Instagram Limits All Posts and Reels To a Maximum of Five Hashtags

Instagram claims that this feature makes posts more likely to show up in trending lists, topic-based searchers, and algorithm-driven recommendations. Users used to be able to add up to 30 hashtags to a post on the Meta-owned social media platform, but this is no longer the case.

Instagram will permit up to five hashtags in a Reel or post starting today, the company announced through the Creators account.

The social media behemoth stated, "We find that using fewer (up to 5) more targeted hashtags, rather than many generic ones, can improve both your content's performance and people's experience on Instagram."

Instagram encourages content creators to use more deliberate hashtags and concentrate on those that are pertinent to the content they are posting. Instagram gave the example of beauty creators using hashtags related to beauty to draw in users who are interested in beauty content.

Generic hashtags that creators frequently use, like #reels or #explore, don't "actually help" the content show up in the Explore feed and other locations. Conversely, the company stated that these could negatively impact the performance of the content.

Users' approaches to Instagram marketing and content discovery are anticipated to change as a result of the update. By limiting the quantity of hashtags, the platform is guaranteeing a more deliberate approach, appreciating posts that actually connect with viewers instead of depending only on tag volume.

The update, which reflects Instagram's dedication to giving real content interactions and community-driven engagement top priority, coincides with the escalating competition among social media platforms.

The change is probably going to make people use hashtags more carefully, which will improve the platform's overall content quality.