t take it personally, as it’s all automated. No one is making any judgement of your account.
Please don’t ever do automated follow-unfollow on Instagram. You risk your account being shadowbanned or even closed.
But back to those top tags, they may work for likes in the first second after you post. Your post will be quickly buried in the hashtag feed.
In addition, they’re often used by spammers and quickly get banned!
Using banned hashtags may put you in league with spammers and arouse Instagram’s suspicions about your account.
Banned Instagram Hashtags 2024
So now you want to know: which hashtags are banned by Instagram?
Unfortunately this is an ever-moving target. According to Markitors.com:
… the hashtag #happythanksgiving was completely overrun with spam, so they banned it. From here on out, if you use the hashtag #happythanksgiving, not only will your content most likely not show up for that hashtag, you might also be flagged for spam. The repetitive use of banned hashtags, leading to multiple flags to your account, could even result in shadow banning or account removal.
Of course, in order to avoid these forbidden hashtags, you have to know which tags are banned. How is anyone supposed to know that #happythanksgiving is considered “spam”?
There are 3 ways to avoid using banned hashtags:
- Don’t use any of the most popular Instagram hashtags.
- Research any hashtag before using it.
- Use Tailwind Hashtag Finder. NO banned hashtags are ever included.
To research currently banned tags, search for a specific hashtag in the search bar.
Click on the hashtag and scroll through the pictures.
If you reach an end where a message says the posts are “currently hidden,” it’s a banned hashtag.
Want to save the hassle of researching banned tags, and find the best assortment of hashtags for your audience?
Click to learn more about Tailwind Hashtag Finder for Instagram.
Or jump in and try it out!
• • • Try TailWind Instagram Hashtag Finder for FREE • • •
Disclosure: I’m a Tailwind affiliate, which means I may make a referral fee if you sign up.
What Are the Best Instagram Hashtags?
I don’t recommend popular tags, for the reasons stated above.
Here’s what I do recommend:
Use hashtags that are relevant to your niche.
Using specific and relevant hashtags helps you connect with people who are looking for exactly what you’re posting.
You can find relevant tags by searching your keywords in Instagram, or using a site like Hashtagify.me.
Watch what others in your niche are using.
See what your peers and influencers are posting on their photos.
Check out the related tags Instagram suggests when you tap a tag that’s relevant to your content. Try them if they seem useful!
Be sure your hashtags are active.
Check the hashtag feed to see that the tags you’re using are currently being used by others.
Hint: If you scroll down 20 rows and are still finding content posted in the last few seconds, that tag is too active!
Stop using the most popular hashtags like pretty, beautiful, love and similar ones.
Your post will be buried in that feed within milliseconds. In researching this, I also discovered a lot of posts in those tags that I don’t even want to be seen with (some I even felt obligated to report).
If you insist, sprinkle in a few of them, when relevant to your post.
Not necessarily the ones with 100M’s of posts, but one or two over 1M might give you some quick likes.
Note: Your content really needs to be awesome to stand out in a lighting-fast moving tag feed!
Create a branded hashtag for your company or a campaign.
Check that these tags aren’t already being used, particularly in a way you wouldn’t approve of!
Prompt fans and followers to use your tag, and you’ll soon learn just who your superfans are. Support, encourage, and regram them!
Easily find the best hashtags for Instagram!
Try out Tailwind! No credit card required.
• • • Try TailWind Instagram Hashtag Finder for FREE • • •
Disclosure: I’m a Tailwind affiliate, which means I may earn a referral fee if you purchase a plan.
Can I Add Hashtags to Instagram after Posting?
Once upon a time, using hashtags was easy:
- You posted a bunch with your photo.
- You came back later, deleted those tags, and added a bunch more.
- Magically, your post was bumped to the top of those hashtag feeds, regardless of how long it had been since the original post.
- Your engagement spiked once again.
But Instagram changed all that for us in March 2015.
No matter when you add a hashtag to your photo or video, it will appear in that hashtag feed with other photos and videos posted at its original posting time.
Or as Instagram says:
Keep in mind that if you add a hashtag to a photo after it was posted, the photo will still appear on the hashtag page according to the time it was originally posted, not the time the hashtag was added.
The short answer is yes, you can add hashtags to your own posts after posting.
Popular hashtags must be added immediately, or your post will never surface in those feeds.
If you like, you can delete those later and add niche hashtags in their place.
Personally, I think your time is better spent on creating new Instagram posts.
Why Are my Instagram Hashtags Not Working?
You may be the victim of a shadowban.
A shadowban hides your Instagram posts from users who don’t follow you, which can be detrimental to growing your account and getting more followers.
