Use 3 to 5 specific hashtags on Instagram (the cap is now 5), 3 to 5 on LinkedIn, 1 or 2 on X, one topic tag on Threads, and a few on YouTube (more than 60 and YouTube ignores them all). TikTok publishes no number; a few relevant tags inside the caption is the safe choice.
On every platform, hashtags describe what a post is about. They are not a reach button. Instagram’s head has said they “don’t increase reach”.[1]
- Instagram: “Instagram will gradually update the number of hashtags that you can include in a caption for a reel or post to five” (December 2025).[1]
- YouTube: “If a video or playlist has more than 60 hashtags, we’ll ignore each hashtag on that content.”[2]
- LinkedIn: “Identify 3-5 hashtags that are top of mind for your organization and add them to your posts when relevant.”[4]
- Threads: “You can only add one tag per post” (at launch, December 2023).[6]
- TikTok’s posting API caps a video caption, hashtags included, at 2,200 characters.[3]
Hashtags per platform at a glance
| Platform | Hard limit | What the platform advises | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 per post or Reel (rolling out since Dec 2025) | “Fewer (up to 5) more targeted hashtags” | 3–5 | |
| TikTok | None published; caption up to 2,200 characters via the API | No published number | 3–5 |
| YouTube | Over 60 and all are ignored | Don't over-tag; misleading tags can get a video removed | 2–3 |
| None published | 3–5 for company pages | 3–5 | |
| X | None published | No more than 2 per post | 1–2 |
| Threads | 1 topic tag per post (at launch) | One tag that names the topic | 1 |
| None published | No number given | 0–3 |
Instagram: five, and make them specific
Instagram used to allow 30 hashtags. In December 2025 its @creators account announced the cap would move to five per post or Reel, rolled out gradually, saying “we find that using fewer (up to 5) more targeted hashtags, rather than many generic ones” works better.[1] Instagram had tested lower limits, including three, for about a year before that.[1]
Adam Mosseri, who runs Instagram, has said hashtags don’t increase reach but are “a great way to let people know what a post is about”.[1] So pick tags a person would actually search or follow for your topic (#weddingphotography) rather than ones that describe every post (#instagood).
TikTok: no official number
TikTok’s developer docs say hashtags and mentions inside a caption are recognised automatically, and the caption (tags included) can be up to 2,200 characters when posted through the API.[3] We could not find a TikTok page that recommends a number of hashtags, so treat any “TikTok says use X hashtags” claim with care. What clearly matters on TikTok is what is said and shown in the video itself; a few accurate tags help describe it.
YouTube: a few, and never more than 60
YouTube’s help centre is the most specific of any platform:[2]
- More than 60 hashtags on a video and YouTube ignores all of them.
- Up to three hashtags it considers most engaging appear by the video title.
- “Over-tagging may result in the removal of your video from your uploads or from search”, and misleading or unrelated tags can get it removed.
- On Shorts, YouTube suggests hashtags as you type them in the text.
For Shorts, two or three tags that name the topic are plenty. The title does more work than the tags: see scheduling Shorts.
LinkedIn: three to five
LinkedIn’s own best practices for company pages say to pick “3-5 hashtags that are top of mind for your organization” and use them when relevant.[4] The same advice works for personal profiles. Put them at the end of the post so the first lines stay readable.
X: one or two
X’s help article on hashtags recommends using no more than two per post.[5] Every tag also costs characters out of 280, so one relevant tag usually beats two.
Threads: one topic tag
Threads launched topic tags in December 2023 with a deliberate limit: “You can only add one tag per post.”[6] Mosseri explained that a chronological list of every post with a given word “inevitably means spammers”, so Threads tags work as topics instead.[6] Choose the one tag that best names the conversation you want to join.
Facebook: optional
Facebook turns hashtags into clickable links and sets rules for writing them (one word, no spaces; numbers are fine; symbols like $ and % won’t work), but gives no number.[7]Most Facebook posts do fine with none or a couple.
How to pick hashtags that work
- Each tag names the topic of this post, not your account in general.
- You would search for it yourself to find a post like this.
- No banned, misleading or unrelated tags (YouTube can remove a video for them).
- The count fits the platform: 5 max on Instagram, 1–2 on X, 1 on Threads, never over 60 on YouTube.
- The caption still reads well before the tags. Tags go at the end.
- When you post one video everywhere, each platform gets its own set.
In Octoque, each platform has its own caption tab, so Instagram can carry five tags while X carries one and LinkedIn carries three. See captions per platform and the free caption fitter.
Questions people ask
Do hashtags still increase reach on Instagram?
Not much. Instagram’s head has said they don’t increase reach but help say what a post is about.[1] Use them to label the post, not to chase reach.
Can I still use 30 hashtags on Instagram?
No. Instagram announced in December 2025 that the limit would move to five per post or Reel, rolled out gradually.[1]
Should hashtags go in the caption or a comment?
In the caption. That is where every platform reads them, and the Instagram limit is per caption.
Do hashtags work on YouTube Shorts?
Yes, as labels. YouTube suggests hashtags as you type in a Short and shows up to three near the title. Over 60 and all of them are ignored.[2]
How many hashtags on TikTok?
TikTok publishes no number. Three to five accurate ones inside the caption is a sensible habit; the video itself does most of the work.
Kumar Gaurav builds Octoque. Creators should spend their time making things, not watching clocks. So you make the video, and Octoque finds the moment: one upload, every platform, each at its golden hour. These guides follow the same idea. Real channels, real numbers, nothing you don’t need.
More from Kumar GauravKeep reading
Sources
All links checked on 14 October 2026.