Grow Your Following With the Most Popular Instagram Hashtags

Hashtags have been a part of online culture since 2007 when Chris Messina introduced them in a blog. Since then, Instagram hashtags have been widely adopted throughout the platform to reach more users, label content, and increase engagement. 

How brands and users implement hashtags on Instagram has changed, but their function has remained relatively the same — and still essential for a robust Instagram strategy. 

In this article, we explore:

• How hashtags work.
• Uncover different types of hashtags on Instagram.
• Learn about trending Instagram hashtags for specific industries. 
• Give tips for using hashtags on Instagram.

Finding new, trending hashtags can be time-consuming for a busy social marketer — enter this guide. We update this blog monthly with trending hashtags for Beauty, Fashion and Luxury, Retail, Home, Media and Publishing, and the Food and Beverage Industry. 

How Do Hashtags on Instagram Work? 

So, how do hashtags for Instagram work? Essentially, hashtags are used to index keywords on the platform. When a phrase or keyword is preceded by a '#' or 'pound' symbol, this group's related posts (except those from private accounts) appear when users view this hashtag. Individuals can click these to find related content, or brands might create their own to encourage participation in product releases, campaigns, and other initiatives. 

Instagram Hashtag Types 

Instagram hashtags can fall into several categories — from branded hashtags that a brand creates for their campaigns, trending hashtags, seasonal hashtags for events like Christmas, or significant events like Black Friday. The type you select depends on the content you share, who you hope to reach, and other variables. 

Here are the most popular categories of hashtags: 

• Branded: Hashtags a brand creates for a campaign, series, or other content types. For example, Revolve uses the #rvlvme hashtag for its influencers and brand ambassadors to share Revolve styles. 
• Category: More general, ‘category’ hashtags are exactly that — for example, the category ‘Beauty Products’ has thousands of hashtags to choose from, like #beauty, #beautyaddict, #beautyobsessed, and more. 
• Event/seasonal: Event or seasonal hashtags are based around seasons like Fall (#fallvibes, for example) or major events like Fashion Week (#nyfw). 
• Campaign: Similar to branded hashtags, these are created for a specific campaign. 
• Acronyms: Commons acronyms used in online communication that apply to posts on Instagram — for example, #ICYMI (in case you missed it), #WCW (woman crush Wednesday), or #TBT (throwback Thursday). 
• Emoji: Emoji hashtags aren’t as popular as text-based hashtags (and are more relevant for Twitter), but they still have a time and place. For example, the #nba hashtag includes a custom emoji of the NBA logo.
• Location: These indicate where the content was from or displayed. This could range from a country (#italy) to a local hashtag for your city (#nyc). 

The Best Hashtags for Instagram (June 2023) 

While it’s not always the most beneficial strategy to include hashtags with millions of posts as it’s harder to get seen, sometimes it’s helpful to know what’s widely used on the platform. The most popular ‘general’ hashtags to use on Instagram in April 2023 include: 

1. #goodbyemay (18.9K)  
2. #june (9.8M)  
3. #summer2023 (682K)  
4. #summervibes (58.1M)  
5. #june2023 (23.1K)  
6. #1stdayofjune (16.9K) 
7. #lastdayofjune (12.5K)  
8. #bestfriendsday (196K)  
9. #song (56.7M)  
10.  #ikon (6.5M)

Instagram Hashtags (May 2023)

1. #viral (360M)
2. #may (11.5M) 
3. #springday (2.5M)  
4. #springvibes (3.9M) 
5. #nature (766M)  
6. #viralpost (37.3M)  
7. #viralreels (61.5M)  
8. #explorepageready (2.8M) 
9. #explorepageedits (243K) 
10.  #explorepageedit (648K) 

Instagram Hashtags (April 2023)

The most popular ‘general’ hashtags to use on Instagram in April 2023 include:

1. #love (2.1B) 
2. #instagood (1.6B) 
3. #instadaily (617M) 
4. #likeforlikes (382M) 
5. #like (340M) 
6. #follow (679M) 
7. #followforfollowback (67.4M) 
8. #picoftheday (710M) 
9. #bhfyp (179M)  
10.  #picoftheday (710M) 

Trending Beauty Hashtags on Instagram (June 2023) 

If you’re targeting a specific community or the beauty industry, here are some of the most popular hashtags to use on Feed or Reels content. 

