Choose a niche and get a set of relevant hashtags you can copy into your caption. The lists are hand-picked by topic, not random, and you decide how many to use.
Pick the topic closest to the post, not to your whole account.
Start with a handful. A few precise tags describe a post better than a long list.
Copy the set, remove anything that does not match the post and add one tag of your own.
Hashtags tell Instagram what a post is about and let people who follow a hashtag find it. They are a label, not a growth switch: a well-tagged post still needs a hook, a clear image and a reason to save or share.
Instagram's own @creators account has recommended using a few relevant hashtags rather than many. Broad tags with millions of posts move fast and bury yours; specific tags are smaller but closer to what you posted.
Avoid repeating the same block of tags on every post and never use a tag that has nothing to do with the image. Mixing two or three broad tags with a few specific ones is a sensible starting point.
Use only the ones that describe the post. Instagram has been recommending a few relevant hashtags, and it has been changing how many it allows, so check the app if a long list stops posting.
Instagram reads both. The caption is simpler and keeps them visible if the comment section is hidden.
Yes. They help describe the Reel, but watch time and shares count for much more in Reels recommendations.
No. They are curated lists stored in the page, grouped by niche. Nothing is sent anywhere when you use the tool.
Good hashtags plus early engagement help a post get going.
See Instagram likes packs