Adam Mosseri on Hashtags

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has expressed a view that hashtags are becoming less effective as a primary mechanism for content discovery on the platform, suggesting users should focus more on keywords instead. This stance implies a shift in how the algorithm prioritizes content reach, moving away from reliance on traditional hashtagging strategies that were previously vital for growth. He has indicated that for a large number of accounts, the reach gained from hashtags has diminished significantly, leading to confusion among creators who built strategies around their use.

His comments reflect an evolution in the platform's approach to surfacing content, likely in response to platform changes that favor topic-based authority over topical tagging. In one instance, he suggested a post might only be limited to five hashtags, signaling that the platform is moving toward an understanding of content based on the text and context of the caption itself rather than just the attached tags. This evolution suggests that while they may not be entirely obsolete, their role has been significantly downplayed compared to earlier periods of the platform's history.