1. #makeupenthusiast (959K) 
2. #makeupbag (866K)
3. #makeuptrends (833K) 
4. #makeupglam (957K) 
5. #makeupmess (819K)
6. #nailsideas (44.3K)
7. #nailsideasforyou (14.1K) 
8. #nailsofinstagram (64M) 
9. #beautystudio (958K) 
10. #beautytools (444K)

Trending Beauty Hashtags (May 2023)

1. #selfcare (72.7M)  
2.  #selfcaretips (2.4M)  
3.  #makeuplover (37.1M)  
4.  #makeuplife (10.6M)  
5.  #makeuptutorials (3.2M)  
6.  #skinhealth (2M) 
7.  #beautyobsessed (1.5M)  
8.  #beautytools (427K) 
9.  #beautyroutine (2M) 
10.  #skincaretips (10.6M)

Trending Beauty Hashtags (April 2023)

These are some of the most popular trending hashtags for the beauty industry on Instagram in April:

1. #beauty (517M) 
2. #makeupartist (129M) 
3. #makeup (388M) 
4. #skincare (107M) 
5. #makeuptutorial (49.3M) 
6. #makeupaddict (35.5M) 
7. #skincareroutine (25.4M) 
8. #beautytips (10.8M) 
9. #skincareproducts (10.5M) 
10. #beautybloggers (9.2M)

Trending Fashion and Luxury Hashtags on Instagram (June 2023)

Sharing fashion-focused content, or want to enhance posts from your luxury brand? Here are the most popular trending hashtags to use: 

1. #summerstyle (7.7M) 
2. #summeroutfit (5.2M) 
3. #summeroutfits (1.3M) 
4. #summerfashion (6.2M) 
5. #festivaloutfits (81.8K) 
6. #outfitdetails (1.6M)  
7. #outfitsociety (2.8M)  
8. #outfitlook (950K)  
9. #outfitdujour (1.1M)  
10.  #fashioninfluencer (4M)

Trending Fashion and Luxury Hashtags (May 2023) 

1. #selfcare (72.7M)  
2.  #selfcaretips (2.4M)  
3.  #makeuplover (37.1M)  
4.  #makeuplife (10.6M)  
5.  #makeuptutorials (3.2M)  
6.  #skinhealth (2M) 
7.  #beautyobsessed (1.5M)  
8.  #beautytools (427K) 
9.  #beautyroutine (2M) 
10.  #skincaretips (10.6M)

Trending Fashion and Luxury Hashtags (April 2023) 

1. #fashion (1B) 
2. #style (628M) 
3. #fashionblogger (162M) 
4. #streetstyle (109M) 
5. #fashionstyle (106M) 
6. #luxury (142M) 
7. #luxurylifestyle (42.3M) 
8. #fashionweek (28.4M)  
9. #styleinspo (23.7M)  
10. #styleoftheday (17.4M) 
11. #stylediaries (4.3M) 
12. #styleoftheday (3.1M)   

Trending Retail Hashtags (June 2023)

Depending on the type of retail industry your brand focuses on, hashtags from the home or fashion style might work for your brand — if you’re looking for more general hashtags for the retail industry, try one of these: 

1. #shoponline (25.7M)
2.  #retailproblems (169K)
3. #retailstory (296K)
4.  #retaillife (330K)
5.  #retailmarketing (102K) 
6.  #retailing (39.4K) 
7.  #retailer (505K) 
8.  #retailmemes (23.9K) 
9.  #retailinterior (37.8K)  
10.  #retailexperience (48.2K)

Trending Retail Hashtags (May 2023)

1.  #retaildisplay (212K) 
2.  #retailarbitrage (120K)
3.  #retailshop (164K)
4.  #retaildesigner (29.6K)
5.  #retailrow (18.8K) 
6.  #retailing (39.4K) 
7.  #retailstores (34.9K) 
8.  #ecommercetips (437K) 
9.  #ecommerceplatform (77.5K)  
10.  #ecommercetips (13.8K)

Trending Retail Hashtags (April 2023)

