Hashtags

Instagram made emoji usable in hashtags in April 2015.12 In May 2017, Instagram introduced hashtag stickers and regular-text hashtags in Stories that viewers could tap to explore related posts.1 To add the sticker, tap the sticker icon at the top right of the Story screen, select and customize the hashtag, then add it to the Story.1 In March 2018, Instagram introduced live hashtag links in bios, allowing people to link their profiles to interests.3 To add one, open Edit Profile, go to the bio section and type # to see suggested hashtags.3 Meta’s Newsroom explained at the August 2020 launch of Reels that a public Reel featuring a hashtag may also appear on its dedicated page.13

For hashtag discovery, Instagram for Creators recommends choosing relevant hashtags and putting them in the caption rather than comments so a post can be found in Search.4 Mosseri explained in August 2022 that captions help Instagram understand what a photo or video is about, and recommended using just a couple of hashtags rather than 20.5 What creators write is not the only information involved: Meta’s Transparency Center also lists how often a hashtag has been clicked among the information used by Instagram Search.14

Instagram’s community hashtags can gather advocacy and shared interests, as its 2018 review illustrated with #metoo, #timesup and #marchforourlives.15 In June 2020, Mosseri relayed community requests to use #blackouttuesday rather than #blacklivesmatter for Blackout Tuesday posts, noting that the latter gathered important community information and resources.16 For Pride in May 2019, Instagram said it had worked with GLAAD to select hashtags that would display in a rainbow gradient in Feed and turn a Story’s surrounding ring rainbow while it remained live for 24 hours.17 In June 2021, Mosseri said Instagram had again partnered with GLAAD to update the previous year’s hashtag list.18 His examples of hashtags receiving rainbow treatments included #pride, #pridefamily, #genderfluid and #gayvisibility.19

Reels from private accounts follow the account’s privacy settings: Meta’s Newsroom says they can be seen only by followers and cannot be shared with people who do not follow the account.13 Mosseri explained in June 2020 that recommendation guidelines determine what may appear on hashtag pages, where people encounter content from accounts they have not chosen to follow.20 Instagram’s Help Center says a hashtag may become unsearchable when its wording or associated content consistently violates its Terms of Use or Community Standards.21 Instagram periodically reviews these hashtags and may restore searchability if the wording or associated content changes.21 The Help Center also encourages people to report inappropriate hashtag pages.21 In December 2021, Meta’s Newsroom said it was exploring stronger limits on teens encountering potentially harmful or sensitive content through hashtags and other discovery features, describing this as an early-stage idea rather than a confirmed rollout.22