Hashtag limits are here: Adam Mosseri explains the “hashtag myth” and what creators must know

Instagram used to be all about hashtags. For years, creators and brands thought the more hashtags you threw on a post, the better your reach would be. More hashtags meant more chances to show up on Explore and grab new followers, right? Well, not anymore.

Instagram has now put a strict limit of five hashtags per post or reel, down from 30. That’s a big change in how the platform is handling content discovery and engagement.So what’s really happening here? Instagram is moving away from just piling on hashtags and is focusing more on quality. Hashtags aren’t some magic trick to get views or followers anymore. As reported by the Times of India, Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, even calls it the “hashtag myth.”In a recent Q&A, he said, “Contrary to popular belief, hashtags are not a way to get more reach.” These days, hashtags are mostly there to organize posts and make them easier to find in search, not to automatically boost your content.

Hashtags aren’t what they used to be

For years, creators relied on hashtags to reach new audiences. The thinking was simple: the more hashtags you used, the more chances people would discover your posts. But Instagram’s AI recommendation system has mostly taken over that job.

Now, your posts are shown based on what’s relevant and what people are actually interested in, not how many hashtags you add.Even Instagram’s sister app, Threads, works the same way. Users can only use one tag per post. Mosseri says the idea is to focus on building a community rather than “engagement hacking,” where creators try to artificially boost likes and views with spammy or generic tags.

Why are five hashtags enough

Instagram didn’t just drop this limit randomly. They spent a year testing it, and some users were even limited to three hashtags at times.

The results? Using fewer, more focused hashtags not only helps content perform better but also makes it easier for users to read and reduces spam. Captions look cleaner, and posts are easier to navigate.The platform has also given some guidance on which hashtags actually work. Generic tags like #reels or #explore aren’t helpful. Instagram even warns that using generic hashtags can actually hurt your post’s performance.

The smarter move is to stick to hashtags that really fit your niche. For example, if you make beauty content, use beauty-related tags. Travel bloggers? Stick to travel-specific hashtags.For creators, this means changing how you use hashtags. It’s not about piling on a bunch of hashtags anymore. What really works is picking the ones that actually count. Just a few smart, relevant hashtags can make sure the right people see your posts and interact with them.Instagram is bringing in the five-hashtag limit gradually, so you’ll notice it on your account over time. The idea is to make it easier for people to discover content, reduce spam, and get creators to use hashtags in a smarter way.This move is part of a bigger trend on social media: relevance, niche focus, and community engagement are taking the lead over just trying to reach as many people as possible. Creators who adjust to this approach and focus on precise, targeted hashtags are likely to see better results for their posts and reels.