1. #shoponline (25.7M)
2. #ecommerce (13.4M) 
3. #retail (8.5M) 
4. #wholesale (16M) 
5. #retaildesign (964K) 
6. #wholesaler (1.7M) 
7. #merchandising (1.5M) 
8. #retailers (402K)  
9. #shoppingonline (25.3M) 
10. #retailer (495K) 

Trending Home Industry Hashtags (June 2023) 

Whether it’s home improvement or home design, the home industry is a hyper-visual industry that can benefit from the right hashtag. Here are some trending home industry hashtags:

1. #interiorandhome (2.5M) 
2. #interiorstylist (1.6M) 
3. #interiorwarrior (1.2M) 
4. #interiorart (1.3M) 
5. #interiorlove (881K) 
6. #interirorforinspo (1.7M)
7. #interior444 (945K) 
8. #interiordesigninspiration (1.5M) 
9. #interiorforyou (1.2M) 
10. #interiorarchitect (702K)

Trending Home Hashtags (May 2023) 

1. #homeautomation (728K) 
2.  #homegoods (2.5M) 
3.  #homedetails (1.8M) 
4.  #homeaccount (1.8M) 
5.  #homedeco (4.2M) 
6.  #homestaging (3.1M)
7.  #homeinteriors (1.9M) 
8.  #decohome (2.7M) 
9.  #interiorgoals (751K) 
10.  #interiordesire (731K) 

Trending Home Hashtags (April 2023) 

These are some of the most popular trending hashtags for the retail industry on Instagram in April:

1. #homedecor (205M) 
2. #interiordesign (168M) 
3. #homedesign (38.5M) 
4. #interiordesigner (21.9M) 
5. #interiordecor (19.6M) 
6. #interiorstyling (18.4M) 
7. #homedecoration (13.9M) 
8. #interiorstyle (6.1M) 
9. #interiorinspo (9.1M) 
10. #homeimprovement (6M)

Trending Media and Publishing Industry Hashtags (June 2023) 

Often, the media and publishing industry use hashtags that aren’t necessarily specific to media and publishing, but focused on the event, books, author, event or topic they’re promoting on Instagram. However, there are some general hashtags used in the media and publishing industry that suit a variety of posts. Use these trending Instagram hashtags to bring attention to posts: 

1. #interiorandhome (2.5M) 
2. #interiorstylist (1.6M) 
3. #interiorwarrior (1.2M) 
4. #interiorart (1.3M) 
5. #interiorlove (881K) 
6. #interirorforinspo (1.7M)
7. #interior444 (945K) 
8. #interiordesigninspiration (1.5M) 
9. #interiorforyou (1.2M) 
10. #interiorarchitect (702K)

Trending Media and Publishing Hashtags (May 2023)

1. #authorsofinstagram (7.3M) 
2.  #authorcommunity (264K) 
3.  #authorgram (211K) 
4.  #publishinghouse (127K) 
5.  #publishinglife (32K) 
6.  #publishingindustry (11.5K) 
7.  #magazines (1.5M) 
8.  #mediaproduction (202K) 
9.  #mediaindustry (31.8K)  
10.  #novelbestseller (176K)

Trending Media and Publishing Hashtags (April 2023)

These are some of the most popular trending hashtags for the home industry on Instagram in April:

1. #bookstagram (88.5M) 
2. #media (14M)  
3. #bookstagrammer (16.6M) 
4. #publishing (1.5M) 
5. #published (1M) 
6. #readmorebooks (7.3M) 
7. #mediatour (70.2K)  
8. #publishinghouse (126K) 
9. #selfpublish (225K)  
10.  #springreads (35.2K) 

Trending Food and Beverage Industry Hashtags (June 2023) 

There’s an old saying that we ‘eat with our eyes’ — so what better forum to share food content than Instagram? Here are the best hashtags for Instagram to use for the food and beverage industry: 

1. #recipeoftheday (2.6M)
2. #recipeshare (1M) 
3. #recipeideas (785K) 
4. #recipeidea (135K) 
5. #recipesharing (186K) 
6. #recipevideos (137K) 
7. #recipetesting (222K) 
8. #recipereels (178K) 
9. #recipedevloper (177K) 
10.  #newrecipe (705K)

Popular Food and Beverage Industry Hashtags (May 2023)

