TikTok captions and hashtags: what to write and how many to use

The video does most of the work. The caption supports it, and a good one does at least one of these three jobs.

1. Add context. Say what the viewer is looking at or why it matters, especially if the hook is intriguing but vague. Don't just repeat the on-screen text.
2. Start a conversation. Ask a specific question people can answer in a few words. 'Which one would you pick, A or B?' beats 'Thoughts?'
3. Include a search keyword. TikTok and Instagram both work as search engines now. Use the phrase someone would type, like 'small apartment storage ideas', naturally in the first line.

Add a light call to action when it fits: save for later, follow for part two, or link in bio. One is enough.

A quick way to write one: finish the sentence 'This video is for people who...' and turn the answer into your first line. If the post is for renters with tiny kitchens, say 'Small kitchen storage that doesn't need drilling.' That single line gives context and a search phrase at once.

TikTok allows long captions, and Instagram allows a few paragraphs, but only the first line or two shows before the 'more' cut. Put the important part there.

Longer captions can help search, since the text gives the platform more to match on. Just keep the opening line strong, because that's what most people read.

Use three to five relevant hashtags. Hashtags mainly help the platform understand what your post is about and who it's for; stuffing in 20 generic ones doesn't buy extra reach and makes the caption look spammy.

Instagram has moved toward limiting how many hashtags a post can carry, so a short, focused set is the safe habit on both platforms.

• One or two niche tags that describe the topic: #mealprepideas, #smallapartmentliving.
• One audience tag: #momsoftiktok, #saasfounders, #nursesoftiktok.
• One product or category tag: #standingdesk, #skincareroutine.
• Optional: a branded tag if you run a series or campaign.
• Skip vague tags like #fyp, #viral or #trending. They describe nothing.

💡Search your candidate hashtag on TikTok first. If the top posts look nothing like yours, it's the wrong tag even if it's popular.

Build a small hashtag bank per content pillar instead of one master list. A skincare brand might keep one set for routines, one for ingredient explainers and one for texture close-ups, then pick three to five from the matching set for each post. It takes ten minutes to set up and keeps tags relevant without thinking about it every time.

The garlic press that actually cleans in one rinse. Watch the end.
What kitchen tool do you refuse to give up?
#kitchengadgets #cookinghacks #homecook #garlicpress

5 skincare mistakes I made in my 20s (slide 4 hurt).
Save this for your next routine reset.
#skincaretips #skincareroutine #skincareover30 #acnetips

How I send invoices in 20 seconds instead of 20 minutes. Freelancers, what do you use right now?
#freelancetips #invoicing #smallbusinesstools #productivity

Me when the 5am alarm goes off but the workout is already planned.
Tag your gym buddy.
#gymhumor #morningworkout #fitnessapp #gymtok

For more, the free caption generator writes captions from a product description, and the hashtag generator suggests a focused set of niche tags.

The same principles apply on both, but a few habits differ. On TikTok, captions tend to be shorter and more casual, and the on-screen text and audio carry most of the meaning. Read our TikTok hooks guide for the first-second part.

On Instagram, carousels and educational Reels often get longer captions that summarize the post, and people read them more because they're browsing at a slower pace. Instagram also lets you add alt text and location, which are worth filling in. See Instagram Reel hooks for platform-specific openers.

When you cross-post, rewrite the caption instead of pasting it. Our guide on repurposing TikTok to Instagram covers the rest of that process.

'Cut off' usually means one of two things, and the fixes are different.

• The caption text is truncated after a line or two. That's by design: both apps show the start of the caption and hide the rest behind 'more'. Put the hook or keyword in the first line and let the rest be the detail.
• On-screen captions or subtitles are hidden. The username, caption, music label and the like, comment and share buttons sit over the bottom and right edges of a 9:16 video. Text placed there gets covered. Keep on-screen text in the middle of the frame, away from those edges.
• On-screen text is cropped on another platform. A video made for one aspect ratio can be cropped when posted elsewhere, or in the profile grid. Export at 1080×1920 for TikTok and Reels and check the preview before posting.

💡Before posting, scrub through the preview with the app's own interface on top. If any word of your hook sits under a button or the caption, move it up.

• Repeating the on-screen text word for word.
• Burying the keyword under emojis and hashtags.
• Asking a question too broad to answer ('What do you think?').
• Using the same 5 hashtags on every post regardless of topic.
• Adding three CTAs at once: follow, like, comment, share, link in bio.
• Making claims the video doesn't back up.

Most of these come from writing captions in a rush right before posting. Write them during your batch session instead, alongside the hooks, when you still remember why each post exists and who it's for. Captions written that way tend to be shorter, sharper and more specific.

A good habit is to read the caption out loud after the video plays. If it sounds like something a friend would text you about the post, it's probably right. If it sounds like a press release, cut it in half.

If you'd rather skip writing captions for every post, UGCHooks writes a caption and a short hashtag set for each of the 100 posts it generates from your product link, and exports them in a captions.csv so you can paste or schedule them in bulk.