370+ Best Instagram Hashtags To Get More Likes in 2023

Using popular Instagram hashtags can help you extend your reach, engage your audience, boost your brand, and even please the Instagram algorithm. In order to get each of these distinct benefits, however, you need to have specific strategies in place.

Read on to learn how to create an effective hashtag strategy for your Instagram accounts, including hashtag research, how to implement and develop hashtag strategies, and even specific hashtags you should add to your roster, based on your business’ goals. 

If you want to promote your brand or learn how to make money on Instagram, these tactics are for you. You can also check our guide on how to get followers on Instagram if you’re looking to build an audience.

Build your own Instagram hashtag strategy:

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How hashtags work on Instagram

Hashtags are attached to things you post on Instagram and become clickable and searchable topics. Any word or phrase can be turned into a working hashtag, as long as it has a # placed in front of it.

When users click on a hashtag, they’re taken to its discover feed, which shows all the public content attached to it. People will click on or search for hashtags they’re interested in as a way of finding content on Instagram.

Since hashtags are used with an intent to discover content, the right hashtags can put you in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t connected with you before. Recognizing their importance on the platform, Instagram has expanded the functionality of hashtags. For instance, brands can now add hashtags to the profile section of their Instagram bios.

hashtag in bio

Instagram Stories also offer a hashtag sticker, which lets you place working hashtags on your Stories. Users who click will be taken to the hashtag’s feed, just like they would if they’d clicked on a hashtag in your post.

hashtags in stories

Hashtags work similarly for Reels, helping the Instagram algorithm categorize your content so it shows up in a user’s explore feed.

hashtags in reels

Users can also follow hashtags they’re interested in, ensuring that relevant content appears in their feed regularly.

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Top Instagram Hashtags for 2023

Here are the top 50 most popular Instagram hashtags:

  1. #love
  2. #instagood
  3. #fashion
  4. #photooftheday
  5. #beautiful
  6. #art
  7. #photography
  8. #happy
  9. #picoftheday
  10. #cute
  11. #follow
  12. #tbt
  13. #followme
  14. #nature
  15. #like4like
  16. #travel
  17. #instagram
  18. #style
  19. #repost
  20. #summer
  21. #instadaily
  22. #selfie
  23. #me
  24. #friends
  25. #fitness
  26. #girl
  27. #food
  28. #fun
  29. #beauty
  30. #instalike
  31. #smile
  32. #family
  33. #photo
  34. #life
  35. #likeforlike
  36. #music
  37. #ootd
  38. #follow4follow
  39. #makeup
  40. #amazing
  41. #igers
  42. #nofilter
  43. #dog
  44. #model
  45. #sunset
  46. #beach
  47. #instamood
  48. #foodporn
  49. #motivation
  50. #followforfollow

    Top 2023 Instagram hashtags by category

    There is a lot to consider when working with Instagram hashtags. 

    Below, you’ll find the best Instagram hashtags, sorted by categories like industry or event, that you can use to start the process of fleshing out your hashtag strategy.

    Best hashtags for likes and follows

    1. #likes 
    2. #like 
    3. #follow 
    4. #likeforlikes 
    5. #love 
    6. #instagood 
    7. #instagram 
    8. #followforfollowback 
    9. #followme 
    10. #photooftheday 
    11. #bhfyp 
    12. #instalike 
    13. #photography 
    14. #l 
    15. #instadaily 
    16. #me 
    17. #picoftheday 
    18. #beautiful
    19. #myself
    20. #likeforfollow 
    21. #fashion 
    22. #smile 
    23. #followers 
    24. #likeforlike 
    25. #followback 
    26. #f 
    27. #followforfollow 
    28. #comment
    29. #likesforlikes 
    30. #bhfyp

    Note: No promises made on the quality of the followers or likes you’ll receive, as these and other related hashtags are typically based on new Instagram users trading likes and follows.