If you get shadowbanned on Instagram, only you and your current followers will see your post when they search for the hashtags you used. If someone who doesn’t follow your account searches for one of those hashtags, they won’t see your post!
This defeats the purpose of using strategic hashtags to grow your Instagram community.
I’ve even had readers say they can’t find their own posts in the hashtag feeds! This could also be due to shadowban. Or, as IG calls it, “issues with hashtag search.”
Instagram doesn’t admit there is such a thing, by the way, so don’t expect to get help from them.
You can use the “Report a Problem” feature in your account settings under “Support.” I no longer get a reply when I do this, but it can’t hurt.
I would suggest saying “my post isn’t showing in the hashtag feeds” and not use the word “shadowban.”
How Can I Avoid Being Shadowbanned?
Instagram shadowbanning is sometimes a result of spammy behavior.
However, some normal behavior is also getting users shadowbanned:
- Repeated use of the same hashtag group within 24 hours.
- Using “broken” or banned hashtags.
Sometimes a normal, everyday hashtag can be banned.
Popular tags are often used on content that violates IG community guidelines. Then Instagram might block the hashtag outright, meaning you can’t even search for it on IG, or they’ll limit the posts shown in that hashtag feed.
With the shadowban, it appears that even if you use a single banned hashtag in your post, Instagram will prevent your post from appearing on any of the hashtags you used!
So, you could search each hashtag feed individually for evidence that a tag is broken or banned. Don’t use those!
OR, just make your life easier by using Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder!
It will give you fresh, related choices so you’re not repeating the same hashtag group, and it will only suggest tags that are Instagram-approved!
To try Tailwind Hashtag Finder, click here.
• • • Try TailWind Instagram Hashtag Finder for FREE • • •
Disclosure: I’m a Tailwind affiliate, which means I may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase a plan.
How to Post Instagram Hashtags for Best Results
If you insist on using uber-popular hashtags, you MUST post them in your post caption.
If you wait even a second to post them in a comment, they’re pretty much worthless, as your post will be buried in that hashtag feed the instant you add it.
If you post hashtags in several comments, post the more popular ones first.
Post hashtag comments in the order of how fast the hashtag feeds move!
Niche hashtags CAN still be added at a later date!
DON’T bother adding hashtags where the original date of your post would have it buried deeply in the feed – BUT there are some cool super-niche hashtags that have only several hundred to a few thousand posts in them. Many of these even have avid fans!
For easiest hashtagging, keep groups of 30 hashtags in your phone’s Notes app.
Create and save a set of 30 tags for each type of post you make (or less than 30 if you insist 😉 ).
Copy your hashtag group before you make your IG post!
Then you have them ready on your clipboard to add in a comment immediately. No fumbling, no wasting valuable seconds. Or, set up a text shortcut!
Conclusion: Do This for Instagram Hashtag Success!
Make your Instagramming easy!
Sign up for Tailwind and see how simple posting can be.
• • • Try TailWind Instagram Hashtag Finder for FREE • • •
Disclosure: I’m a Tailwind affiliate, which means I may make a referral fee if you sign up.
Use 11 to 30 hashtags to grow your account.
Hide your hashtags in a comment with . and return, 5 times.
Use more hashtags relevant to your niche.
- What are your keywords?
- What are peers/competitors/influencers using?
- What does Instagram suggest as related?
Use fewer (or none) of the most popular hashtags.
Choose hashtags that are actively used (but not too active!).
Create a custom tag for your brand or campaign.
- Be sure to check first to see if it’s already being used.
- Promote your tag’s use by followers.
- Engage / shout out your fans who use it!
Keep hashtag groups in your phone’s Notes app.
- One group for each type of content you post.
- Copy them to your clipboard before you post content.
- Follow up immediately with hashtags in a comment.
Bonus tip: Your hashtags will magically work much better if you’re posting awesome visuals! People are scanning those hashtag feeds, and you need to stand out.
Well done! Learning how to use hashtags on Instagram will help your account grow.
Want more?
Learn how to grow your Instagram followers 10 more ways!
Anastasis says
Is it worth adding hashtags to old posts? I used to post pictures with zero hashtags.
Louise Myers says
Unlikely old posts would surface in hashtag feeds, unless they were extremely popular.
anjali says
This is really useful – I feel like I’m always still learning more about how to optimize Instagram so these tips are helpful!
Theodora says
Hi Louise, this post was very informative! The initial reason I opened it though was in case you knew how many posts start a hashtag. Meaning, if a hashtag doesn’t exist and I want to start it, how many posts does it take for them to start appearing under that hashtag name. Any ideas? I’ve looked elsewhere too but couldn’t find anything and you seem to be on the know so I thought I’d ask! Thank you! ?
