Product giveaway
#giveaway #giveaways #win #smallbusiness #[YourBrand]Giveaway
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The short answer
Use three to five hashtags in the caption: one or two giveaway tags (such as #giveaway), one or two tags for your niche (such as #bookstagram) and one branded tag of your own. Since December 2025, Instagram has been rolling out a limit of five hashtags per caption on posts and reels, and it says a few targeted tags work better than many generic ones (Social Media Today).
Keep your expectations realistic. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has said hashtags don't increase reach, but they're a good way to let people know what a post is about. Your prize, your first line and your followers decide how many people enter. Hashtags help the right people find the post, and help Instagram understand it.
Giveaway hashtags people really use on Instagram
These general giveaway tags are widely used, which also means they're crowded. Use one or two, not all of them.
- #giveaway
- The main tag, used worldwide and in every language. It's so crowded that it rarely brings many entries on its own.
- #giveaways
- The plural, often used alongside #giveaway.
- #giveawaycontest and #giveawaytime
- Common companion tags on giveaway posts.
- #giveawayalert and #contestalert
- Followed by people who look for giveaways to enter. Expect entries from people who enter everything.
- #contest and #sweepstakes
- Common in the US. In legal terms most comment giveaways are sweepstakes, and the FTC treats these words as clear labels when people post about you to enter (see below).
- #win
- Short and very common, on prize posts and plenty of posts that have nothing to do with prizes.
- #competition and #competitiontime
- In the UK, giveaways are often called competitions. #competition is also full of sports and fitness posts, so #competitiontime or #win usually fits a prize post better.
- #giveawayuk
- Used for UK giveaways and by UK prize hunters, who often call themselves "compers". Only use it if UK residents can enter.
How hashtags help and hurt a giveaway
They help when they're specific. A niche tag like #bookstagram or #smallbusiness shows your post to people who care about the prize. A local tag for your city tells nearby followers that a café giveaway is for them. A branded tag, such as #[YourBrand]Giveaway, lets followers find every giveaway you've run.
They hurt when they're generic. Tags like #giveaway, #giveawayalert and #free are watched by people who enter everything, and by spam accounts. You may get more entries, but also more fake accounts among your winners, more "check my page" spam, and copycat accounts telling entrants they've "won". Our guide to fake Instagram giveaways shows how to protect entrants.
They hurt when they're off-topic. Trending tags that have nothing to do with your post, or catch-all tags like #reels and #explore, waste your five slots and say nothing about your prize.
How to choose hashtags for your giveaway
Before you post:
- Search each tag in Instagram and look at the recent posts. If they're mostly spam, unrelated or in a language you don't serve, skip it.
- Use five hashtags at most, at the end of the caption, after the rules.
- Choose no more than two general giveaway tags.
- Add one or two niche tags your ideal follower already follows or searches for.
- Add a branded tag and reuse it for every giveaway you run.
- Add a city or country tag only if entry is limited to that place.
- Keep hashtags in the caption, not in a comment from your own account, so your own comment isn't sitting among the entries.
- Don't ask entrants to put hashtags in their comments unless you need them. Gifty doesn't filter comments by hashtag, so you'd have to check that rule by hand.
Hashtag giveaways: when entrants post with your tag
In a hashtag giveaway, people enter by publishing their own post with your hashtag instead of commenting on yours. It creates content about your brand, but it's a different kind of giveaway:
- Disclosure. Posts made to enter are incentivized, and the FTC expects them to say so. Its Endorsement Guides FAQ says a hashtag that includes "contest" or "sweepstakes", such as #BrandName_Sweepstakes, should be enough, while "sweeps" probably isn't. More in our giveaway laws guide.
- Public accounts only. You can't see posts from private accounts, so say in the rules that entries must be public.
- A different draw. Gifty picks winners from the comments on one public post or reel. It doesn't collect posts by hashtag. For a hashtag giveaway, list the entrants yourself and use our free random name picker, or run a comment giveaway instead.
Giveaway hashtag sets to copy
Five tags each. Replace [YourBrand] with your name, and swap the niche tags for ones your followers really use.
Book giveaway
#bookgiveaway #bookstagram #booklover #giveaway #[YourBrand]Giveaway
Beauty and skincare
#giveaway #skincare #makeup #beauty #[YourBrand]Giveaway
UK giveaway
#giveawayuk #competitiontime #win #[yourniche] #[YourBrand]Giveaway
US sweepstakes
#sweepstakes #giveaway #[yourniche] #[yourcity] #[YourBrand]Sweepstakes
Local business
#giveaway #shoplocal #[yourcity] #[yourcity]smallbusiness #[YourBrand]Giveaway
Christmas giveaway
#christmasgiveaway #12daysofchristmas #giveaway #[yourniche] #[YourBrand]Giveaway
Mother's Day giveaway
#mothersday #mothersdaygift #giveaway #[yourniche] #[YourBrand]Giveaway
Giveaway hashtags FAQ
What are the best hashtags for an Instagram giveaway?
One or two general tags such as #giveaway or #giveaways, one or two tags for your niche, and a branded tag of your own, five at most. The niche and branded tags usually do more for you than the general ones.
How many hashtags can I use on Instagram?
Five per caption on posts and reels. Instagram started rolling out the five-hashtag limit in December 2025, replacing the old limit of 30.
Do hashtags increase reach on Instagram?
Not much, according to Instagram. Adam Mosseri has said hashtags don't increase reach but help people know what a post is about. Treat them as labels, and put your effort into the prize and the first line of the caption.
Should I make a branded hashtag for my giveaway?
Yes. Use one tag for all your giveaways, like #[YourBrand]Giveaway, and mention it in your rules. Followers can tap it to see your real giveaways. Copycats can use it too, so still say which account will contact winners.
Can Gifty pick a winner from a hashtag?
No. Gifty picks random winners from the comments on a public Instagram post or reel. It doesn't collect posts by hashtag or filter comments by hashtag.
Why does my giveaway get so many spam comments?
Generic tags like #giveaway and #giveawayalert are followed by accounts that enter everything, bots included. Use fewer generic tags, delete spam, and check each winner's profile before you announce. If a winner looks fake, move to the next alternate.
Do I need #ad on a giveaway post?
If a brand gave you the prize or paid you to run the giveaway, the FTC says to disclose it clearly, for example with #ad. That's separate from your giveaway hashtags. This is general information, not legal advice.