    Best fashion hashtags

    1. #fashion
    2. #love
    3. #style
    4. #styleinspo
    5. #ootd
    6. #outfitoftheday
    7. #whatiwore
    8. #shoppingaddict
    9. #beautydoesnthavetobepain
    10. #currentlywearing
    11. #instastyle
    12. #lookgoodfeelgood
    13. #fashionblogger
    14. #fashionista
    15. #fashionstyle
    16. #fashionable
    17. #fashiongram
    18. #fashionblog
    19. #fashionaddict
    20. #fashionphotography

    Best food and beverage hashtags 

    1. #food
    2. #foodporn 
    3. #foodie 
    4. #instafood 
    5. #foodphotography 
    6. #foodstagram 
    7. #yummy 
    8. #instagood 
    9. #love
    10. #foodblogger 
    11. #foodlover
    12. #delicious 
    13. #homemade 
    14. #healthyfood 
    15. #photooftheday 
    16. #picoftheday 
    17. #dinner 
    18. #foodgasm 
    19. #foodies
    20. #tasty 
    21. #cooking 
    22. #instadaily 
    23. #lunch 
    24. #bhfyp 
    25. #restaurant 
    26. #healthy

    Best travel hashtags

    1. #travel 
    2. #nature 
    3. #photography 
    4. #travelphotography 
    5. #photooftheday 
    6. #instagood 
    7. #travelgram 
    8. #picoftheday 
    9. #photo 
    10. #beautiful
    11. #art 
    12. #naturephotography 
    13. #wanderlust 
    14. #adventure 
    15. #instatrave
    16. #travelblogger 
    17. #landscape 
    18. #summer
    19. #trip 
    20. #explore 

    Best pet hashtags

    1. #pet 
    2. #dog 
    3. #pets 
    4. #dogsofinstagram 
    5. #cute 
    6. #petsofinstagram 
    7. #dogs
    8. #cat 
    9. #love
    10. #puppy 
    11. #cats 
    12. #petstagram 
    13. #animals
    14. #animal 
    15. #instadog 
    16. #instagram 
    17. #dogstagram 
    18. #doglover 
    19. #of 
    20. #catsofinstagram 
    21. #dogoftheday 
    22. #doglovers 
    23. #petlovers 
    24. #doglife 
    25. #instapet 
    26. #catstagram 
    27. #instagood 
    28. #cachorro 
    29. #catlover

    Best tech and gadgets hashtags

    1. #techie
    2. #latesttech
    3. #ilovemygadgets
    4. #gadgetsgalore
    5. #apple
    6. #android
    7. #applevsandroid
    8. #wearabletech
    9. #VR
    10. #mobile
    11. #makinglifeeasier
    12. #tech
    13. #technology
    14. #technews
    15. #gadgets
    16. #instatech
    17. #software
    18. #innovation

    Best wedding hashtags

    1. #wedding 
    2. #bride
    3. #weddingdress 
    4. #weddingphotography 
    5. #weddingday 
    6. #weddinginspiration 
    7. #makeup 
    8. #weddingplanner 
    9. #prewedding 
    10. #bridal 
    11. #bridetobe 
    12. #weddingphotographer 
    13. #weddings
    14.  #groom 
    15. #engagement 
    16. #party 
    17. #weddingideas 
    18. #makeupartist 
    19. #indianwedding 
    20. #casamento

    Best fitness hashtags

    1. #fitness 
    2. #gym
    3. #workout 
    4. #fitnessmotivation 
    5. #motivation 
    6. #fit 
    7. #bodybuilding
    8. #training 
    9. #health 
    10. #lifestyle
    11. #fitfam
    12. #healthylifestyle 
    13. #sport
    14. #healthy 
    15. #gymlife 
    16. #life 
    17. #crossfit 
    18. #personaltrainer 
    19. #goals 
    20. #exercise 
    21. #muscle 

    Best holiday hashtags

    1. #stockingstuffers
    2. #christmasdecor
    3. #spookyhalloween
    4. #happyhalloween
    5. #thanksgivingtable
    6. #turkeyorham
    7. #valentineformyvalentine
    8. #happyfourth
    9. #newyearseve
    10. #newyearsresolution
    11. #holidaycrazy
    12. #holidayspirit
    13. #kwanza
    14. #hanukkahgift
    15. #underthetree