Louise Myers says
Hi Theodora,
I’ve clicked on hashtags that have 1 post showing under them. So I’d guess it’s fairly immediate. Are you creating a brand hashtag?
Ariel says
Good tips! Thanks.
For me it should all start with planning and scheduling not just the hashtags but the entire post itself. It helps me a lot in designing, editing, analyzing and scheduling my IG posts. 🙂
Bav says
Very useful article thanks. I was trying to aim for 30 most popular hashtags, but his article makes so much sense.
Louise Myers says
Glad it helped!
Emmanuel Mariere says
Thank you this was helpful
Silvia says
Hi!
My posted photo won’t appear my tagged hashtags. This problem showed up yesterday for the first time…
Louise Myers says
Google “shadowban” and you should find some suggestions. Good luck!
John Fox says
Hi Louise,
I read your great article and all of the comments. I knew many of the details already, but ran into a hashtag problem this morning on Instagram.
I started an account years ago, but left it private for many years and didn’t use it much. More recently, I opened my account to the public and started to post my professional level photography on my feed.
In order to gain new followers, I used 30 hashtags for each of my photos. I would post about once a day or once every other day. Most of my hashtags I used were active hubs where some of my photos could be featured. In 4 months I gained about 900 new followers. It was fun and exciting to see new people into my photography work. I typically post a landscape shot, then wildlife, then nature, and maybe some throwback work, so as to not repeat content or hashtags on a frequent basis.
This morning I posted a photo of a close-up Bobcat profile photo. Immediately I noticed that the initial “likes” weren’t coming in at the typical regularity. Usually when you tag accurately, the first 1-20 minutes nets a lot of Non-follower activity (likes, new followers etc.) That is the point of hashtags. My Bobcat photo did not. Instead I noticed that every like came from a follower of mine. Then one of my friends commented and said “check your hashtags, they don’t work, tried them twice”. So I checked myself, and sure enough my photo of the bobcat was not in any of the 30 hashtags I used.
I decided to log out of my account and log back in. Then I waited a few hours and made a new post of Milky Way over Half Dome. I did 30 new hashtags for it. I posted it and checked in on the shot 3 minutes later. No “non follower” likes, and my photo was not in any of the hashtag “most recent” feeds I chose.
Did I do something wrong?
Will this reset somehow on its own if I stay inactive for a duration of time?
How can this be avoided going forward, if it does reset?
For a photographer like myself, getting my work in front of new followers is one of my goals, and there is no other way to really do this besides using hashtags.
Any help or insight would be appreciated.
Thank you!
-John
Louise Myers says
Hi John,
This is a continuing problem. It’s so frustrating!
Instagram says it’s just a glitch, but IGers call it “shadowban.” Google it. Good luck!
John Fox says
Thanks Louise,
From what I read about shadowban, it says only accounts not following you cannot see your posts in the hashtags you use.
This is not what happened to me. I can’t see my pictures in my hashtags. My followers can’t either. No one can.
Is this a different type of shadowban than what I read about?
Louise Myers says
There’s really no way to know, because “shadowban” isn’t recognized or defined by IG. But the same fixes should help. Most important, make sure none of your hashtags are banned.
Terez says
Hi John, how did you fixed it? I have the same trouble right now. My posts are disapearing from feeds 🙁 do you have any advice?
jean says
Hi,
I forgot to put hashtags in my first IG posts (2 days ago)
Is it too late to go and put them now?
Should I delete them and post them again with hashtags?
Thanks in advance for your advice
Jean
Louise Myers says
I wouldn’t delete them. Just use hashtags going forward.
Yulia says
Hi. Seems that I’m shadowbanned on IG but not sure about the reason because I’ve been very careful. I don’t mind posting without using hashtags for a week or so but the main problem is that when I unfollow this account from my personal one and check my custom tag I can’t scroll down as if it was blocked. But I think it’s important to use it if I want it to be my branded hashtag. Do you know if IG will unblock my custom tag after few days? Thanks for all the information ?
Louise Myers says
I think if your tag was blocked you’d see a message from IG on the tag feed.
“Recent posts from #yourtaghere are currently hidden because the community has reported some content that may not meet Instagram’s community guidelines.”
Deval Shah says
Hi Louise,
Honesty says first I didn’t believe in this kind of #hashtag on Instagram,
but I posted 1 pic with hashtags and in response, I get many engagements on my pics and get likes too.
So now am believer in the power of the #HASHTAGS.
Now I need to ask, if I use the hashtags on the someone’s comment then I also get the engagement that I get in the pic?
Louise Myers says
If I understand your question – You can’t add someone else’s photo to a hashtag feed, only your own.
