TikTok hashtag limit: how many should you use?

TikTok's app takes up to 5 hashtags per post, a cap reported since mid-2025. TikTok's own advice is 2 to 3 relevant ones. Paste a caption below; every hashtag past the fifth is struck through.

Checked on against 4 sources.

Check a caption against TikTok's 5-hashtag cap

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Hashtags7 / 5
Characters184 / 4,000
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Scheduled videos take 2,200 characters, hashtags included.
The short answer

Up to 5 hashtags per post. TikTok itself advises 2 to 3.

Since mid-2025, TikTok's app stops you at 5 hashtags with a "Maximum 5 hashtags" message. TikTok never announced the cap; Social Media Today reported it on August 17, 2025.

TikTok's Creator Academy goes further: "When it comes to hashtags, less is more, so we encourage you to use 2 to 3 relevant hashtags on each video." Hashtags are part of the caption, so they count toward its 4,000 characters, or 2,200 on a scheduled video.

Per post
5
In the app since mid-2025
TikTok's advice
2 to 3
Relevant hashtags per video
Caption
4,000
2,200 on scheduled videos
Where they count

Where the hashtag limit applies. TikTok has documented little of it.

How TikTok's hashtag limit applies to captions in the app, scheduled posts and photo posts
PlaceLimitSource
Caption in the app5 hashtagsReported since Aug 2025; TikTok has not announced it
Scheduled video (API)Not documentedTikTok's API reference only says caption hashtags are matched
Caption length4,000 characters (2,200 on API videos)Hashtags count toward it
TikTok's advice2 to 3 per videoTikTok Creator Academy, Aug 2026
Checked on October 17, 2026. Schedule 5 or fewer so a post never depends on an undocumented API rule.
What changed

How the hashtag rules changed. From no cap to five.

  1. Aug 2025

    A 5-hashtag cap

    TikTok started to stop captions at 5 hashtags, rolled out from July 2025. TikTok gave no official explanation. Source

Tips

Pick your hashtags well. Fewer and relevant.

  1. Use 2 to 3

    TikTok's own Creator Academy advises 2 to 3 relevant hashtags per video. The 5-hashtag cap is a ceiling, not a target.

  2. Pick what the video is about

    TikTok says relevant hashtags help people find your video and connect you with audiences most interested in it.

  3. Write a clear caption

    TikTok suggests clear descriptions so viewers understand the video quickly. Put the words people search in the caption.

  4. Skip filler tags

    Tags like #fyp say nothing about the video. With 5 at most, give every slot to a topic tag.

  5. Schedule 5 or fewer

    TikTok has not documented whether its API enforces the cap. Staying at 5 or fewer means no post depends on it.

  6. Keep a few sets ready

    Save 2 or 3 small sets for your main topics so each video gets fitting tags without retyping.

Sources

How we built this guide. Checked on October 17, 2026.

TikTok's advice comes from its Creator Academy, read on October 17, 2026. TikTok has not announced the 5-hashtag cap, so the page cites the press report and labels it as reported. TikTok's developer documentation says nothing about a hashtag cap for scheduled posts, and the page says so.

  1. TikTok Creator Academy: Elements of a TikTok videoAug 2026"We encourage you to use 2 to 3 relevant hashtags on each video."
  2. Social Media Today: TikTok implements five-hashtag limit per postAug 17, 2025
  3. TikTok for Developers: Content Posting API: direct post referenceRead Oct 2026Video captions take up to 2,200 UTF-16 runes; hashtags are matched in the caption.
  4. TikTok for Developers: Content Posting API: photo post referenceRead Oct 2026
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