Hashtag generator for Instagram & TikTok in the UK
30 tiered hashtags in one click, split across big, medium and niche tags the way Instagram and TikTok algorithms actually reward. UK-specific tags baked in, banned-tag warnings included, copy per tier.
Pick your niche & platform — copy in one tap
Every niche gets 30 hashtags split into three tiers: 8 big (high reach, competitive), 10 medium (the sweet spot), and 12 niche (low competition, high intent). Add a topic keyword to customise the output.
30 big tags in one bucket is spam. Tiered tags are strategy.
The single most common hashtag mistake we see UK brands make is dumping 30 of the biggest possible hashtags into one post. It looks like you're casting a wide net. In reality, you're drowning in a sea of identical posts and the Instagram algorithm treats your behaviour as low-effort spam.
Big tags give reach
1M+ post tags like #fashion or #food put you in front of millions, but you're also competing with millions. Use 2–3 max. They're there to catch discovery scrolls, not to rank your post.
Medium tags do the work
100K–1M tags are the sweet spot. Big enough to have active audiences searching them, small enough that a decent post can genuinely rank. This is where 70% of new follower growth actually comes from.
Niche tags convert
Small UK-specific tags (#ukbeautyblogger, #londonrestaurants) have tiny audiences but those audiences are actively looking for UK content. Low reach, high intent, highest conversion rate to follows or bookings.
Instagram vs TikTok differs
Instagram still rewards up to 30 hashtags in post captions. TikTok rewards 3–5 focused hashtags in the caption plus trending sounds. We weight the output differently for each platform.
The practical pattern that works
For Instagram: copy all 30 and paste them at the end of your caption, not the first comment. Instagram confirmed in 2021 that captions outperform comment hashtags, and that advice still holds in 2026. Separate the hashtags from your caption text with 3–5 line breaks or dot characters so they're visually hidden but still active.
For TikTok: only use 3–5 hashtags in the caption itself. Mix 1 big (for discovery), 1–2 medium (for algorithm matching) and 1–2 niche (for intent audience). TikTok's algorithm is far more content-first than Instagram's, so spamming hashtags hurts rather than helps.
If you're using the same hashtag set on every post, rotate 30% of them each week. Instagram penalises repetitive hashtag behaviour as a spam signal. Our niche tier rotates most frequently because niche tags are easiest to swap without changing your brand positioning.
Hashtag questions, answered
Yes, but less than they did in 2020. Instagram has shifted weight toward content quality, sound, and SEO-style keyword captions. Hashtags are now about 15–25% of discovery on Instagram (down from ~40% in 2020) and roughly 10% on TikTok. They still matter for categorisation, search and Reels placement. Don't rely on hashtags alone, but don't skip them either.
Caption. Instagram officially confirmed this in 2021 and every algorithm update since has reinforced it. Hashtags in the first comment still work, but caption hashtags index slightly faster and carry more algorithmic weight. Add 3–5 line breaks after your caption text so the hashtags are visually tucked away but still active.
Rotate roughly 30% of your hashtags every 2–3 posts. Instagram's spam filter looks for accounts using identical hashtag blocks across every post as a signal of bot-like behaviour. You can keep your niche tags largely consistent (those define your brand positioning), but swap out medium tags more frequently to match what each specific post is actually about.
Instagram banned roughly 1,800+ hashtags as of 2026, most because they've been associated with spam, adult content or misleading promotional posts. Some are obvious (#getlikes, #followforfollow). Some are surprising (#adulting, #valentinesday for a while, #pushup for obvious reasons). Using a banned hashtag won't get your account suspended but it can trigger a shadowban where your posts don't appear in hashtag searches. Our tool checks your custom topic keyword against a list of commonly-banned terms and warns you if there's a match.
Because that's who your audience probably is. If you're a UK brand or creator, #londonfashion will outperform #fashion by a 5–10x conversion rate because the audience searching that tag is already filtered for UK relevance. Most hashtag tools are US-built and give you US-centric niche tags that don't actually help UK accounts. Our niche tier is ~70% UK-specific by design.
You can, but it's slightly suboptimal. Our IG list and TikTok list overlap about 60%. The differences reflect how each platform's audience uses hashtags: TikTok audiences use more "-tok" suffixed tags (#beautytok, #fittok) while Instagram audiences don't. Switching the platform selector above regenerates the right tags for each platform.
Built by Velena & Dragos
Velena Lifestyle is a UK social media agency based in High Wycombe, run by Velena Nikolova (creative director, fashion and lifestyle content, 13k on Instagram) and Dragos Nistor (business strategy and LinkedIn specialist). We build social for UK brands that want results they can actually measure.
Every hashtag in this tool has been hand-picked from our 3+ years of agency experience managing UK brand accounts. The niche tier reflects what we actually use for client posts, not what a US-built tool would spit out.
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