Mirian K. Shade says
Hide your hashtags in a comment with . and return, 5 times… 😀 Thats one of the secrets to a clean looking post Louise ;).
It’s such a mess looking at a post with 20+ hashtags in caption. Distributing them in set of 7-9 (caption) and rest in comments…separated by dots is a great growth hack tip for Instagram.
Louise Myers says
I doubt it’s a growth hack, but it does look better.
Jenny says
Hi Louise, this is an excellent read, thanks so much for posting. Have you found a way to include the . [return] x5 in a text shortcut on an iPhone? Many thanks!
Louise Myers says
Yep! Use the Notes app.
Julia Elizabeth says
Hi Louise, Thank you for this post! So if I am understanding correctly, the only reason to put hashtags in a comment rather than in the caption is to make your post look “cleaner” in a way? I’m not sure I completely get why not to just enter the hashtags in the captions themselves. Thanks, Julia 🙂
Louise Myers says
Yes, exactly. It’s a very popular trick among Instagrammers, but it’s certainly not necessary.
aamir says
Hi Louise,
The information that you have provided above gave a lot more clarity how the hashtags really work and I am thankful for that.
But I am facing some issues from last few days that my posts are not appearing in the hashtags feed, sometimes they appear for few minutes and again disappear. I am not getting the engagement and likes as earlier, I tried using different hashtags and also not using Instagram for few days, but the problem still persists.
please help me as this is discouraging me not to use Instagram.
Thank you
Louise Myers says
Hi Aaminr,
There are so many possible reasons for this! I’ve been through it myself in the form of a shadow ban.You may want to research further to see if you can pinpoint your problem.
Best of luck!
Lisa Smith says
Hi Louise Myers, Many many thanks for this amazing, helpful, informative article! If someone can implement your post , then must be getting more traffic/followers in their business. There are many issues to gel maximum followers, in your post you outlined almost all of them. So i think this is an ideal post for Instagram.
Emma says
Hi Louise,
Thank you for this instructional blog on instragram hashtags. I am sure this question has likely been addressed, however I have trawled through and not come across it. I understand that the reach of an instagram post is significantly expanded proportionate to the number of hashtags that one uses. I have noticed some accounts that put the majority of their hashtags as their ‘first comment’ rather then in the actual post itself. Does this still get the same reach? Social media managing accounts such as grum.com offer a feature whereby you can input your ‘post’ and your ‘first comment.’ I am just trying to understand better and would appreciate your expertise.
Best regards
Louise Myers says
As far as I know, and since many pros use this tactic, I do believe hashtags get the same reach whether in a comment or caption.
Dampas says
If I add 5 periods in comment it hides that comment in photo list, but then I can only use 25 hashtags.
Is that for all or am I doing something wrong?
Louise Myers says
I’ve never had this happen. No idea why.
Leo says
Use the right and relevant hashtag for your photos in Instagram. But don’t use too much hashtag, 4-10 is fine for each post.
Louise Myers says
Fine but not optimal.
Perry Davis says
Louise, great article! I’m new to getting my business up and running and I am now the concept of using hashtags. Do you recommend using the hashtags in the caption, comments, or both? I personally, feel it would look cluttery and over done if I was to see tons of hashtags in a caption. I prefer seeing them in the comments because quite frankly, I don’t really have to see them. However coming from the business standpoint, I want to do what is going to be the most fruitful for me. I know I’m late to this thread but hopefully you could give me some insight!
Louise Myers says
I prefer them in a comment, they’re quickly buried and become “invisible.”
Peanut butter says
Could you give me a template to copy paste please ??
Vladimir Ladev says
Have you tried using a virtual android emulator such as ‘andyroid’ to speed things up and simplify things?
Louise Myers says
Nope, I don’t see how that would help.
Rangus says
What are your thoughts on deleting the comments after a while? Is it worth keeping the hashtags there, or are they only useful for the initial period after posting? Would be nice to have a nice, clean and tidy post after the hashtags have done their initial work.
Louise Myers says
I get some random, automated likes and comments (based on hashtag targeting) after MANY weeks. But no big deal. You can delete them if you want, but it’s highly unlikely anyone will look at those posts after a couple days, anyway.
Rangus says
Great, thanks for taking the time to respond, appreciate your thoughts. 🙂
Louise Myers says
You’re welcome 🙂
Isabel says
Hi Louise,
First of all, wonderful post, very helpful 🙂
I have read through the comments to see if anybody else is having the problem I have found but I can’t find anybody who has…
What happens is I post a picture with my hashtags as caption and the picture posts without the caption. Why? When I try to edit and ad them, the app tells me changes has not been able to be done… so frustrating…
Am I using banned hashtags without knowing? If so, shouyldn’t they be telling me? How do I know which hashtags are banned?
