Instagram Hashtags: You can now only use 5 hashtags in Reels and Posts. Find out what the benefits will be.

Meta-owned social media platform Instagram made a significant announcement regarding content discovery on Friday. The company is now limiting the number of hashtags that can be used on Reels and posts. The goal is to prevent the misuse of hashtags and encourage creators to choose tags more thoughtfully.

Now only 5 hashtags, not 30
Instagram has officially announced that users will no longer be able to use the previous limit of 30 hashtags on their posts or Reels. The company implemented the new rule on Friday, reducing the hashtag limit to just 5. Hashtags have been an important part of Instagram since 2011, considered essential for content discovery. However, Meta now believes that using a large number of hashtags is less effective than using only precise and limited tags.

Why was this decision made?
The main objective behind this change is to reduce spam content on the platform. According to the company, when creators add dozens of hashtags to their posts, it makes it difficult for the algorithm to understand the actual category of the content. Using fewer and more precise hashtags not only improves the performance of your post but also helps it reach people who are genuinely interested in that topic more effectively. This step has been taken to make content discovery more transparent and efficient.

Generic hashtags will no longer increase reach.
Often, creators use generic terms like #reels, #trending, or #explore to make their Reels go viral. Instagram has clearly warned that such generic hashtags will no longer help your posts reach the 'Explore feed'. On the contrary, this type of tagging can harm your post's reach. The company now wants, for example, a beauty creator to use only 3 to 5 precise tags related to makeup or beauty, so that their content reaches the right audience.

Statement from the Head of Instagram
Instagram head Adam Mosseri has already clarified that hashtags no longer play a significant role in reach and visibility on the platform. According to him, hashtags are no longer the main factor determining the reach of content.

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