Are Hashtags Still Relevant in 2025? Why I Stopped Using Them on Instagram
Back in the day, hashtags used to be the strategy for growth on Instagram. We were including 30 hashtags to each post, infused with a mix of niche and broad tags. We used to use them to land content on the individual hashtag’s explore or recent pages, opening up the content to new audiences especially if you hit the jackpot on a particular tag. But today, a hashtag strategy isn’t going to guarantee you growth and visibility like it once was due to changing algorithms.
My hot take: ditch the hashtags. Hashtags don’t matter if you have keyword-rich content.
Here’s why:
Why Hashtags Don’t Matter Anymore
Over the past few months, it has become more and more apparent that hashtags are becoming a thing of the past here on Instagram. Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, recently shared with users through his ‘Ask Me Anything’ series that hashtags are not the ultimate growth strategy anymore. They don’t grow your reach and they aren’t going to get you a boatload more visibility, so the need to add those 30 hashtags to your content to try and get everyone and anyone to view it is now an outdated growth strategy.
Instagram’s algorithm is changing, and hashtags aren’t a part of it like they once were. Instead of focusing on hashtags for account growth, the algorithm is prioritizing content that encourages engagement.
What Instagram Recommends Instead
Now, the only purpose of hashtags is to help explain to your viewers what your content is about and to categorize it. Mosseri recommended including 3-5 RELEVANT, KEYWORD FOCUSED hashtags to your posts, that’s if you are wanting to still use them. These types of hashtags make it much easier for users to:
Better understand what your content is about
Help categorize your content within Instagram’s algorithm (keywords are key!)
Will likely make it easier for Google to index your posts when SEO kicks in between Google & Instagram content.
The New 3-Hashtag Limit
As of November 2025, some platform users are reporting that they are now limited to only including 3 hashtags within their post. This can substantially change your strategy for your keyword focused hashtags, so before you spend time and effort crafting the perfect hashtag combination, double check what your account allows.
Why Engagement Matters More Than Hashtags
I know we all love to include our hashtags and hashtag strategies have been ingrained into how we grow on Instagram, but it’s proven that they don’t matter as much as they used to.
Now, Instagram is focusing on creating engaging content that attracts users & gets them interacting, through the use of visuals and keyword-rich captions. The algorithm is rewarding those creators who create content that keeps users on a post for longer and encourages the interactions by pushing the content to more users.
What Has Replaced Hashtags in 2025
Instagram is switching to smarter ranking, replacing hashtags with quality content creation and genuine engagement as the driver for reach and platform growth. It’s prioritizing content that is relevant, with keyword-rich captions. It’s prioritizing content that is original, helpful or entertaining. It’s prioritizing content that promotes engagement (with a strong focus on shares, saves and comments, as well as Reels watch time).
My Take: Hashtags Are a Thing of the Past
All in all, I believe that hashtags are a thing of the past. If they aren’t growing your reach, and your content has keywords infused throughout the captions and on-screen text, there isn’t a point in including them anymore. I’ve ditched the hashtags on my own posts and haven’t seen any difference in performance without having them.