    Best Instagram contest hashtags

    1. #instacontest
    2. #instagiveaway
    3. #giveaway
    4. #sweepstakes
    5. #contestalert
    6. #contestentry
    7. #winit
    8. #freebie
    9. #winitwednesday

    Best photography hashtags

    1. #photography 
    2. #photooftheday 
    3. #photo 
    4. #picoftheday
    5. #photographer
    6. #model 
    7. #photoshoot
    8. #portrait 
    9. #beauty 
    10. #travelphotography
    11. #canon
    12. #selfie 
    13. #landscape
    14. #sunset 
    15. #fotografia 
    16. #portraitphotography 
    17. #photographylovers 
    18. #artist 
    19. #nikon

    Best hashtags for small business

    1. #smallbusiness 
    2. #supportsmallbusiness 
    3. #handmade 
    4. #shoplocal 
    5. #shopsmall 
    6. #smallbusinessowner 
    7. #entrepreneur 
    8. #supportlocal
    9.  #business 
    10. #localbusiness 
    11. #businessowner 
    12. #blackownedbusiness 
    13. #art 
    14. #explorepage 
    15. #homedecor 
    16. #covid
    17. #startup
    18. #entrepreneurship 
    19. #womeninbusiness 
    20. #motivation
    21. #success 
    22. #girlboss 
    23. #entrepreneurlife
    24. #handcrafted
    25. #local 
    26. #smallbiz 
    27. #homemade 
    28. #custom 
    29. #smallbusinesssupport 
    30. #shopsmallbusiness 
    31. #handmadewithlove 
    32. #supportsmallbusinesses 
    33. #supportlocalbusiness

    Best music hashtags

    1. #music 
    2. #hiphop
    3. #rap 
    4. #musician
    5. #singer
    6. #musica 
    7. #dj 
    8. #rock
    9. #dance 
    10. #song
    11. #guitar 
    12. #viral 
    13. #producer 
    14. #newmusic
    15. #musicvideo
    16. #instamusic
    17. #livemusic
    18. #pop
    19. #concert
    20. #trap
    21. #beats

    Best art hashtags

    1. #art 
    2. #artist
    3. #drawing 
    4. #artwork 
    5. #painting 
    6. #artistsoninstagram 
    7. #illustration 
    8. #digitalart 
    9. #design
    10. #sketch

    Best nature hashtags

    1. #nature
    2. #naturephotography
    3. #sunset
    4. #flowers
    5. #wildlife
    6. #mountains
    7. #hiking
    8. #explore
    9. #outdoors
    10. #naturelover
    11. #beach
    12. #forest

    Best Instagram Reels hashtags

    1. #reels
    2. #reelsvideo
    3. #reelsinstagram
    4. #reelsindia
    5. #holareels
    6. #reelsbrasil
    7. #reelsteady
    8. #instagramreels
    9. #reelsinsta
    10. #instareels
    11. #reelsofinstagram
    12. #k
    13. #music
    14. #bhfyp
    15. #disney
    16. #tiktokindia
    17. #videoftheday
    18. #instareel
    19. #foryoupage
    20. #fyp

    Top Instagram hashtag generators

    Whether you’re shooting for six hashtags or 30, it can be time consuming to enter that many characters, especially since autocorrect doesn’t fix hashtag spelling mistakes. Ask any social media manager and they’ll tell you: it’s not their favorite thing in the world.

    Fortunately, there are plenty of Instagram hashtag generators and hashtag search engines that can streamline the process. Here are some tools to consider.

    Best-Hashtags

    best hashtags hashtag generator

    Best-Hashtags is a simple browser-based hashtag research tool. Its algorithm calculates the best Instagram hashtags for your social content based on historical data. Simply type in your desired hashtag and Best-Hashtags will generate a list of hashtags across different categories like:

    • Best related hashtags
    • Top 10 hashtags based on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok popularity
    • Low difficulty hashtags
    • Exact hashtags

    You can also discover new hashtags on its New Hashtags and Best Hashtags category pages. 

