Knowing how to hide hashtags on Instagram posts is key to a cleaner and more appealing post. While hashtags help with reach and discoverability, a block of hashtags can distract from your post and may even turn people away.
To fully experience the benefits of hashtags while still keeping your post optimized for the viewer, read on as we share four clever ways to hide hashtags in your Instagram posts. We’ll also explain how to hide hashtags on Instagram Stories and Reels and offer expert Instagram tips to help you choose the right hashtags for your posts.
Let’s dive in!
Why Hide Hashtags on Instagram Posts? 3 Strategic Benefits
Hiding the hashtags on your Instagram posts can provide several aesthetic and practical benefits. Let’s discuss these in detail to help you decide if you should be hiding the hashtags in all your posts.
Professionalism and Brand Perception
Hiding the hashtags on Instagram posts keeps them looking neat and professional. You don’t want a ton of hashtags to be the first thing your audience sees when they’re scrolling on Instagram. These look messy, are overwhelming, and can ruin their overall viewing experience.
Don’t waste all your efforts planning the perfect Instagram grid with a bunch of distracting hashtags. By concealing the hashtags in your posts, you can elevate your brand’s image and achieve a more appealing Instagram feed.
User Engagement and Focus on Content
Did you know that overly promotional posts are one of the reasons why users unfollow brands on social media? A GoodFirms study found that 12.38% of social media users stop following a brand because of excessive promotions.
Posts with a long list of visible hashtags can have the same effect, as they can come off as inauthentic and blatant advertising. A whole paragraph’s worth of hashtags may be good for visibility, but it can spoil the appeal of a perfectly crafted post.
By hiding hashtags on Instagram posts, you allow your content to shine without any distractions and encourage more interactions and engagement.
Algorithm Benefits
If you’re concerned about losing the benefits of hashtags when you hide them, we’re happy to inform you that there’s nothing to worry about! The Instagram algorithm still recognizes hashtags that aren’t immediately visible to viewers and uses these to categorize and rank your content.
Using relevant hashtags is an important part of Instagram SEO and can significantly boost your discoverability on the platform, so you definitely want to use as many of them as you can to help the algorithm.
How to Hide Hashtags on Instagram: 4 Most Effective Ways
If you’re asking yourself questions like “How do you hide hashtags on Instagram posts?” you’re not alone. Hiding hashtags can be tricky, but it isn’t impossible. In fact, there are four ways to hide your post’s hashtags from the viewer while reaping their benefits for the algorithm.
Let’s see how you can accomplish this.
#1. Using the Caption
The most popular way to add hidden hashtags to Instagram posts is through the caption. There are two ways to do this: via line breaks and the Instagram dots method.
Let’s discuss line breaks first.
Line breaks are created by pressing return multiple times. However, doing this on Instagram won’t work, as the app limits captions to only one line break.
So, to add more line breaks to your caption, you need an emoji or punctuation. Type out your caption on Instagram, then immediately hit return and add your emojis. You can do this as many times as you want.
Instagram only shows the first two lines of the caption on the feed, so users who scroll past your post will only see the actual caption and emojis you used unless they click on More.
#2. Using Instagram Dots Method
The Instagram dots method is another popular way to hide hashtags on Instagram posts. Unlike line breaks, using dots allows you to separate the caption from the hashtags completely.
To do this, compose your caption as usual, then tap return and type a dot from your keyboard. Repeat this process until you have three to five dots, then add the desired hashtags.
This way, users won’t be overwhelmed by your hashtag list, even if they click on More.
#3. Posting in a Comment
If your caption is particularly long, a popular hashtag hack you can try is posting hashtags in a comment. All you need to do is prepare your hashtag list beforehand and then immediately post it in a comment after publishing your post.
One drawback of this method, however, is that if you forget to make a comment, your post’s visibility will suffer. Fortunately, you can avoid this issue by using a scheduling tool like Publer to schedule your Instagram posts.
Our platform has a feature that allows you to schedule the first comment for your posts. This comment will simultaneously be published after your scheduled post goes live, ensuring that your content benefits from the hashtags.