1. #foodpassion (3M)
2. #foodreview (1.9M) 
3. #foodiegram (11M) 
4. #foodreels (1.6M) 
5. #foodfeed (1.5M) 
6. #foodblogfeed (5.2M) 
7. #foodlife (2.9M) 
8. #foodpost (4.1M) 
9. #barandrestaurant (56.9K) 
10.  #michelinrestaurant (359K)

Popular Food and Beverage Industry Hashtags (April 2023)

These are some of the most popular trending hashtags for the food and beverage industry on Instagram in April:

1. #food (498M)  
2. #foodie (235M)  
3. #instafood (232M)  
4. #foodstagram (116M)  
5. #foodphotography (106M) 
6. #foodblogger (81.1M)  
7. #instafood (232M)  
8. #foodblogger (81.1M)  
9. #restaurant (58.1M) 
10. #drinks (53.3M)    

Tips for Instagram Hashtag Use 

While hashtags are a great asset to Instagram posts, Reels, and Stories, this doesn’t mean you should use 100 on each post or even the most popular ones. There are social media SEO best practices for the number of hashtags you incorporate into your posts. Here are a few tips to maximize your Instagram hashtag strategy. 

Use Them Sparingly 

Brands should be mindful to avoid ‘spamming’ hashtags — while Instagram lets you use up to 30, this can appear spammy. If brands want to use hashtags, consider how they can complement your caption, and stick to 1-3 great, specific ones that offer the potential for good reach but aren’t too competitive, so your content has a chance to surface among ultra-competitive topics. 

Do Hashtag Research 

Before simply using the most popular hashtags, research which hashtags are most relevant to your brand, industry, and specific post. Conducting an Instagram competitive analysis is also a great way to determine which hashtags your competitors are using. For example, Go Pro (@gopro) uses a combination of branded and categorical hashtags in its content. Its posts typically feature people using its product in an active set and use a variety of hashtags that reflect the individual image vs. a standard set of hashtags to use on every post. 

Monitor Performance of Posts With and Without Hashtags

It’s important to measure the performance of your efforts on social. While this can be difficult to do with hashtags, compare posts without and with hashtags. You can even contrast posts with 1-5 tags versus posts with fewer to gauge how the number of hashtags impacts your Instagram content so you can hone your strategy. A social analytics and monitoring tool will also help you track the performance of your hashtagged posts.

Optimize the Rest of Your Post 

While hashtags can help increase reach, optimize the rest of your post, and consider things like the best time to post on Instagram. Add relevant tags, a compelling caption, and add trending Reels songs to ensure your posts can reach their maximum potential. 

Using Dash Hudson for Instagram Success

Dash Hudson is everything your Instagram account needs to succeed at each stage of your plan. Our Scheduler helps brands post and plan content, Social Analytics and Monitoring let you measure the performance of your efforts, and Influencer and Creator Insights allow you to assess the impact of influencer partnerships on your overall business goals. Beyond this, Dash Hudson supports your visual strategy with Vision, which uses  AI-powered insights that predict which visual content from your library will perform the best. 

FAQs

How many hashtags should I use on Instagram? 

The number of hashtags you use will depend on your visual content marketing strategy. Instagram limits the number of hashtags you can include on a Feed or Reel post to 30, but we recommend using far less than this. If you’re not using a branded hashtag, have 3-5 on Reels and Feed posts. If including hashtags on your Reels post, limit hashtags to one, or use them sparingly with a small font that doesn’t distract from your central limit.  

Do hashtags work on Instagram? 

Yes, hashtags work on Instagram. The Instagram algorithm considers views when suggesting accounts, and hashtags can help increase reach, followers, and engagement, especially from users who follow those hashtags. Although using hashtags isn’t an end-all-be-all solution, they’re certainly part of a robust Instagram strategy. Some brands can rely on the strength of their brand and content alone — for example, the Washington Post rarely uses hashtags in its Instagram content. 

How do you hide hashtags on Instagram?

Adding the maximum number of hashtags isn’t necessarily the most effective way to use them on Instagram, but if this is something your brand wants to try, consider adding them in an Instagram comment immediately after posting. Instagram has confirmed adding hashtags in a comment will still surface the post if the hashtag is searched — if your caption is long enough, the hashtags won’t appear in their entirety. Conversely, Instagram captions are cut off at 125 characters, so if you write a long caption and add hashtags at the end, they won’t be visible unless users choose to view them.