Instagram Hashtags Not Working? Here’s The Reasons Why

March 31, 2020

Hashtags can be a huge way to help grow a profile, especially new profiles that don’t have a huge following. So it can make you want to pull your hair out if they aren’t working or providing value like they were.

We walk through the reasons why your hashtags may not be working below and what you can do to improve on your future hashtagging! ##

Private Account

We get it, this might be a stupid question. But you never know! And it’s always worth checking to see if your profile is on public. It’s no good trying to get those hashtags out to the world if your profile is hidden!

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Banned hashtags?

Yes too many peoples surprise, hashtags can be banned.

You can check if a hashtag is banned by simply searching for it on the discover page on Instagram. If the hashtag doesn’t show up, it may be permanently banned or temporarily banned. If the hashtag does show up test clicking through to the hashtag to check if it works as well, sometimes they can still show up, however, when you click through the hashtag doesn’t load.
It’s important to avoid using any of these hashtags as they can damage your account in the long run.

Are you using enough?

You can use up to 30 hashtags per post. You don’t need to go hashtag heavy and use the maximum amount per post, however, if you aren’t using enough, you may be missing out on opportunities.

There is no magic number for the amount of hashtags to use. Try changing it up and using different amounts on different posts. Track the results and see what’s working for your account.

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Don't be scared to mix it up.

If you keep posting the same hashtags on every single post you run the risk of triggering Instagram’s algorithm and seeing your posts as ‘spamming’ the platform which will result in your posts being shown to less of your followers and less likely to appear in trending hashtag searches.

Are you manipulating the system?

One of the oldest tricks in the books is the old post a comment with a bunch of hashtags, wait for the likes to roll in and then delete the comment and re-post another comment with more hashtags.
This trick used to work however, these days it really brings no benefit and can actually do more damage than good.
Instagram’s algorithm can pick up on this sort of activity and shadowban your page which means you receive even less of a chance of gaining organic traffic. It’s best to play things by the books and not try any hidden shady tactics that may damage your account.

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What does shadowbanned mean? And what should you do to help to resolve this?

If you notice a massive drop in your engagement or your posts aren’t appearing in the hashtags that you are using, it is likely that your account has been shadowbanned.

When you become shadowbanned it means that only your followers will be able to see your posts with hashtags and the rest of Instagram community and your posts will not show up in the hashtags. This can happen because you may have used some banned hashtags or the same set of hashtags over and over again. you might have also exceeded your daily limits for activities by going to fast or you have been reported.

If this happens it’s best to let your account rest for up to two weeks from hashtags. It’s not clear how long these bans last however it’s best to play it safe and let things cool off. You can still use your account as per usual, follow accounts, like posts, etc. Just take it easy on the hashtags!