How many hashtags should I use?

Three to five specific ones is the common working range. Large numbers of broad tags mostly compete with everything else using them.

Do hashtags still matter?

Less than they did, because feeds increasingly work from what is in the video itself. They remain a signal rather than a lever.

Should tags go in the post or a comment?

Either works. Putting them in the post keeps everything in one place, which matters more for your own consistency than for reach.

Does the post text affect who sees it?

It is one of the things a platform reads to work out what a clip is about, so a clear first line helps more than a tag list.

Is there a link limit?

Most vertical feeds do not make links in post text clickable at all, which is why a profile link is the usual route.

Caption and Hashtag Limits by Platform

How much post text is actually seen?

Roughly the first line or two before a more link appears, which on most feeds is somewhere between 70 and 125 characters. The permitted lengths run into the thousands, so the vast majority of what people write is hidden behind a tap that most viewers never make.

Written against seen

The permitted length and the visible length are different numbers, and the second is the one that matters.

Element	Usually permitted	Usually visible
Post text	Thousands of characters	One or two lines
Before the more link	Not applicable	Roughly 70 to 125 characters
Hashtags	Dozens	Three to five do the work
Links in post text	Allowed as text	Not clickable on most vertical feeds
Mentions	Several	Useful when relevant, ignored otherwise

Writing the first visible line

Treat the first line under a post the way a newspaper treats a headline. It should add something the clip does not already say, such as context, a question for the comments, or the one fact that makes the clip worth saving. Repeating the words already on screen wastes the only part of the text most people will read.

Put searchable words near the front. If someone might look for this clip by typing a topic, a name or a place, those words belong in the visible line rather than buried after a paragraph of personal commentary. Search on short-video apps leans heavily on the text people can see.

Choosing tags that describe rather than decorate

The most useful tags name the specific subject of the clip, the kind of person it is for, and sometimes the format. A cooking clip tagged with the dish, the diet and the word recipe tells the platform and the viewer more than a list of broad tags that fit every video posted that day.

Avoid tags unrelated to the content just because they are popular. Viewers who arrive through them leave quickly, and early exits count against the clip. A handful of accurate tags brings fewer but better-matched viewers, and those are the viewers who keep watching.

What to put in the hidden part

Text below the fold still has uses. Credits for guests and music, links or instructions for finding them, and a longer explanation for the few people who want it all belong there. Viewers who tap to expand are already interested, so give them something useful rather than a wall of tags.

Keep a template for recurring information, such as a show name, where to find full episodes and how to follow the guest, and add it to the end of each post. It saves time and keeps every post consistent without spending the visible line on repeated boilerplate.

Write for the visible line

Write the first line as if it is the whole thing. For most viewers it is.
Put anything essential before the cut. Links, questions and the hook all belong in the visible portion.
Keep tags few and specific. A short relevant set outperforms a long generic one.

Post one clip and see where your text gets cut. Nothing to pay for the first.

Questions people ask

How many hashtags should I use?: Three to five specific ones is the common working range. Large numbers of broad tags mostly compete with everything else using them.
Do hashtags still matter?: Less than they did, because feeds increasingly work from what is in the video itself. They remain a signal rather than a lever.
Should tags go in the post or a comment?: Either works. Putting them in the post keeps everything in one place, which matters more for your own consistency than for reach.
Does the post text affect who sees it?: It is one of the things a platform reads to work out what a clip is about, so a clear first line helps more than a tag list.
Is there a link limit?: Most vertical feeds do not make links in post text clickable at all, which is why a profile link is the usual route.