#4. Adding Conversational Hashtags to the Caption, Hiding the Rest
You don’t always have to put all your hashtags in one pile. A great way to add more hashtags to your Instagram post without overwhelming the viewer is by incorporating them into your captions naturally. Then, you can hide the more generic ones using the methods we discussed above.
Instagram itself says that three to five hashtags are ideal for posts, so try to aim for this number in your caption and then add the rest in the comment section.
How to Hide Hashtags on Instagram Stories and Reels
It’s also possible to hide hashtags on Instagram Stories and Reels. Here’s how:
In Stories
There are two ways to hide hashtags on Instagram Stories: by camouflaging them in the background or by covering them with a sticker.
To camouflage your hashtags, compose your Story as usual and paste your hashtag list. Then, tap the color wheel at the top of the screen and select the dropper tool.
Then, navigate to any solid part of the image to use it as your text’s color. Afterward, you can minimize your hashtag list and reposition it in that same area to make it invisible.
If your image doesn’t have any solid-colored areas or if you’re uploading a video, you can simply use a sticker to cover your hashtag list.
In Reels
Since Reels are video content, a block of hashtags will be even more distracting for viewers. Luckily, you can hide the hashtags on Instagram Reels the same way that you do for posts.
Some common ways that creators hide their hashtags on Reels are through line breaks or the Instagram dots method.
3 Best Ways to Choose the Right Hashtags
Aside from knowing how to hide hashtags on Instagram posts, brands and creators should also learn how to choose the right hashtags for their content, as these can help improve visibility and increase likes and engagement.
Let’s take a look at the best ways to choose the right hashtags on Instagram.
#1. Consider Relevance to Content
Relevance to your actual content and branding on Instagram is important for hashtags. Sure, using the ever-popular #explorepage hashtag may help your content land on the coveted Explore page, but it doesn’t really add any value to your post, and general users will likely scroll past it in favor of more popular content, like memes or any post featuring dogs.
To ensure that your posts reach your target audience, always use hashtags that allow the algorithm to easily categorize your content. You can also use some of these effective Instagram hashtag recommendations or utilize a hashtag generator to elevate the hashtag selection for your posts.
#2. Think of Target Audience
Aside from content relevance, you want your hashtags to resonate with your target audience. Consider their interests, demographics, and preferences, then use hashtags that will help attract the right followers to your profile.
#3. Use Publer Hashtag Analysis Tool
The easiest way to identify the most relevant and trending hashtags on Instagram is by using Publer’s hashtag analysis tool.
Our tool analyzes important metrics like reach and shares to determine each hashtag’s impact. This allows you to adjust your strategy and replace the hashtags that don’t perform as well to maximize your reach and visibility.
Using a tool to automate this part of your content workflow will significantly improve efficiency and ensure that your posts are always optimized for the Instagram algorithm.
Conclusion
After learning how to hide hashtags on Instagram posts and Stories, you can start publishing more aesthetic and professional content while ensuring that your posts work with the Instagram algorithm.
If you want to enhance your Instagram strategy further, consider using a social media management platform like Publer! Our tool comes with handy features that allow you to easily schedule all your posts and Stories and craft an optimized hashtag list for your content.
How to Hide Hashtags on Instagram Posts FAQ
#1. Is it more useful to hide Instagram hashtags in comments or captions?
It is not more useful to hide Instagram hashtags in either comments or captions, as the effect is exactly the same. According to Instagram, there is no difference when adding hashtags in the caption and comment sections, so the method to hide them will be entirely up to you. However, we find that hiding hashtags in the captions is more convenient, as you won’t have to do any extra steps after publishing your post.
#2. How many periods do I need to hide hashtags on Instagram?
You only need three to five periods or dots to hide hashtags on Instagram posts. While you can always use more, this can be time-consuming and doesn’t really provide any additional benefits.
#3. Can you make a hashtag private?
No, you can’t make a hashtag private, but you can hide it in your posts and Stories using one of the methods we discussed. Keep in mind that all the content you post with a specific hashtag will be visible to anyone who views that hashtag, even if it’s hidden in your post.
Ervin Kalemi
