Banned & Restricted Instagram Hashtags

What is a banned hashtag on Instagram?

A banned hashtag is a hashtag that Instagram will not allow you to search for. This means you cannot see recent or top posts that use the banned hashtag. You will be able to use it on your posts, but doing so is ultimately pointless and is a waste of valuable hashtags!

This is what happens if you try to search for a banned hashtag using the app:

And if you try the same on the desktop website, this happens:

What is a restricted (or hidden) hashtag on Instagram?

A restricted hashtag differs from a banned hashtag in that you are allowed to search for it, but can only see ’top’ posts — not recent posts.

At the time of writing, #always is banned; this is what happens if you search for it:

The number of posts using the hashtag will be hidden from the search results page. If you start typing the hashtag into the search bar, however, the post count will will be visible (the post count will be rounded up in the app; you can see the exact number of posts if you use the website).

Why are hashtags banned?

The reason that some hashtags are banned is fairly obvious. #nudity, for instance, is banned because Instagram does not allow content involving nudity, which is generally what one would find if they searched for that hashtag.

But some of the hashtags that are banned would surprise you! At the moment, #like is banned. Why? Not sure, but like any other banned hashtag that doesn’t seem like it should be banned, Instagram likely decided to ban it because many of the posts using it were against their community guidelines.

Are banned or restricted hashtags permanent?

No! A hashtags’ status (free, restricted, banned) can change on a daily basis, and we are collecting data about these changes that we plan to release.

A

• #abdl ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 704.3k
• #addmysc ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 9.69k
• #adulting ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.89M
• #alone ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 20M
• #always ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 17.6M
• #armparty ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.42M
• #asiangirl ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 4.96M
• #ass 🚫
• Status: banned
• #assday ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 36.13k
• #assworship ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 149.55k
• #attractivebeautyblogger 🚫
• Status: banned

B

• #babyrp ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 39.65k
• #bacak 🚫
• Status: banned
• #badbitcztwerkcostumes 🚫
• Status: banned
• #beautyblogger ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 18.79M
• #besties ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 29.35M
• #bikinibody ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.98M
• #bitcoin ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 18.99M
• #boho ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 18.98M
• #brain ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.79M

C

• #costumes ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.69M
• #cunt 🚫
• Status: banned
• #curvygirls ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.1M

D

• #date ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 9.4M
• #dating ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 5.1M
• #desk ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.07M
• #direct ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.57M
• #dm ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 17.39M

E

• #edm ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 23.23M
• #eggplant ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.5M
• #eggplantparm ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 112.72k
• #elevator ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.32M

F

• #followers 🚫
• Status: banned

G

• #girlsonly ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 512.93k
• #gloves ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.26M
• #graffitiigers ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.28M

H

• #happythanksgiving ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 5.42M
• #hardworkpaysoff ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 6.04M
• #hawks ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.23M
• #hotweather ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.01M
• #hustler ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.9M

I

• #ice ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 19.42M
• #ig 🚫
• Status: banned
• #ilovemyinstagram 🚫
• Status: banned
• #instababy ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 31.3M
• #instasport ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 3.24M
• #iphonegraphy ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 6.33M
• #italiano ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.27M

K

• #kansas ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 3.36M
• #kickoff ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 990.13k
• #killingit ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.58M
• #kissing ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.02M

L

• #lean 🚫
• Status: banned
• #leaves ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 17.26M
• #like 🚫
• Status: banned
• #lingerie 🚫
• Status: banned
• #loseweight ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.47M
• #lulu ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.7M

M

• #master ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 7M
• #mileycyrus ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 7.09M
• #milf 🚫
• Status: banned
• #mirrorphoto ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.32M
• #models ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 31.47M
• #mustfollow ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 952.94k

N

• #nasty ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.02M
• #newyearsday ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.03M
• #nude ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 13.77M
• #nudity 🚫
• Status: banned

O

• #overnight ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 804.87k

P

• #parties ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 3.16M
• #petite ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 940.19k
• #pornfood ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 3.89M
• #prettygirl ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 7.55M
• #pushups ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.18M

R

• #rate ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 4.67M
• #ravens ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.45M

S

• #saltwater ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.57M
• #samelove ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 956.27k
• #selfharm 🚫
• Status: banned
• #sexy ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 91.56M
• #shit ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 3.37M
• #shower ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 3.22M
• #single ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 20.24M
• #singlelife ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 3.42M
• #skateboarding ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 14.04M
• #skype ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.79M
• #snap ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 15.27M
• #snapchat ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 48.53M
• #snapchat👻 ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 7.76M
• #snowstorm ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.57M
• #sopretty ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 6.67M
• #stranger ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.02M
• #streetphoto ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 10.46M
• #sunbathing ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.65M
• #swole ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 6.46M

T

• #tag4like ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 600.48k
• #tagsforlikes ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 195.58M
• #tanlines ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 1.21M
• #teen ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 11.5M
• #teens ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 3.79M
• #thighs 🚫
• Status: banned
• #thought ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 2.43M
• #todayimwearing ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 6.54M

U

• #undies ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 455.88k

V

• #valentinesday ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 22.87M

W

• #weed 🚫
• Status: banned
• #workflow ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 18.04M
• #wtf 🚫
• Status: banned

X

• #xanax 🚫
• Status: banned

Y

• #youngmodel ⚠️
• Status: restricted
• Post Count: 239.57k