Sorry… I’m not very good with these things. I hope you can help 🙂
Many thanks in advance and happy Wednesday!
Louise Myers says
Hi Isabel,
Is it possible you have included more than 30? Otherwise, do check for a current list of banned hashtags. They do change. And I don’t think IG does tell you. Google it…
The last possibility is your account is currently blocked from using hashtags. This just has to be waited out.
carlos says
What-s the point of offering a pdf that contains the exact same information as this blog post?
Louise Myers says
Many people like to have it to refer to later. Close to 3K people have downloaded it!
Allison Wilman says
Hello,
I’ve been trying to post hashtags in my comments and it won’t let me do it. It shows a little red note on the bottom saying “couldn’t post. Tap to retry”
Is this stil working for everyone else? I tried it in 3 different accounts and shows the same.
Do you know why this happens?
Thanks a lot! Great post…
Louise Myers says
That’s so odd! Are you sure you have no more than 30 in there? And it’s not a repeat of a comment you posted in the last 24 hours? That’s about all I can think of. Unless there’s a banned tag in the group! Or your connection is intermittent.
Trish says
This is amazing! I’ve learned so much between the article AND the comments. Thanks for answering everyones questions.
Louise Myers says
Glad it helped!
Alicia says
Hey Louise!
Thank you so much this post has tons of great info! I was curious if there is a tool that makes it easy to see what the speed/popularity of certain hashtags is? Or do you just check their popularity number in instagram to decide on them?
Thanks,
Alicia
Louise Myers says
I use their popularity on Instagram, and how often I can rank in Top Posts for that tag. Which aren’t always exactly the same!
Blake Miller says
Can you clarify if the Hashtags (with 5 periods or dashes with carriage returns) are to be put in the Caption at the time of posting? Or in a comment after the posting. When I look at a post where it’s in the comment, they are not in the caption (which makes sense) but only in a “View 1 comment” which is from myself. It does not show up as the […] to click more. It shows up as a comment (and doesn’t show who) Does that still meet the intent of including a bunch of hashtags to a post?
Louise Myers says
Yes, it meets the intent of including a bunch of hashtags in a post.
As to why the comment is sometimes completely hidden and sometimes shown as […], I don’t know. But regardless, hashtags in a comment are more hidden than in a caption. Eventually they should be buried by other comments.
Milly says
Hi – great information – cleared up plenty for me.
Two Questions:
1: I’d like to set up a text shortcut with my hashtag sets with my iPhone, but the “returns” seem to get stripped even though I don’t have any spaces. It works if I paste directly from the notes – but If I paste that same string to the shortcuts spaces get added in where the returns should be.
2: You mentioned “I use mostly the same ones every day. However if you post more than once a day, you’ll have to change them up. I’ve heard Instagram will start blocking them if you use the same set more than once daily.” Does that mean I have to use an entirely different set or sail out a few within the set – so have a morning set and an evening set?
Thanks again!
Louise Myers says
Hey Milly, sorry I don’t have answers for these as I haven’t tried them. I believe you can mix up the order and change out some hashtags, but I haven’t tested it.
Tamara Blair says
Hi there, I have recently been having problems with my instagram account for the past month or so where my hash tags where only my followers seem to be liking my pictures. I am not gaining he amount of “likes” comments or new followers as I normally would. This happened after I he posted a few pics in a row from a trip at the beach. Normally my content is health and fitness. Could I have been blocked is there any tricks I can do to fix it? I have also been stopped to post, comment or like anything numerous times as well ? I have contacted instagram but have heard nothing! This is so frustrating!
Louise Myers says
If you repeat the same hashtags more than once a day, IG sees it as a duplicate comment (which they see as spam).
Shauna says
Help! I can’t get it to post in comments. I looked for spaces already.
Shauna says
Ok got it to work. Had too many hashtags. So do you change these up daily or by post or use the same ones and copy and paste?
Louise Myers says
I use mostly the same ones every day. However if you post more than once a day, you’ll have to change them up. I’ve heard Instagram will start blocking them if you use the same set more than once daily.
Luna says
I think this may not work anymore? I’ve tried more dots, less dots, five dots. I’ve tried posting in comments and in the descriptions and no matter what I do it still shows.
Louise Myers says
I just tested it and it still works. However, the comment is only invisible in the news feed. If someone clicks to see comments, yes, they will see the hashtags. Is this where the confusion is coming in?
irfan Naseem says
Hi Louise
i have tried this also on Android and it does not work for me either. put the hastags in notes and pasted out and it puts the first dot next to the caption and username
i think its been deactiavted?
