Do Hashtags Still Work in 2025?
Yes — but their role has evolved. On Instagram, hashtags are now more of a content categorization tool than a primary discovery driver (Instagram's own data suggests Reels and Explore are the primary discovery channels). On TikTok, hashtags remain significant for the algorithm to understand content categories. On Twitter/X, hashtags affect search visibility directly.
Hashtag Strategy by Platform
Instagram currently recommends 3–5 highly relevant hashtags per post (down from the old advice of 30). Focus on specificity over volume:
- 1-2 niche-specific hashtags (5K–200K posts): #MinimalistFoodPhotography
- 1-2 mid-range hashtags (200K–1M posts): #FoodPhotography
- 1 broad hashtag (1M+ posts): #Food
TikTok
Use 3–5 hashtags per video. Mix one trending hashtag with 2–3 niche-specific ones. TikTok hashtags affect which For You Pages your video appears on — relevance is more important than volume.
Twitter/X
Use 1–2 hashtags maximum. Twitter's character limit makes hashtag stuffing impractical, and research shows posts with 1–2 hashtags consistently outperform those with 5+.
How to Generate Hashtags with Creator Units
- Open the Hashtag Helper
- Enter your content topic or keyword
- Select your target platform
- Browse the generated list, organized by search volume tier
- Copy the full hashtag set with one click
Hashtag Research Best Practices
- Check competitors: Look at the hashtags used by top posts in your niche
- Avoid banned hashtags: Some hashtags are shadowbanned on Instagram. Search a hashtag before using it — if the "Recent" tab shows only old posts, it may be restricted
- Rotate your hashtags: Using the exact same hashtag set repeatedly can limit reach. Vary them based on content
- Check character count: Each hashtag counts toward your caption's character limit. Use our Character Counter to verify