Instagram now allows up to 5 hashtags on a post. Many guides still say 30, which was the limit for years, but Instagram's help center now says a post can carry 5.
| What | Limit |
|---|---|
| Hashtags per post | 5 |
| Caption length | 2,200 characters |
| @mentions in a caption | 20 |
| Bio length | 150 characters |
| Username length | 30 characters |
| Note length | 60 characters |
| DM length (API) | 1,000 bytes |
Hashtags
- Use up to 5. Instagram's help center says a post with more than 5 won't go through.
- Put them in the caption or in a comment on your own post.
- Numbers work in hashtags, but spaces and special characters such as $ or % don't.
- Posts from private accounts don't appear on hashtag pages.
With only 5, choose specific hashtags that describe the post over broad ones like #love. Instagram's developer documentation still mentions 30 for posts published through its API, so a scheduling tool may accept more, but write for the limit people see in the app.
Captions
A caption can be up to 2,200 characters, including hashtags, emoji and spaces, and can mention up to 20 accounts. Only the first line or two show in the feed before "more", so put the important part first.
Bio, username and Notes
Your bio can be 150 characters; the app counts them as you type (for ideas that fit, try Instagram bio generator). A username can be up to 30 characters of letters, numbers, periods and underscores (see Instagram username generator), and a Note is 60 characters. For messages, see Instagram DM character limit.
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