Instagram Hashtag Checker
Paste a caption to count its hashtags against Instagram's 5-tag limit, flag tags that don't help, and copy a cleaned caption.
8 hashtags: over Instagram's limit of 5, so this post would not go through.
193 / 2,200 characters
Hashtags found
- #sourdough (kept)
- #sourdoughstarter (kept)
- #reels (removed)
- #explore (removed)
- #breadrecipe (kept)
- #londonbakery (kept)
- #like4like (removed)
- #homebaking (kept)
- #reels
- Generic tag: Instagram says tags like #reels or #explore don't help posts appear in places like Explore and can hurt performance.
- #explore
- Generic tag: Instagram says tags like #reels or #explore don't help posts appear in places like Explore and can hurt performance.
- #like4like
- Advertises swapping likes or follows, which Meta's spam policy bans.
Cleaned caption 5 of 5 tags
The cleaned caption keeps your words and the first 5 usable tags in your order. Read it before posting: whether a tag fits your post is your call.
Need better tags, not just fewer?
The free hashtag generator suggests up to five specific tags by niche. Instagram Ignited covers captions, Instagram SEO and content testing; hashtags label a post for search but don't add reach.
Explore Instagram IgnitedWhat the checker looks for
The 5-tag limit. Instagram's Help Center says you can use up to 5 tags on a post, and a post with more won't go through. Instagram began rolling the cap out on December 18, 2025, saying fewer, more targeted tags work better than many generic ones (Social Media Today, December 18, 2025).
Generic tags. Instagram warned that tags like #reels or #explore "don't actually help your content appear in places like Explore and could, in fact, hurt your content's performance" (BetaNews, December 19, 2025). The checker removes those and similar catch-alls such as #fyp, #viral and #instagood.
Like-for-like tags. Tags such as #like4like and #follow4follow advertise exchanging engagement, which Meta's spam policy bans.
Caption length. Meta's publishing API reference caps a caption at 2,200 characters. The same page still lists 30 hashtags for API posts, but Instagram has limited posts and reels to 5 since December 2025, so plan for 5.
What it can't check. Whether a tag describes your post, and whether Instagram currently lets people search it. Put tags in the caption rather than the comments if you want the post found in search, as Instagram's search explainer advises. Our hashtag strategy guide covers how to choose the five.
FAQ
How many hashtags can you use on Instagram?
Up to 5 per post or reel. Instagram began rolling out the cap on December 18, 2025, and its Help Center says a post with more than 5 tags will not post.
What happens if my caption has more than 5 hashtags?
Instagram won't post it until you remove the extra tags. This checker keeps the first five usable tags in the order you wrote them and removes the rest from the cleaned caption.
Why does the checker remove #reels, #explore and #fyp?
Instagram has said tags like #reels or #explore don't help content appear in places like Explore and could hurt performance. Like-for-like tags such as #like4like are removed because Meta's spam policy bans exchanging likes or follows.
Do hashtags count toward the caption character limit?
Yes. Hashtags are part of the caption, and Meta's API documentation caps a caption at 2,200 characters. The counter here counts characters the way browsers do, so some emoji count as two.
Can the checker tell me if a hashtag is banned?
No. Instagram makes some hashtags unsearchable and doesn't publish a list, so search each tag in the app before you post and drop any that show no results or unrelated posts.