Louise Myers says
Hi Irfan,
Yes, the first dot goes next to the username.
If you’re not getting the hidden comment though, most likely you have a space after your punctuation. The returns won’t work in IG if there’s a space at the end of the previous line.
This still works for me every day.
simona dedek says
Hi, what a great post, thank you!
But, I am ready to throw my phone through the window….
From your post: You can hide your hashtags, so they can’t look spammy! Make them invisible by preceding them with five dashes or periods, each one on a line by itself. NO space after the period or it won’t work. If you post this in your first comment, IGers will just see […] after your name in the stream.
OK, I give UP… HOW DO I GET A NEW LINE (Yelling intentional) in the IG app?
I CANNOT make a new line. You specifically say to place a period on each new line. Is there some magical trick to this?
Thank you!!!!
Louise Myers says
Sorry for lack of clarity. In a caption, you can make a return via the number keypad. But on a comment, you can’t. You need to set up your hashtag groups in your phone’s Notes app.
simona dedek says
ohhhhhhhhhhh
but, didn’t know about the number keypad hack either. which number performs this magical trick?
Louise Myers says
Still no trick – when typing a caption, the button on lower right of the number keypad says “return.” But when typing a comment, it says “post” or “send.” So you can’t create returns in comments within the IG app. But you can in a caption if you wish. The return button is visible on the number keypad when writing a caption.
Ann says
Hello Louise,
Thank you for your wonderful post.
I’m new to IG, nearly 4 weeks. I’m not very good at social media, and I certainly don’t understand the “ins and outs” of IG.
I’ve been posting 1 picture a day, with a few hashtags in the caption area. As far as I know this is the only way to use hashtags. I don’t understand this whole system of adding hashtags to a comment. Do I make a comment on my own post by adding the hashtags in the comment?
For the past week my hashtags simply stopped working. I get no likes and no comments at all–ZERO. I was getting and average of 40-50 likes per post. I did use some hashtags such as #photography without knowing it’s banned, but it did work. I was mostly using the same #s and maybe adding a few more depending of the post. I post my own photos, no selfies, nothing obnoxious nor improper. I don’t know what to do. It’s very frustrating. I’ve reported to IG on a daily basis at no avail. Any tips?
Thanks,
Ann
Louise Myers says
Hi Ann,
“Do I make a comment on my own post by adding the hashtags in the comment?”
Yes. The only purpose of this is to hide your hashtags and keep the post caption looking clean. It’s not necessary.
“For the past week my hashtags simply stopped working.”
I’ve heard of this a few times. You should be able to repeat the same hashtags on one post a day (more than that might make them stop working). It may be a temporary thing. Keep reporting. You may want to stop posting for a few days. You could check what other readers have done about blocked comments here. Generally, you just have to wait it out. Probably the same with the hashtag issue.
Ann says
Thanks, Louise,
I’ll wait a few days or week until I post again.
Could you please list the steps for adding the hashtags in a comment without looking too cluttered?
I tried this morning but it didn’t work. I typed 5 periods (…..), hashtag right after the last period without any space, hit the return key and did the same thing again for the other hashtag. 1 hashtags per line.
Thanks,
Ann
Sam says
Let’s try to understand the “hashtag ghosted” Gates 🙂
I experienced this:
1) my photo disappear after few min
2)after almost 12/13 mins
3)after 50 mins almost
4)sometimes doesn’t appear from the beginning.
My account is aged more than a year.
A competitor with the same set of 30 hashtag doesn’t suffer of this issue, and he post 50 daily.
Other people, with new accounts, don’t suffer of this issue.
It sometimes happens that after a change of ip, if i login via browser i have to verify my account for suspicious activity (just if i change ip) ( in my personal account, that is on the same phone, same ip’s, don’t happen!)
Trying to stop commenting , liking, posting for 2 days didn’t solve the issue at all (first days well, then photos start to disappear again)
Is a good option to disable my accound for 2 days?
How can we contact, in a good way, instagram?? 🙂
Sorry for replying long, but i’m getting stressed 😛
Thanks louise, you have a great blog!
Louise Myers says
I’m sorry for this awful situation, Sam! Definitely frustrating. I don’t know of a way to contact Instagram. Sorry I can’t help. Have you tried sticking to only one device to access your account?
karin says
hi there,
thanks for this! really helped me.
one more question i am not sure about because there are different opinions about it:
one ig professional consultant told me that hashtags should never put in the caption but in the first comment? is that true?
thank you!
karin
Louise Myers says
It doesn’t matter. They do “disappear” when in the comment, but there’s nothing “horrible” about putting some (or even all) in the caption.
