Hashtags for small business: how many to use and where to find them
Thirty hashtags copied from a list won't help. Instagram now allows up to 5 per post. Here's how to pick hashtags that fit your product, where to find them and a simple way to build a set you can reuse.
Ashish · 5 min read
You've seen the advice: paste 30 hashtags under every post. So you found a "best hashtags for small business" list, copied it in, and got likes from accounts selling followers. Then Instagram changed the rules, and half those posts wouldn't publish.
Hashtags still help people find posts, but only if they describe what's actually in the post. This guide covers how many to use, the limit Instagram sets now, where to find hashtags that fit your product and how to build a small set you can reuse.
How many hashtags to use
From Instagram's Help Center page on hashtags:
"You can use up to 5 tags on a post. If you include more than 5 tags on a single photo/video, your comment won't post."
The same page says:
- Hashtags can go in the caption or the comments.
- Numbers are allowed in a hashtag, but spaces and special characters like $ or % aren't.
- If your account is private, your posts won't show on hashtag pages.
So for Instagram, the answer is simple: 5 or fewer. For other platforms, check each app's own help pages, because limits and habits differ. On Pinterest, for example, the pin title and description do most of the work of being found (see our guide to Pinterest for Etsy sellers).
What makes a good hashtag
A good hashtag describes the post, is something real people search for or follow, and isn't so busy that your post disappears in seconds.
| Type | Example | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Product | #leatherdogcollar | What the item is |
| Feature or material | #vegtanleather | What makes it different |
| Use or moment | #puppytraining | When people need it |
| Community | #dogsofinstagram | The people who'd buy it |
| Your brand | #northpawcollars | Your own posts, so people can find them all |
Avoid hashtags that don't describe your post, like #love or #instagood. They're so busy that your post is gone from the page almost straight away, and the people browsing them aren't looking for your product.
Where to find hashtags that fit
- 1Search in the app. Type a word that describes your product into Instagram's search and look at the hashtags it suggests. Open one and look at the posts. Are they similar to yours? If not, skip it.
- 2Look at shops like yours. Check what similar small shops use on their best posts. Don't copy whole sets; pick the ones that fit your product too.
- 3Use your customers' words. How do buyers describe your product in reviews and messages? Those words often make good hashtags.
- 4Use your listing keywords. The words you researched for your Etsy titles and tags or Amazon listing keywords are often the same words people search for on social media.
- 5Check the hashtag page before you use it. If the top posts are spam, unrelated or a different meaning of the word, pick another.
Build a reusable set
This is a made-up example. "Northpaw Collars" isn't a real brand. Northpaw makes leather dog collars.
Keep a short list per product, and pick up to 5 for each post depending on what the post shows:
| Post | Hashtags |
|---|---|
| Close-up of the buckle | #leatherdogcollar #vegtanleather #handmadedogcollar #brassbuckle #northpawcollars |
| Puppy wearing a small collar | #puppycollar #puppytraining #leatherdogcollar #newpuppy #northpawcollars |
| Packing an order | #smallbusinesspacking #handmadedogcollar #dogmomgift #shopsmall #northpawcollars |
Each set fits the post it's on. The brand hashtag stays the same, and the rest change with the photo.
Common mistakes
- Too many on Instagram. More than 5 and the post or comment won't publish.
- Copying a huge list. Generic lists bring the wrong people, if anyone.
- Hashtags that don't match the photo. A packing video tagged #dogtraining confuses people who tap it.
- Spaces or symbols. #dog collar becomes #dog. #50%off doesn't work.
- A private shop account. Posts from private accounts don't show on hashtag pages.
- Same set on every post. Change them to fit what each post shows.
Where YelloShelf fits
Picking hashtags yourself is free, and the steps above don't need any tool. If you'd rather not do it for every post, YelloShelf writes captions and hashtags for each social post it makes from your product photos, for Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook and X. You read them, change any that don't fit and publish the post yourself. It doesn't have a free plan or trial. You buy a credit pack, starting at $10, and your first purchase comes with a money-back guarantee. We're helping you remove the manual, tedious, time-consuming work. You still read it, edit it and paste it in yourself.
For the words around your hashtags, see Instagram captions for products. For what to post, see Instagram post ideas for products.
Quick checklist
- 5 hashtags or fewer on Instagram.
- No spaces or special characters.
- Shop account set to public.
- A mix of product, feature, use, community and brand hashtags.
- Every hashtag checked on its own page first.
- Each set matches what the post shows.
- One brand hashtag on every post.
FAQ
How many hashtags should a small business use on Instagram?
Up to 5. Instagram's Help Center says you can use up to 5 tags on a post, and if you include more than 5, your comment won't post.
Should hashtags go in the caption or the first comment?
Either works. Instagram's Help Center says you can add hashtags in the caption or comments of your post. Keep the total to 5 or fewer.
Where can I find good hashtags for my products?
Search a word that describes your product in the app and look at the suggestions, check what similar small shops use, and use the words customers and your listing keywords already use. Open each hashtag to make sure the posts there match yours.
Do hashtags still work for small businesses?
They help people find posts when they describe the post well. A few specific hashtags that match the product usually do more than a long list of popular ones.
Should I create my own brand hashtag?
Yes, it's useful. Put it on every post, and ask customers to use it when they share photos, so people can find all of them in one place.
Made by the team behind YelloShelf
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