Instagram Hashtags: How To Use Hashtags To Increase Reach

Master Instagram hashtags with this list of 100+ ideas. Learn strategies to boost visibility, engagement, and follower growth on Instagram in 2026.

by Mack HaydenAug 28, 2026 • 8 min read

Glowing 3D icon featuring a white hashtag symbol floating against a vibrant gradient.

Instagram hashtags play a smaller role in content discovery than they did a decade ago, but they can still help the platform understand your content and connect your posts with the right audience.

According to social media and influencer consultant Kendall Dickieson, trending Instagram hashtags are best viewed as a supporting element in a broader Instagram strategy.

“They’re the cherry on top if the rest of the post is cool,” she says. “They’re not going to be the reason that something flopped.”

Read on to explore how Instagram hashtags work in 2026, plus learn how to find relevant hashtags for your business and build an Instagram hashtag strategy that complements great content.

What are Instagram hashtags?

Instagram hashtags are clickable keywords or phrases preceded by the # symbol. When you add hashtags to Instagram posts, Reels, or Stories, they connect posts using that same tag and help viewers understand what your post is about. They’re also useful for search, according to Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri.

In the early days of Instagram, hashtags were one of the platform’s primary discovery tools. Users could follow hashtags and browse hashtag feeds to find new accounts to follow, though those features have since been discontinued.

Today, Instagram relies on a combination of signals—including captions, on-screen text, engagement metrics, account authority, user behavior, and hashtags—to determine what content appears in feeds, Explore pages, and search results. Hashtags work alongside these other signals to provide information about the post.

Do Instagram hashtags still work?

Instagram hashtags still work, but their function is different than it was when they were introduced. Adding the best or most popular Instagram hashtags to a post doesn’t automatically boost reach. In reality, hashtags are unlikely to dramatically increase visibility on their own.

The quality of your content, engagement rate, watch time, and audience relevance matter. But hashtags are still valuable. According to Adam Mosseri, hashtags primarily come in handy for search functionality, increasing your reach via Instagram search engine optimization (SEO).

Instagram hashtags can be a useful tool for building community and enabling research. They just shouldn’t be the centerpiece of your social media strategy.

How to find and use Instagram hashtags

Start with your content
Use Instagram search to find relevant hashtags
Build a mix of niche, community, and branded hashtags
Learn from creators, competitors, and customers
Use hashtag generators to speed up research

Instagram only allows creators and brands to use five hashtags per post, so the key is to use them strategically. Focus on highly relevant tags that support your content and audience goals.

Here’s how to find the right Instagram hashtags, build a sustainable hashtag strategy, and put hashtags to work for your business in 2026:

Start with your content

First, consider what your post is about. Your hashtags should reinforce the topics already present in your content, whether conveyed through an image, video, caption, or on-screen text.

“Whatever you’re iterating in your video, it should be shown through the caption and then also in the tags,” says social media consultant Kendall Dickieson.

If you’re an olive oil brand showing how to make a pasta dish, for example, Kendall says you might add #easyrecipe, #pastarecipe, and #extravirginoliveoil. “Phrases or things that are being said [in the video] to help the search and help that content, and whatever visually is popping up—just match the hashtags to that,” she says.

Use Instagram search to find relevant hashtags

Search for keywords related to your industry, products, or content themes. Instagram will display related hashtags along with the number of posts associated with each one. This gives you a quick sense of whether a hashtag is broad, niche, or somewhere in between.

While it may be tempting to chase the biggest hashtags, Kendall recommends starting smaller.

“If you were to go too generalized and too broad, you’re not going to stick out,” she says.

Build a mix of niche, community, and branded hashtags

Not all hashtags serve the same purpose.

Niche hashtags: Help categorize content around specific topics
Community hashtags: Connect your Instagram posts with people who share similar interests
Branded hashtags: Help organize content associated with a company, product, or campaign

Kendall says branded hashtags can be especially useful for established brands that already have active communities. While working with olive oil brand Graza, she noticed customers naturally using tags like #Graza and #GetGraza when posting recipes and cooking videos.

“I’d always emphasize the brand tag if there is one,” she says.

For smaller businesses, community hashtags and niche-specific hashtags can provide more immediate value because they’re already being searched and used by potential customers.

Learn from creators, competitors, and customers

Kendall uses hashtags to understand communities and identify potential partnership opportunities. When building influencer programs, she often looks at related brands’ tagged photos to see which hashtags creators included in those posts, then she explores content with those hashtags.

“I always look at it as ecosystems,” she says. “If someone was buying Graza, what other things are they probably buying at Whole Foods?”

Small businesses can use the same approach to discover relevant hashtags, identify trends, and find potential influencer partners.

Use hashtag generators to speed up research

Instagram hashtag generators can help you brainstorm ideas and uncover related hashtags you may not have considered.

Tools like SISTRIX, Tailwind CSS, Hootsuite, and Ahrefs analyze your content and generate hashtag suggestions based on keywords, captions, or images.

These tools can save time, but they shouldn’t replace your own strategy. Always review suggested hashtags before adding them to your posts. The goal isn’t to use every hashtag a tool provides, it’s to find hashtags that genuinely support your content and business goals.

