Where Should You Put Hashtags on Instagram?

Captions or comments? Which is the best place to use hashtags on Instagram? Excellent question!

You can place hashtags in the photo or video caption when you post them on Instagram. Or, you might prefer to add hashtags in one or more comments after posting.

Actually, there is not one "right place" to use hashtags; it's a personal preference and is totally up to you. But there are some differences you'll want to know about.

In previous articles, we discussed how to use hashtags in your social media strategy, and how many hashtags to use for each social media platform (including Instagram). In this article, we'll explain the differences between adding hashtags to captions and to comments.

The Argument

Most Instagram marketers and users (including ourselves) add hashtags to the main caption.

But there's another group of Instagrammers who prefer to add hashtags in the comments. The way they see it, this process makes the actual post look clean and aesthetically pleasing, and their hashtags don't distract readers.

Does it really matter where you place hashtags? And most importantly, does your action have a positive or negative effect on the post reach?

Let’s find out.

Using Hashtags in Captions

If you browse through our Instagram page, @hashtagexpert, you’ll notice we add hashtags in the Reels, images, and video captions.

This caption on Instagram contains the main text at the top.

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If you scroll down, you’ll see how we added hashtags after the text and posted with the caption:

To make sure hashtags don’t distract readers, we set a copying format. That also ****keeps ****the hashtags from looking cluttered.

If you’re using Hashtag Expert, you can use the same method. Go to configuration and customize how you want the hashtags generated.

There are a series of features like the Copying Format, Copying Style, and Spacer to help you choose how you want the hashtags to appear in your post without making them look messy.

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Are There Disadvantages to Using Hashtags in Captions?

If you add hashtags manually, and aren’t careful how you go about it, hashtags can show up prominently in your post, which makes it difficult to read.

Hashtags in Comments

Some users are convinced that hashtags work fine in comments, and they don't see any significant downside of doing it that way. In fact, they prefer this style, saying that hashtags in comments help make the captions look tidier.

Are There Disadvantages to Using Hashtags in Comments?

If you want to promote your branded hashtags or campaign hashtags, you want them to be seen. The idea of using hashtags in comments is to hide them, which clearly doesn't help in this case.

Also, when you’re posting hashtags in comments, you need to do it quickly. It's a fact that 995 photos are uploaded on Instagram every second. A delay can make your post disappear in the feed.

Ultimately, its your choice where you want to add hashtags — whether in captions or comments. You’re free to choose your own style and go with it.

All you have to do is experiment with different styles and see what works best for you.