Guide
Instagram hashtag generator: the 5 tags to post
Updated
Instagram now allows 5 hashtags per post and Reel. Type your topic and your town, and get the 5 that fit, sorted into broad, niche and local.
In short
- This free Instagram hashtag generator gives you the 5 tags to post: 1 broad, 2 niche and 2 small or local.
- Instagram allows 5 hashtags per post and Reel, a limit it announced in December 2025.
- The old limit of 30 hashtags no longer applies, so advice to use 30 is out of date.
- If you add your own branded tag, the tool drops one small or local tag, so you still post 5.
- Hashtags help Instagram sort your post, but whether people watch and share it decides your reach.
Instagram hashtag generator
Runs in your browser · no account needed
Build the 5 hashtags Instagram allows
Instagram takes at most 5 hashtags on a post or reel, so you get the best 5: one broad, two niche, two micro or local. Add a branded tag and it takes one of the five. Nothing you type here is uploaded anywhere.
Or pick your line of work (sharper)
- Hashtags per post, Instagram's limit since December 2025
- 5
- The old limit, before December 2025
- 30
- Instagram community tag in every set, like #chefsofinstagram
- 1
Instagram's hashtag limit
Instagram cut the limit from 30 to 5 hashtags per post and Reel. It announced the change in December 2025.
- Instagram said a few targeted tags work better than many general ones.
- Every tag now has to describe your post, because there are only 5 places.
- Platforms change these rules, so check the app before you post.
Instagram hashtags, before and now
Checked 21 September 2026.
| Rule | Before December 2025 | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Hashtags per post or Reel | 30 | 5 |
| Caption length | 2,200 characters | 2,200 characters |
| Hashtags count toward the caption | Yes | Yes |
Rule: Hashtags per post or Reel
- Before December 2025
- 30
- Now
- 5
Rule: Caption length
- Before December 2025
- 2,200 characters
- Now
- 2,200 characters
Rule: Hashtags count toward the caption
- Before December 2025
- Yes
- Now
- Yes
The 3 groups of hashtags, plus your own tag
The tool sorts tags by how many posts already use them. A tag with millions of posts and a tag with a few thousand do different jobs.
What each group is for
One niche tag is always an Instagram community tag, like #chefsofinstagram.
| Group | Tags you get | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad | 1 | #skincare, #recipe | Tells Instagram the topic |
| Niche | 2 | #balayage, #chefsofinstagram | Gives a small account a chance to show up |
| Small or local | 2 | #curlyhairtips, or your town, like #austinhairstylist | Has the fewest posts to compete with |
| Your branded tag | Optional | Your own tag | Takes the place of one small or local tag |
Group: Broad
- Tags you get
- 1
- Example
- #skincare, #recipe
- What it does
- Tells Instagram the topic
Group: Niche
- Tags you get
- 2
- Example
- #balayage, #chefsofinstagram
- What it does
- Gives a small account a chance to show up
Group: Small or local
- Tags you get
- 2
- Example
- #curlyhairtips, or your town, like #austinhairstylist
- What it does
- Has the fewest posts to compete with
Group: Your branded tag
- Tags you get
- Optional
- Example
- Your own tag
- What it does
- Takes the place of one small or local tag
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How to pick your 5 hashtags
The tool gives you 5 tags that fit together. You can still swap any of them before you post.
- For the topic 'curly hair' and the town Austin, the tool gives #beauty, #hairstylistsofinstagram, #hairtransformation, #curlyhair and #austinhairstylist.
- If you add a branded tag to that set, #austinhairstylist makes room for it.
- Keep only tags that describe this exact post.
- Two tags that mean the same thing waste one of your 5 places.
- Put the hashtags at the end of your caption, so they do not push your first line out of view.
From topic to 5 hashtags
Type your topic
For example, curly hair
Add your town
For the local tags
Get 5 tags
1 broad, 2 niche, 2 small or local
Add your branded tag
It replaces one small or local tag
Copy and paste
At the end of your caption
How much hashtags matter on Instagram
A little. Reels travel on whether people keep watching and share them.
- Hashtags help Instagram guess who to show your post to first.
- Hashtags cannot make people stay or share.
- Your opening line matters more than your tags. Our free video hook generator writes 8 opening lines for your topic.
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom does not post videos or write captions. It makes the Reel the hashtags go on.
- You upload one clip of yourself talking, filmed on your phone, up to 3 minutes long.
- You get a finished 9:16 video back, with captions, b-roll and zooms. On the Punch and Native styles, long pauses are shortened too.
- In the editor, you can fix a mis-heard word and change the caption theme, font and colour.
What a video costs
| Step | Cost |
|---|---|
| The edit, with captions, b-roll and zooms | 100 credits |
| Export | 20 credits per minute of video |
| A 30-second video, all in | About 110 credits |
| Your first video | Free within 7 days of signing up, 600 credits, no card, with a Cutroom mark |
| Lite plan | $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 videos of 30 seconds |
Step: The edit, with captions, b-roll and zooms
- Cost
- 100 credits
Step: Export
- Cost
- 20 credits per minute of video
Step: A 30-second video, all in
- Cost
- About 110 credits
Step: Your first video
- Cost
- Free within 7 days of signing up, 600 credits, no card, with a Cutroom mark
Step: Lite plan
- Cost
- $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 videos of 30 seconds
Questions people ask
- How many hashtags should I use on Instagram?
- Up to 5. That is Instagram's limit per post and Reel since December 2025. The tool gives you 1 broad, 2 niche and 2 small or local tags. If you add your own branded tag, it drops one of the small or local ones.
- Is the 30-hashtag limit still real?
- No. 30 was the limit until December 2025. Instagram now allows 5 hashtags per post and Reel.
- Where should hashtags go in an Instagram caption?
- At the end. They count inside the same 2,200 characters, and tags at the start push your words behind '... more'.
- Can I use the same hashtags on TikTok and Instagram?
- Mostly, but not the community tags. #hometok is a TikTok tag and #realtorsofinstagram an Instagram one. Our TikTok hashtag generator gives 12 tags plus your branded tag to pick 5 from.
- Which businesses does the hashtag generator cover?
- Nine lines of work: real estate, coaching, fitness, finance, recruiting, local services like plumbing or cleaning, food, beauty and ecommerce. Any other topic gets a general small-business set, plus a tag made from your own words.
- Do hashtags still work on Reels?
- A little. They tell Instagram what the Reel is about, which affects who sees it first. Whether those people watch to the end decides how far it travels.
- Is this Instagram hashtag generator free?
- Yes. It runs in your browser with no account. Your topic, town and branded tag are never sent anywhere or stored.
Type your topic and town, and paste the 5 tags at the end of your caption. Your first video is free.