If you’re serious about getting your content seen on Instagram, hashtags for Instagram Reels are still one of the most effective tools you can use.
Reels are designed to reach beyond your follower list, and the right hashtags help the algorithm put your videos in front of people who care about your niche.
The problem for many marketers is that there’s a lot of confusion about whether hashtags still matter, how many you should use, and where they actually belong.
Add in endless lists of “best hashtags”, and it’s no wonder so many are left guessing.
This guide cuts through the noise. You’ll learn why hashtags are essential for discoverability, how many to use, where to place them, and how to build a strategy that grows reach organically.
By the end, you’ll know exactly how to make hashtags work harder for your Reels and get your brand discovered by new audiences.
Hashtags are one of the simplest ways to make your Reels more discoverable. When you add a hashtag, you’re attaching your content to a searchable topic.
This means your video doesn’t just appear to people who follow you. It also shows up in hashtag feeds and Explore pages, where new audiences can find it.
Hashtags play a direct role in how Instagram’s algorithm categorises content. Think of them as labels the platform uses to decide what your Reel is about and who might want to see it.
Add relevant hashtags, and Instagram can push your video to users who’ve interacted with or followed similar topics. For brands and creators, this is what makes hashtags such a powerful growth tool: they connect your content to people who are actively interested in that niche.
Despite some speculation in recent years, hashtags haven’t lost their value on Reels. They remain an important part of Instagram’s search and recommendation system, which is why they’re still considered a core element of social SEO.
Used correctly, hashtags can help your Reels surface in front of the right audience at the right time, turning casual scrollers into followers, and followers into customers.
You can use up to 30 hashtags per Reel, but more isn’t always better. The official Instagram Creators account recommends using three to five relevant hashtags, even though the platform permits more.
A 2025 report found that Instagram posts with between nine and 11 hashtags saw an average 79.5% boost in reach compared to posts with fewer or no hashtags. Even including just one hashtag was linked to a 12.6% increase in engagement over posts without any.
So what does this mean for your Instagram Reels hashtag strategy?
Consider sticking with three to five highly relevant hashtags to follow Instagram’s official advice. Then, test expanded sets, between nine and 11 (and beyond) to explore broader reach, especially if you have an arsenal of relevant tags.
Across all tests, remember that in general, relevance beats volume. A curated mix of niche, branded, and trending Instagram Reels hashtags can outperform a long, generic list.
Getting the most out of hashtags primarily comes down to strategy.
The right mix can improve your chances of appearing in searches, trending feeds, and in front of users who actually care about your niche. Here’s how to approach yours.
Start by gaining a true understanding of your audience. What are they interested in, and what words or phrases are they likely to search?
A fitness coach, for example, will get more traction with #HIITWorkout than a generic #Fitness tag. Look at competitor accounts, study what followers are engaging with, and create a list of hashtags that reflect your community.
When putting together your plan, you don’t need to think “How many hashtags on Instagram Reels?” Focus on creating a strong set using three types of tags.
The sweet spot is combining all three. Popular tags get you visibility, niche tags keep your content relevant, and branded tags give your audience something to rally around.
Don’t guess. Check the numbers.
Use Instagram search to see how many posts use a hashtag. Aim for a “sweet spot” between 10k to 200k posts: active enough to matter, but not so big your Reel vanishes in seconds.
For fresh ideas, try Instagram’s related hashtags or a generator tool to uncover variations your competitors might miss.
Hashtags aren’t static. Review Instagram Insights to see which ones drive reach and engagement, then swap out underperformers. Treat them as a test-and-learn exercise: your best mix this month won’t necessarily be the same next season.
When it comes to placement, you’ve got two main options: in the caption or in the first comment.
In terms of Instagram Reels SEO, the difference can be hard to tell. As a rule of thumb: if you want to maximise reach, put your hashtags in the caption. If visual style matters more for your brand voice, you can test the first comments.
However, Instagram’s algorithm considers multiple factors, not just placement, so monitor performance in your analytics to see what works best for you.
Hashtags are only part of the equation. To give your Reels the best chance of being discovered, you need to combine them with other SEO-friendly practices. Implement these five tactics to improve performance.
Instagram reads your captions to help decide what your content is about. Use keywords your audience is actually searching for, but keep it natural.
For example, a café could write, “Celebrate National Coffee Day with our new latte art specials” instead of stuffing “coffee” into every line. Clear, relevant keywords improve Instagram content discoverability without hurting readability.
Alt text was designed for accessibility, but it also helps Instagram categorise your content. When you upload a Reel, tap “Advanced Settings”, then “Write Alt Text”, and describe what’s happening in the video.
Adding keywords here (e.g., “Barista pouring a latte with heart-shaped art”) gives your content another SEO signal while keeping it accessible to screen readers.
Instagram can scan on-screen text and captions. Adding titles, keywords, or subtitles to your videos makes your Reels more searchable while also boosting accessibility.
A fitness Reel titled “5-Minute HIIT Warmup” on-screen is more likely to reach people searching for short workouts.
Reels using popular audio clips often get a lift in visibility. When a sound is trending, Instagram is more likely to push content using it onto the Explore page or Reels tab. Keep an eye on the audio that’s gaining traction in your niche and test it with your content for a boost in reach.
The algorithm rewards consistency. Posting regularly and focusing on originality signals to Instagram that your account is active and worth promoting.
Pair that with clear visuals, strong storytelling, and valuable takeaways, and niche hashtags for Reels, and you should see an uptick in engagement, which in turn improves discoverability.
Hashtags can drive serious reach, but the wrong approach can do more harm than good. Here are some pitfalls to steer clear of.
Keep your hashtags intentional and clean, and they’ll work harder to put your Reels in front of the right people.
Building the right hashtag approach is only half the battle. You also need the tools to put it into practice. That’s where Sendible makes the process easier:
With these tools, managing hashtags for Instagram Reels becomes part of a repeatable workflow.
You can explore all of this in practice with Sendible’s 14-day free trial and see how much easier it is to run campaigns that deliver.