Dee Sanchez says
Wow. Your blog is just amazing! I can’t believe I haven’t seen this up until now! It is very insightful, relevant, legit and most of all straightforward! I just love how you reinforce your points by using both pictures and recaps in bullet form. This article is also amazing, you really did a great job justifying your points using stats. I can’t wait to try this on my next posts on IG!
Louise Myers says
Wonderful, thanks for your great comment, Dee!
Katie says
Hi Louise
thanks so much for your help! i’m from Cape Town – and started my IG account 4 weeks ago! i want to be authentic and relevant and as true as possible so that i can attract the right consumers and followers – HOWEVER i’ve followed your advise (thank you) BUT all of a sudden – IG stopped allowing me to post hashtags as a comment y’day – – i have to add it as part of the orignal post (which is not ideal when i want to promote that post) , is this something you’ve recently found? is it common? urgh! frustrating when i’m trying to keep consistency and not flood the page with # and nonsense
thank you so much
x katie
Louise Myers says
I haven’t heard of this, Katie, but it seems lately that newer accounts are subject to different standards than established accounts. So do they just not work in a comment or does IG actually prevent the comment from posting?
Jason says
Hi Louise, great article, thanks. I’m wondering about hubs. If I am using their hashtags, should I also include their tag name (@____), or is the hashtag alone enough? If I should use the tag name, does it matter where it goes (enter it when posting photo, enter it in caption, or enter it in a comment)? Lastly, some people state in their bios that they are a “member” of certain hubs. Does that mean something different than a follower? Thank you.
Louise Myers says
Hi Jason,
Each hub has their own rules about tagging them (most don’t want it but some do) and becoming a member. Usually they state this in their bio.
Enjoy!
Jason says
Much appreciated Louise, thank you.
Alina says
Thank you for the great articles, havent managed to hide hashtags yet…! Five periods each followed by return, no space.
Louise Myers says
Hi Alina,
That should work in a comment. Doesn’t work in captions though. But Instagram is hiding most comments anyway, these days.
Marko says
Hi, just wondering if you can help at all? I’m newish to Insta so still getting to grips with it. I post 2-3 pics on a daily basis and normally use between 20-30 hashtags per post. On posting I immediately start getting likes and normally end up with around 60-70 likes for each pic. Sometimes I will post a pic and I get no likes whatsoever, even though I’ve used pretty much the same hashtags. Do insta treat this as spam and block your hashtags? Is it that I have an invalid hashtag that is blocked by insta so it makes the post useless? If you get blocked how long is it for? I’ve never had any messages to say otherwise. If you have a really popular hashtag and it flies down the feed in seconds (so would therfore more than likely be ignored) does that mean all your other hashtags are the same and are ignored and pushed down their own individual category hashtag?
Many thanks!
Louise Myers says
Have you checked to see if your posts appear in the hashtag feeds? I’ve heard that if you repeat the same group of hashtags more than once daily, they won’t work.
Marko says
I did check on the individual hashtag feeds and they were showing but they weren’t showing for a friend when I asked them to search them. It baffles me.
Marko says
If since tried a complete different post with hashtags I’ve never used before and instead of posting them in the caption I’ve posted them in the comments and surprise surprise still no likes. Any ideas?
Louise Myers says
I haven’t heard of this specific problem – hashtags work sometimes but not others – but I have heard of various issues with new accounts. Perhaps Insta has new accounts sort of “on probation” and flags / blocks them for any suspicious activity. So maybe cut back to posting once a day. If you’re doing anything else like liking / tagging / following a lot of accounts, definitely stop that.
Justin Barclay says
Great post Louise! Thanks for keeping us up to date.
P.S. That idea about hiding the hashtags was worth it’s weight in gold!
Louise Myers says
Glad you liked it, Justin!
Raymond says
Hello Louise,
i want to ask you, a few months ago my account instagram get banned by IG until twice.
before get banned, my follower increase appx 500-1000 follower / daily.
And after recovered by IG, my follower drop (app a hundred daily) and sometimes increase only below 100 a day and tommorow dropped again.
my question, how to recovered my follower growth like before banned? Is it important to use hastags? Because after banned, i use hastags and not useful.
please the best answer of my problem.
you can reply me in my cooment or in my email.
thank you.
Louise Myers says
My question for you would be, how were you gaining so many followers before being banned? It seems highly unlikely by any organic means.
Raymond says
if you have an email, i can send you a picture of screenshoot about follower report before banned and after banned louise.
or you can check about my IG @capcussss in socialblade louise. (but in socialblade report only seen after banned and before banned not seen again).
thank you.
