Hashtag counter & limit checker
Paste your caption and see every hashtag counted against each platform's current rules — including Instagram's December 2025 cut from 30 hashtags to just 5.
Hashtag limits by platform (2026)
The era of pasting 30 hashtags under every post is over. Here's where each platform stands now:
| Platform | Limit | Recommended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 per post | 3–5, all relevant | Hard cap announced December 2025, down from 30. Most advice online still says 30 — it's outdated. | |
| Threads | 1 topic tag | 1 | Threads uses a single topic tag per post instead of classic hashtags. |
| YouTube | 60 (over = all ignored) | 3–5 | First 3 hashtags display above the video title. |
| TikTok | No cap (4,000-char caption) | 3–5 | Mix one broad and a few niche tags. |
| X | No cap (280-char post) | 1–2 | More than two reads as spam and eats your character budget. |
| No cap | ~3 | Three relevant tags is the long-standing sweet spot. | |
| No practical cap | 0–2 | Hashtags do little on Facebook; use sparingly. | |
| No cap (500-char description) | 2–5 | Pinterest works more like search — keywords in the description matter more. |
Instagram's new 5-hashtag limit, explained
In December 2025, Instagram capped hashtags at 5 per post and Reel — down from the 30 allowed since the platform's early days. The change formalized what Instagram had been hinting for years: hashtags work as light context signals, not as a distribution hack. Posts stuffed with tags were already seeing suppressed reach; now the composer simply stops you at five.
What to do with your five: skip the generic giants (#love, #instagood) and spend them on tags that actually describe the content and the audience — one or two broader category tags, plus a few specific ones where your post can realistically rank.
Quality beats quantity everywhere now
Every major platform has shifted from hashtag-driven discovery to interest-based algorithmic feeds and keyword search. SEO-style keywords in your caption, strong hooks, and consistent posting move reach more than tag count does. Use this counter to stay inside the rules — then put the effort into the content.
Frequently asked questions
The composer blocks new posts at five. Captions published through other means with more than five risk reduced distribution. Either way, there's no longer any upside to going over.
The old "first comment" trick is moot under the new limit — the cap applies to the post overall, and comment hashtags carry even less weight than caption ones. Put your best 5 in the caption.
Repeating an identical tag block across posts is a known spam signal. Keep a pool of relevant tags and rotate a fitting handful per post — easier now that five is the max.
Yes, including the # symbol. On X especially, two hashtags can eat 10% of your 280 characters — check with the character counter.
Tagged. Now schedule it.
Zilfu lets you customize captions and hashtags per platform from one composer — five for Instagram, one topic tag for Threads, none for Facebook. Free for 2 accounts.