Search Instagram by Hashtag: How Does This Work?

Hashtags help your IG account thrive and keep up with popular content. But you’ll need to know how to search Instagram by hashtag for this. These searches will show you which tags have the most posts and which content performs best. In this blog post, we’ll highlight how to carry out these searches and how they help.

A hashtag on a sticky note placed on a wooden surface.

What Is an IG Tag Search?

The tags you use on Instagram help you find new fans who appreciate your posts. But this cuts both ways, meaning you can find popular hashtags yourself and grow your Insta. You’ll see all the popular posts that use that tag.

Hashtags act as special labels that categorize a post. They can be broad enough to fit the whole industry or specific enough to refer to a single trend. But can you search Instagram hashtags by location or date?

A GoRead.io screenshot of Instagram’s “#books” tag search results.

Why Should You Search Instagram by Hashtag?

It’s relatively difficult to find new content on Instagram. Reels does promote a lot of content from accounts you don’t follow. But, for feed posts, you must follow hashtags to see the site’s content recommendations. With this in mind, here’s why it’s worth carrying out a hashtag search:

  • Discover new content: Tag searching shows the biggest posts in your niche. This helps you find new pages that are worth following and could inspire future posts.
  • Meet influencers: Brands and social media managers could use these searches to find popular influencers. This connects you with potential new partners with large audiences.
  • See local content: Check tags that are more specific to your local scene. This helps you see which hashtags more specific audiences near you are connecting with.
  • Find popular tags: Looking for tags also shows you which are most popular. If you use relevant hashtags in your captions, your content is sure to show up for even more users.
  • Check the competition: Looking through hashtags also shows which accounts you will be competing with. For example, your posts might both use the same target keywords.
  • Start networking: On the other hand, the accounts you find might become your closest Instagram friends. Each tag search is an opportunity to connect with new people.
  • Discover new trends: Learning how to search Instagram hashtags by date will highlight new trends growing in your niche. Check often to keep up with your network.
A GoRead.io screenshot of Instagram’s “#books” content search results.

How To Search by Hashtag on Instagram

Searching for hashtags on Instagram is quite easy. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t have any Advanced Search features. Your only options are to see popular or recent posts for specific tags. 

Here’s how to search IG hashtags:

  1. Use an Insta hashtag generator to find hashtag suggestions.
  2. Open Insta and click the magnifying glass icon at the bottom.
  3. This opens IG’s Explore page. Tap the search bar at the top.
  4. Type a “#” symbol, then any keyword that suits your niche.
  5. In the list of search results, simply tap on any of these tags.
  6. Under the For You tab, you’ll see the tag’s posts and Reels.
  7. You can scroll along to Accounts to find relevant creators.
  8. Repeat this with other tags to find which ones work for you.
  9. Follow the best IG tags you find to see more of their posts.

Once you find a good hashtag, add them to your next post’s caption. Insta only lets its users add up to 30 tags. However, according to the platform’s own Creators resource, it’s better to use three to five high-impact tags anyway.

Can You Instagram Search by Multiple Hashtags?

The lack of advanced options while searching means you can’t check several hashtags at once. Such a feature would let you cross-reference two or more tags and see posts using them all. As Instagram recommends using more than one tag, it helps to know which ones go best together.

Social search engines let you get around this, however. These tools crawl through Insta’s posts and hashtags — identifying which ones fit specific rules you set out. This includes any posts that use the hashtags you’re looking for. You’ll also be able to search Instagram hashtags by date.

You can also use a normal search engine, such as Google. Search for “site:instagram.com” and add multiple tags to the search box. You should also add quotation marks around the tags. This ensures the search engine only shows you posts that have both (or all) of those tags.

A poster for a hashtag campaign surrounded by sticky notes, each showing hashtags.

How To Search Instagram Hashtags by Date

Instagram used to let users check both recent and top posts on each hashtag page. This helped smaller and less popular accounts still find new fans. Now, hashtag pages only show recent yet popular posts. You’ll have to go on each individual post to find their specific dates.

In addition to letting you Instagram search by multiple hashtags, search engines let you look for posts from specific dates. This again includes special paid tools and even Google. You can use their advanced features to refine search results and only target specific date ranges.

With IG’s current approach, you’ll only be able to see the biggest posts. It’s getting harder to find niche posts and small pages. This change has been in effect for a year now, but there’s no sign of Instagram reversing it. Third-party searches are the only way to check tags by date.

Can You Search Instagram Hashtags by Location?

No, you can’t filter IG tag searches by location. This is another limitation of Instagram hashtag search features. If you only want to see local posts with a specific hashtag, this isn’t possible. It might be worth checking tags specific to your location instead. 

For example, there are over one million posts under the “#brooklynhairstylist” tag. Not every tag for your location or niche will be active, however. You could also simply search for a location with a hashtag. This shows you what’s popular in your community and links you to more local pages.

Learning how to search by hashtag on Instagram comes with various benefits. But it’s definitely a limited way of browsing IG, especially in comparison to its biggest competitors. X (formerly Twitter), for example, lets you search hashtags alongside place names.

Frequently Asked Questions

[FAQ] What is the purpose of searching Instagram by hashtag?

Searching IG tags helps you find which ones have the most posts. You can then add these tags to your content. Alternatively, you’ll be able to find new people to follow or trends to join.

[FAQ] What are banned Instagram hashtags?

Banned IG hashtags are ones that the site suppresses. These could be offensive terms or just popular keywords that bots have been hijacking. Your posts will then be less visible to potential new followers.

[FAQ] How can I find new accounts via hashtags?

You won’t be able to directly see Insta profiles in hashtag searches. But you can still check out who’s posting the top content on each tag.

A person writing rules for hashtag use on a whiteboard.

Make the Most of Hashtags and Your Instagram With GoRead.io

Learning how to search Instagram by hashtag helps you find the best posts in your niche. If you want to make these popular posts, GoRead.io’s organic followers can help.

Our team can boost your account and content. This lets you climb the ranks for any hashtag you use. Try out GoRead.io today, and you’ll get Insta engagement that carries your posts far.