    SISTRIX

    sistrix instagram hashtag generator

    The SISTRIX Instagram Hashtag Generator is another great tool for finding successful hashtags, fast. Enter a hashtag or topic, and you’ll see the best 30 hashtags to use. Get more recommendations by searching other hashtag variants related to your main search. 

    The tool is completely free for up to 25 queries each day. If you want more searches, you’ll need to register for a SISTRIX account. 

    Influencer Marketing Hub 

    This Instagram hashtag generator is different. Rather than search for hashtags by topic, you upload a photo and the tool suggests hashtags to use. In the following example, we placed an image from the Surreals NFT collection to see what hashtags would generate. 

    influencer marketing hub generator

    You can select up to five keywords. Once selected, the tool reveals the optimal list of hashtags to use for your post. 

    influencer marketing hub generated hashtags

    Inflact

    Inflact is another useful Instagram hashtag tool for posts, Stories, and Reels. The easiest way to use the tool is through keywords. For example, if you type “Paris” into the generator, it will reveal a handful of different hashtags that contain the keyword. Hashtags are broken down by frequent, average, and rare use cases. 

    inflact instagram hashtag generator

    Inflact’s AI search tool also reveals organic hashtags or those that are often written together in the same post. 

    related organic hashtags

    Most Instagram hashtag generators are free. If you aren’t willing to invest in a tool just for this purpose, the more affordable route may be to use a general social media tool. You can keep a document of different hashtags and use social media scheduling software like AgorapulseHootsuite, or Sprout Social.

    You can create the posts on your desktop, copying and pasting hashtags or groups of hashtags to the caption as needed. Since all of these tools can now post directly to Instagram for you, this can save you a few steps

    Types of Instagram hashtags

    Understanding which hashtags to use is a crucial part of developing a strong hashtag strategy that maximizes your reach and increases engagement. 

    Different types of hashtags serve different purposes, and a good strategy incorporates a combination of them. Learn how to get verified on Instagram and use hashtags from your verified account to maximize your reach.

    Branded hashtags

    These should be listed in your Instagram bio and are exclusive to your specific store. They can be used to build brand awareness, and you can encourage users to share user-generated content employing them. Examples include Harper Wilde’s #LiftUpTheGirls, Shwood Eyewear’s #shwoodshop, and So Worth Loving’s #swlfamily. Use only one or two branded hashtags per post. 

    branded hashtag example

    Location-based hashtags

    If you have products that would appeal to local audiences, use them to your advantage. Do you sell novelty mugs that feature different states? Use #FloridaLife or #NewYorkDrinks to connect with the right audience. You can also tag posts based on location to reach a specific audience in the area. 

    Entertainment hashtags

    These hashtags aren’t meant to grow your audience, but rather to expand on the relationship with the audience you already have. These phrases often have little to do with a brand itself, and more to do with the situation in the specific post. In the example below, #shopitlikeithot and #getitgirl are both entertainment-focused.

    entertainment hashtags

    Mass appeal hashtags

    Mass appeal hashtags are general hashtags that can apply to almost any post. They’re frequently used, which means they’re also frequently sought out. They can occasionally give your posts a significant bump in reach, putting them in front of established audiences. Examples of these include #instagood and #lovelife.

    Occasion-based hashtags

    Maybe you want to remind your followers that it’s OK to have a #caseofthemondays, or to appreciate that #summerrain. Timely hashtags can be related to a certain holiday, time of year, or even time of day. Users love timely content and are likely to seek out holiday and seasonal posts in particular. The example below uses the timely hashtag #sunsout to put a product—sunglasses—in front of an interested audience.

    occasion based hashtag example

    Trending hashtags

    Trending hashtags are hashtags that for any number of reasons explode in popularity due to current events, advertising campaigns, viral nature, or pop culture. Hashtags go in and out of favor, just like styles of clothing and slang. 

