Optimizing Reels Captions
Instagram Reels share the same 2,200 character and 30 hashtag limits as standard feed posts. However, the display behavior is slightly different. Reels primarily focus on the video, so captions are layered over the bottom part of the clip.
The "Read More" Break
On Reels, the caption is truncated after roughly 50-80 characters (about one and a half lines). If your caption is longer, users see a small "... more" link. Since Reels are fast-paced, very few users will click to read a long caption unless the first sentence is incredibly hooky.
Hashtag Strategy for Reels
While you can use 30 hashtags, many creators prefer placing them in the first comment or keeping them very focused (3-5 highly relevant ones) to avoid cluttering the visual space of the Reel itself.