Guest47 says
Hi, thanks for the insightful article. I am sure the gist of what is said is sound, and perhaps indeed the more hashtags, the greater the subsequent engagement levels. However, based solely on your extract of the study you cited (which could be taken out of context), it seems the authors of that study have no statistical background at any level. Those raw figures clearly suffer from noise and no elementary regression or hypothesis testing was performed. I wouldn’t base my argument on that study.
Louise Myers says
That’s an interesting observation. All I can respond is, it works for me, so I’m gonna keep doing it. Others can do their own testing to see if it works for them. I’d highly recommend trying it.
I have no “argument,” axe to grind, or thing to sell. I’m just providing loads of helpful advice. Try it!
Dave says
I’ve noticed some people seem to be able to use 30 tags in both the caption and the comments (60 total). How is that possible?
Louise Myers says
I’ve heard this works but never saw or tried it. Have you tried it, Dave?
Louise Myers says
Well, I just tried it and it works. Considering using it going forward. Thanks for reminding me of this loophole. I heard of it ages ago and can’t believe they haven’t fixed it!
Kriston says
Hi there, I loved this article. Thank you so much for posting it. I have a quick question. I just tried the . . . . . 30 hashtags in the post and then 30 more hashtags in the first comment and it did not work for me. Does this only work for some accounts and for some reason, not others?
Also very quick second question, is it 30 hashtags total so that even if someone else hashtags in the comments, that hashtag does not work for your post, meaning, it does not show up in that hashtag list on Instagram. I only ask this because first, I always do exactly 30 hashtags, but I also have another account on Instagram and sometimes, I go and put a few extra hashtags in a comment from that other account when it’s a post I really want to get out there, thinking that will get the post on a few other hash tag lists, but I just noticed recently that although the comment stays, the post never actually shows up on those newer (now over 30) hashtags. So, is it 30 total, no matter who posts in comments, or maybe does IG know that other account belongs to me as well and so disregards. So perhaps organic hashtag comments from others (over 30) work? Or is it just 30 hashtags no matter what?
Okay, so that questions wasn’t so quick, lol, but I wanted to give you all the details. Thank you so much for all your insight!
Kriston
Louise Myers says
Hi Kriston,
If you put 30 hashtags in the post caption, you can’t add any more. Try it the other way. 😉
Additionally, hashtags left in a comment by ANYONE other than the account itself DON’T add the post to the hashtag feed. If you’ve ever seen this happen, let me know. IG says it doesn’t.
Stephen says
Hi all you do is post your photo and then put 30 hashtags in your comment. Then after this go back and add edit the photo and put 30 hashtags in the hashtag. So you can have 60 hashtags.
Also about people think this would be too much and look spammy. I disagree that this many hashtags is negative. As long as you post awesome content and spacing out your posts and not posting all at once then most people don’t care. They just want to see great pictures in their niche.
remember to first make awesome content, and don’t EVER buy followers or likes. With the tools available, some effort and time anyone can make a great IG account.
Cheers.
Louise Myers says
Yes, this works, as I mentioned above. I have found that my business account gets penalized for doing this, but not my personal account. So it’s definitely “use at your own risk.” While IG can’t seem to detect the extra hashtags (yet), they’re aware that immediately editing your caption is suspicious behavior.
Stephen Quirke says
Hi Louise – thanks so much – this is very useful information
Louise Myers says
I’m glad you found it useful, Stephen!
Michael says
Oh yeah, I totally agree with this article. But often hash-tags are almost useless. So, that is the reason why people usually use special services, zen promo as example.
Louise Myers says
I couldn’t disagree more about hashtags. If someone is finding them useless, then they’re using the wrong ones. I would also strongly discourage anyone from using “special services” that are automated. This is against IG’s rules.
Adriana says
Louise! Please help! I have sent endless tech support messages to Instagram but, no response and, my problems with hashtags are getting really frustrating!
I’ve read your insightful article, and I seem to be doing everything you are recommending. For a month now, and really really bad lately, I am having issues with my photos disappearing from hashtags. I am being extremely careful not to go past 30#. Double and triple checking to make sure none of the hashtags I am using are banned. My traction is suffering incredibly. And yes, though this is not a matter of life and death, I am highly discouraged. Any ideas??
Louise Myers says
Hi Adriana,
So sorry this is happening. Unfortunately, it’s a fairly widespread problem, and Instagram is not fixing it.
It’s been going on for many accounts since Sept 1, and I don’t know of a fix for it.
ModSock says
Wondering if you have had any luck getting your hashtag problem fixed? I am experiencing the same problem you describe for one of my Instagram accounts.
Nora says
I have the same problem 🙁 my photo shows up but only for a minute or so and then dissapears. I’m not using anz banned hashtags or more then 30… it’s so disturbing!