    Whether Apple has announced a new version of the iPhone, or it’s election day somewhere in the country, trending hashtags won’t give you evergreen results, but they can yield meaningful returns when used correctly.

    Niche hashtags

    Certain products have audiences with niche interests with corresponding niche hashtags. People who are buying their own virtual reality systems, for example, are likely to be interested in all the latest technology. Customers who are interested in healthy eating may search for phrases like #organic or #eatinggreen. Use niche-specific hashtags to connect with a highly relevant audience.

    Bremont does this exceptionally well in the example below. It uses hashtags like #luxury and #watchoftheday, knowing that these niche hashtags could connect them with their target audience.

    bremont watches hashtag example

    Special event hashtags

    Sometimes hashtags can act like beacons that alert users to special events going on with your store. Are you about to host a contest? Hashtags like #contestalert and #instagiveaway can help you find an interested audience. Similarly, hashtags like #flashsale and #BOGO can both help you find bargain hunters and signal to followers you’ve got special deals for them online.

    If you create a hashtag to promote a new product launch, you could feature that hashtag in your Instagram bio so that when people click through, they’ll find all the posts and stories that were published using that hashtag.

    Taylor Loren, in an edited excerpt from the course How to Make Money on Instagram

    Which types of hashtags should I use?

    Not all ecommerce businesses will benefit from every type of hashtag.

    A merchant with national or international reach may not have a reason to use location-based hashtags, for example, and B2B merchants with a strictly professional voice may not use a lot of entertainment-focused hashtags. That’s fine. Adopt the ones that will work best for your brand and your audience.

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    Tips for using hashtags on Instagram

    Be mindful of the number of hashtags you use

    You can use up to 30 hashtags on a single Instagram post. Whether you should is another question entirely.

    The research suggests you should be using at least a few hashtags (as in, more than one) on every post. Instagram posts with hashtags receive 70% more likes, according to a study by Agorapulse.

    number of hashtags example

    As for precisely how many hashtags work best, the data is inconsistent. Some marketers swear by using just two hashtags, while others use all 30. In reality, the sweet spot for a single post may only be something you can uncover through testing.

    Should my Instagram hashtags be visible?

    Nobody wants to read through 30 different hashtags, or even six for that matter, just to get to the content. Big blocks of difficult-to-read text also look visually unappealing.

    Because of this, many brands opt to hide the bulk of their hashtags by strategically placing them below the See More option. Some will even take this a step further, adding significant extra spaces outside of the See More in order to aesthetically remove large chunks of hashtags from the rest of the description. Other brands will add hashtags in a separate comment on the post, but this may cause the hashtags to lose effectiveness.

    For most brands, the best option is simply to make sure that your hashtags are separated by at least one line from the caption and are hidden under the See More option. This keeps the focus on your caption, increasing the likelihood that it will be read. It also looks cleaner.

    The exception is if you’re using one or two hashtags for branding or entertainment purposes. In this case, leave them above the fold, if necessary, and make sure they’re listed first or written in line in your Instagram caption. That way, users are more likely to read them.

    Although you may see others doing it, there’s no reason to use more than one line of separation for hashtags. If users click on See More, you don’t want them to have to scroll forever to get to the comments, because there’s a good chance they won’t continue and leave a comment of their own.

    Conduct Instagram hashtag research

    Hashtag research is a key part of distribution on Instagram. It can help you identify the most popular hashtags, give you new ideas for hashtags you wouldn’t have thought of on your own, and help you to identify trending hashtags.

    There are several different strategies you can use to conduct hashtag research, whether you want to grow your list or find new trending topics. Let’s take a look at each.

    Scope out Twitter

    If you want to find relevant hashtags that are currently trending, Twitter can give you an edge. It has a trending topics section, where you can see what people are sharing.

