Instagram limits number of hashtags to five per post

Instagram has announced to limit the number of hashtags allowed in posts and reels to five, as part of efforts to curb spam and reflect changes in how users discover content on the platform.

Hashtags no longer play the same role in content discovery as they once did, with recommendation systems and artificial intelligence now driving much of what users see as part of their algorithm. Hashtags can still help group content around topics, but the platform said their impact is more limited.

The platform has been testing hashtag limits over the past year, with some users restricted to as few as three hashtags. It has now decided to set a universal limit of five hashtags per post.

“Instagram will gradually update the number of hashtags that you can include in a caption for a reel or post to five. 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.”

The platform said the cap is intended to encourage more relevant use of hashtags and reduce misuse by spammers and scammers. It has asked to use relevant hashtags and avoid generic hashtags like #reels and #explore.