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Instagram hashtag tips for 2026

Think of hashtags in terms of SEO
Prioritize content quality over hashtag strategy
Choose specific over broad hashtags

Kendall has learned a lot about Instagram hashtag strategy through trial and error. Here are some of her top tips:

Think of hashtags in terms of SEO

Instead of thinking of hashtags as a way to increase reach, use them as part of your Instagram SEO strategy. They help provide context, but they won’t compensate for weak content.

“Search is very much alive, even more so through social platforms,” Kendall says. “My rule of thumb has always been that if a platform is giving you the real estate to use something, then I would be using it. But a business owner shouldn’t be like, ‘This post didn’t work because the hashtags were off.’”

Prioritize content quality over hashtag strategy

If you’re deciding whether to spend another hour refining your content or researching hashtags, choose the content. Kendall believes many marketers overestimate the role hashtags play in performance. Strong creative, compelling storytelling, and audience relevance almost always matter more than hashtag selection.

"The hook of the video is what’s going to impact your viewership," she says. “It’s never your hashtag’s fault.”

Choose specific hashtags over broad hashtags

When selecting hashtags, many businesses instinctively reach for the largest and most popular options. Most businesses are better off prioritizing relevance over volume by focusing on highly relevant tags. Not to mention, Instagram penalizes posts using too many irrelevant or generic hashtags anyway.

“I never wanted to be #food,” Kendall says. “I wanted to be more specific. You’ve got to niche it down to get the best visibility.”

For Kendall, hashtag selection is similar to influencer marketing. Just as brands often see better results from micro-influencers than celebrity creators, niche hashtags can sometimes outperform broad hashtags because they place your content in more focused communities. The more specific your hashtag, the easier it becomes to connect with people who are actually interested in your content.

When you’re ready to choose hashtags that work for your business, review this list of popular hashtags organized by category, search them in Instagram, and use them to narrow down your own selections:

Fashion and beauty hashtags

#fashion
#beauty
#haul
#style
#shopping
#styleinspo
#outfitoftheday
#whatiwore
#fashionista
#whatiwore

Food and beverage hashtags

#foodie
#instafood
#foodphotography
#yummy
#delicious
#homemade
#healthyfood
#cookingclips
#recipevideo
#cookwithme

Travel hashtags

#travel
#travelphotography
#travelgram
#wanderlust
#adventure
#travelblogger
#explore
#travelvlog
#travelvideo
#travelwithme

Pet hashtags

#pet
#dogsofinstagram
#catsofinstagram
#petsofinstagram
#animals
#doglover
#catlover
#petlovers
#doglife
#instapet

Tech and gadgets hashtags

#techie
#latesttech
#ilovemygadgets
#wearabletech
#technology
#technews
#gadgets
#instatech
#software
#innovation

Wedding hashtags

#wedding
#bride
#weddingdress
#weddingday
#weddinginspiration
#weddingplanner
#prewedding
#bridetobe
#weddingphotographer
#weddings

Fitness hashtags

#fitness
#gym
#workout
#fitnessmotivation
#bodybuilding
#training
#health
#lifestyle
#fitfam
#gymlife

Holiday hashtags

#stockingstuffers
#christmasdecor
#hanukkahgift
#spookyhalloween
#happyhalloween
#thanksgivingtable
#valentineformyvalentine
#newyearseve
#newyearsresolution
#holidayspirit

Instagram contest hashtags

#instacontest
#instagiveaway
#giveaway
#sweepstakes
#contestalert
#contestentry
#winit
#freebie
#winitwednesday
#competition

Photography hashtags

#photography
#photooftheday
#picoftheday
#model
#photoshoot
#portrait
#travelphotography
#landscape
#fotografia
#portraitphotography

Hashtags for small business

#smallbusiness
#supportsmallbusiness
#handmade
#shopsmall
#smallbusinessowner
#entrepreneur
#supportlocal
#localbusiness
#entrepreneurship
#handcrafted

Art hashtags

#art
#artist
#drawing
#artwork
#painting
#artistsoninstagram
#illustration
#digitalart
#design
#sketch

Nature hashtags

#nature
#sunset
#flowers
#wildlife
#mountains
#hiking
#explore
#outdoors
#naturelover
#beach

Instagram hashtags FAQ

What are the best Instagram hashtags?

High-volume hashtags like #love, #fashion, #photooftheday, #beautiful, and #photography have massive reach. But the best hashtags for your business are those that are relevant, helpful, and memorable to your target customers.

How do I use hashtags on Instagram?

Add hashtags to your Instagram posts and Reel captions, and use hashtag stickers in Stories. This puts your content in front of potential customers who haven’t discovered your brand yet.

Should my Instagram hashtags be visible?

Many brands hide most hashtags below the See More button by adding extra line breaks, emojis, or dots to push them down. This gives you a cleaner look while still getting hashtag benefits. If you’re using only one or two hashtags for branding or personality, leave them visible in your main caption.

by Mack HaydenUpdated on Aug 28, 2026