Instagram Hashtag Generator

How to use the hashtag generator

1. Describe the post or your niche. Use the words a customer would use: “custom birthday cakes” works better than “products”. The tool matches your words against 38 built-in niches, from restaurants and gyms to real estate, dentists and SaaS.
2. Add your city. Local tags such as #dubaibakery or #torontorealtor help nearby people find you. Write “City, Country” to add country tags as well.
3. Check the suggested set. The tool pre-selects 5 tags, starting with the most specific ones. Tap any tag to remove it or add another; the set never goes above 5.
4. Copy and paste. Copy the set into your caption. Before you post, open one or two of the tags in Instagram to confirm the posts there look like yours.

How many hashtags should you use on Instagram?

Instagram’s own Help Center is clear: you can use up to 5 tags on a post, and if you include more than 5 tags on a single photo or video, your comment won’t post. The old habit of pasting 30 tags under every post is over.

With only five slots, every tag has to earn its place. In practice we use three to five tags and skip any that do not describe the post. A good default:

• 2 niche tags that describe exactly what the post shows (#customcakes, #balayage, #justlisted).
• 1–2 local tags if you serve a city or area (#dubaibakery, #londondoggrooming).
• 1 topic or brand tag that matches the post itself or a series you run.

Broad tags like #food or #fashion are on so many posts that yours disappears within seconds. Use one at most, and only when nothing more specific fits.

Niche, local and broad hashtags: what is the difference?

The generator groups its suggestions so you can mix them on purpose:

• Niche hashtags describe a specific product, service or style. Fewer people follow them, but the people who do are interested in exactly that.
• Local hashtags combine your city with your category. They suit any business that serves customers in person: salons, clinics, restaurants, gyms, estate agents, trades.
• Broad hashtags describe the whole category. They tell Instagram the general topic but rarely bring the right audience on their own.
• Topic hashtags are built from the words you typed. They are handy for a series or campaign; check that they are not already used for something unrelated.

Example: a bakery in Dubai

For a Reel showing a custom birthday cake, type “custom cakes” and “Dubai, UAE”. A strong set of five could be #customcakes #dubaibakery #birthdaycake #dubaicakes #cakedecorating: two niche tags, two local tags and one that describes the content. Next week, for a sourdough post, swap in #sourdough and #artisanbread rather than reusing the same five.

Hashtag tips that still matter

• Match the post, not the account. Pick tags for what this post shows. Reusing one block of tags on every post makes them less useful.
• Write a searchable caption. Put the words people search for, such as the service and the city, in the first line of your caption and in your profile name and bio.
• Check before you use. If a tag’s page is full of spam or unrelated posts, or Instagram hides recent posts for it, leave it out.
• Keep your account public. Posts from private profiles don’t appear on hashtag pages.
• Use hashtags on other platforms with care. YouTube ignores every hashtag on a video that has more than 60. On LinkedIn and TikTok, a few relevant tags are plenty.

Hashtags are one small part of Reels reach. For the bigger picture, read our realistic guide to going viral on Instagram Reels: hooks, editing, trial reels and what Instagram says it shows less.

Growing an account takes more than tags. Our guide on how to get more Instagram followers organically covers Search, recommendations and Collabs, and why buying followers backfires.

Choosing tags for a Reel? Our guide to the best hashtags for Instagram Reels explains Instagram’s up-to-5 guidance and how to pick specific, relevant tags without fake “top hashtag” lists.

Hashtags scattered through your caption? The Instagram caption formatter moves them to the end, removes duplicates and warns if there are more than 5.

Hashtags help people and Instagram understand a post, but they will not rescue weak content. What moves an account is a steady flow of useful Reels and posts with strong hooks. That is the work our Instagram management team does every month: 15 Reels and 15 posts, captions, hashtags and reporting. Want a second opinion first? Get a free social media audit of your profile, try our Instagram caption generator, or check your engagement rate.