GUIDE
How to use hashtags well
A hashtag files a post under a topic. Platforms use it to understand what a post is about, and people type it into search when they want to see something specific. Even so, reach today comes mostly from the recommendation algorithm. A good hashtag helps it categorize your post; a poor one rarely hurts, but it doesn't help either.
The suggestions above are a starting point. The model doesn't have access to live search numbers from the platforms, so it's worth a quick check in the app's search before you post.
How many hashtags on Instagram?
On December 18, 2025, Instagram announced it would limit hashtags to five per post and reel. The change is rolling out gradually, and up to 30 used to be allowed. Instagram's reasoning is that a few precise hashtags work better than many generic ones.
For you, that means every one of the five slots counts. A proven mix is one broad hashtag for the big topic, two from your topic area, and two that describe your post exactly. That's how the generator sorts its suggestions.
How many hashtags on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn doesn't set a fixed limit. In practice, two or three hashtags at the end of a post look calm and tidy, while a whole block of them starts to look like an ad. On LinkedIn, people read the text, not the tags underneath it.
Write multi-word hashtags in CamelCase, so #PersonalDevelopment instead of #personaldevelopment. It's easier to read, and screen readers announce the separate words clearly.
Mixing broad, medium, and niche correctly
Broad hashtags like #Marketing or #Travel carry millions of posts. Your post shows up there briefly and then disappears into the crowd. They help the platform with rough categorization, but on their own they bring you almost no visitors.
Medium hashtags describe your topic area more precisely, such as #ContentPlanning or #HikingInVermont. There's less traffic here, and the people searching for it are genuinely interested in the topic.
Niche hashtags hit your post exactly. The audience is small but well matched, and these are often the people who comment or follow you. A local detail like a city name often belongs in this group.
Hashtags on TikTok
On TikTok, hashtags sit directly in the video description and help the algorithm assign your video to a topic. Many people also search actively through the search bar there, much like a search engine. A hashtag that describes exactly what happens in the video is worth more than a generic trending tag.
Tags like #fyp or #foryou sit under countless videos. They tell the platform nothing about your content, and the space in the description is better used for the topic, the format, and a location if relevant.
How to check a hashtag before you post
Type the suggestion into the app's search and look at the top posts. If something completely different is going on there, leave it out. Some words carry a second meaning in other countries or communities that isn't obvious from outside.
Go through these points once before you publish:
- Does the hashtag match what's actually visible in the image or video?
- Is it spelled correctly, including compound words and capitalization?
- Are there real posts under the hashtag, not spam collections like βfollow4followβ?
- Are you avoiding using the exact same set of hashtags on every single post?
If you copy the same hashtags every time, every post gets described the same way even though the topics change. That makes it harder for the platform to categorize your posts, and it looks like routine to readers.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is using hashtags that have nothing to do with the post just because they're big. Posting an office photo under #Fitness won't bring you the right visitors. Using other companies' brand names when the post isn't about them doesn't help either.
A second mistake sits in the text itself. Hashtags in the middle of a sentence make it hard to read, so they belong at the end or on their own line. On TikTok they usually sit directly in the short description, and there too, a few that match the video are enough.