Instagram is testing a limit of just 3 hashtags in a post. This is a major change from the 30 hashtag limit that has been in place since 2011. This feature is currently being tested on some users, which is a step towards automated content discovery.
California: Instagram is testing a big change on its platform. According to reports, this company owned by Meta is experimenting with bringing a limit of only three hashtags in a post. This is a major change in Instagram’s rules that have been in place since 2011. Some Reddit users have reported that they are seeing an error message when adding more than three hashtags to a post. However, this feature is not yet available for all users. This shows that Meta is testing this hashtag control feature on some selected users and can later implement it on the entire platform. Instagram has not yet issued any official statement about this experiment. Reports say that like many features that were released gradually earlier, this change is also part of the same process.
Hashtags have been a major way for users to discover content on Instagram since 2011. Content creators could increase the reach of their posts by adding up to 30 hashtags to a single post. But over time, Instagram’s recommendation system has changed. Now, the Explore section prioritizes content, captions, and user behavior. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has repeatedly said that hashtags are no longer as effective in increasing reach. He says that hashtags have now become just a means of categorizing content.
What will be the impact on users?
This change is a sign that Instagram is trying to change the way it presents content. Users who had formed habits around hashtag searches in previous years, especially in the mid-2010s, may be affected by this change. At the same time, young users of the new generation often depend less on hashtags. Nevertheless, the old-fashioned way of filling posts with tags is still common among long-time Instagram users.
Now what next?
Anyway, this new experiment shows that Instagram is moving away from user-based tagging and towards automated content discovery. Whether this three-hashtag limit becomes a permanent rule will depend on the results of ongoing testing and Meta’s larger platform strategy.