    Note that hashtag usage on Instagram and Twitter is different, and trending Twitter hashtags are more heavily focused on news. Keep that in mind and use it for research purposes instead of copying and pasting hashtags blindly to Instagram.

    Check out your competition

    It never hurts to see what your competition’s marketing strategy looks like, and that includes their hashtag strategy. Look for trends in which hashtags they’re using and you might get a few ideas for phrases you want to add to your roster, too.

    Monitor influencers

    Influencers—including micro-influencers—are called influencers for a reason: they already have an audience and people actively look to them for advice, inspiration, or expertise. It’s not surprising that these Instagram profiles may have mastered their hashtag game and found the best performing terms out there. Take a look, and don’t be afraid to snag a few that you like.

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    Avoid banned hashtags

    Did you know that there are such things as banned hashtags on Instagram? They aren’t even necessarily swear words or outright obscenities—though those definitely make the list.

    Instagram routinely “bans” hashtags that it detects are used frequently alongside some sort of illicit content. Some of these aren’t surprising, like #nasty, but others like #fitnessgirls and #tgif could be used for perfectly innocent reasons. Instagram won’t post new content to a banned hashtag’s feed, if the feed even stays up at all.

    Hashtags can be banned permanently or temporarily, and when you use them, your Instagram posts could be shadowbanned. This means that they may not show up in your followers’ feeds, and they may not appear when users search for other hashtags attached to the post. All in all, using a single banned hashtag can unravel all the work you did on a post.

    When compiling hashtags that you want to use, check out the full list of hashtags that have been banned on Instagram.

    Measure your Instagram hashtag strategy

    All marketing efforts should be measured whenever possible, and that goes for hashtag strategies, too. 

    Hashtags can be much more difficult to evaluate on your own, especially if you have groups of them on posts. This can make it difficult to know which are working and which aren’t pulling their weight. Fortunately, there are several ways to measure the impact of your strategy.

    First, take a look at the overall growth of your channel. You can do this with Instagram’s analytics, though many third-party social management platforms will offer more detail.

    See if impressions, reach, and likes go up for your profile and posts. How many accounts have you reached through the Discovery channel? Are you seeing big changes as a result of your new strategy? Look for month-to-month increases. If you don’t see them within a couple months, it’s time to try something different.

    instagram insights

    You should also be using hashtag research tools to monitor the hashtags you’re using regularly. Make sure their popularity is trending up over time and not decreasing. You can use tools like Keyhole to track your branded hashtag and to see the reach, impressions, and overall use from other profiles. This can help you evaluate how much your branded hashtag is helping you, and if it’s gaining traction organically.

    Third-party tools can also provide data about your hashtag usage and their results. Sprout Social has excellent hashtag data, showing you the hashtags that yielded the best engagement and which you used most often.

    Finding the best Instagram hashtags

    Instagram hashtags are an essential part of Instagram marketing. If you combine your hashtag tactics with a strategy that focuses on how to get more followers, you’ll see an immediate lift in likes, comments, and followers. 

    If you don’t have a strategy in place, your marketing may not be reaching its full potential on the platform. Use the tools and hashtag suggestions detailed in this post to form your own list of high-performing hashtags that will extend your reach and keep your audience engaged, and remember to switch them up based on your analytics tools for best results.

    Illustration by Eugenia Mello

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    Instagram hashtags FAQ

    Which Instagram hashtags get the most likes?

    • #likes
    • #like
    • #likeforlikes
    • #instalike
    • likeforlike
    • #comment
    • #likesforlikes

    What are the best Instagram hashtags?

    • #love 
    • #fashion 
    • #photooftheday
    • #beautiful 
    • #photography
    • #picoftheday
    • #happy
    • #follow 
    • #nature 
    • #tbt 

    How do I use hashtags on Instagram?

    Use Instagram hashtags to put your posts, videos, or Stories in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t interacted with your profile before.

    Is 30 hashtags too much?

    The maximum amount of hashtags you can use in a post is 30. But you may not need to use 30 hashtags for every post. Consider using a maximum of five or six to not look spammy.

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