You work hard to edit your Instagram Reels, add the best transitions, and pair them with the right audio to make it pop. Now all you need to do is write captions for your Instagram Reels before you hit post. Sounds simple, right?
Not so fast! A good Instagram Reel caption can make or break your post. A good caption shows off your personality, adds context, entertains your followers, and can even compel them to take action.
Captions also give the Instagram algorithm more information to help categorize your content and share it with more viewers. Think of each caption as another opportunity to connect with your audience.
Read on for our top tips and sample captions for Instagram Reels.
Bonus: Claim your pack of free animated Instagram Reels templates created by Hootsuite’s professional designers. Easily customize them in Canva, and take your Reels game to the next level today.
5 tips for perfecting your Instagram Reels captions
Before we get to the captions, let’s go over some basics to keep in mind when you’re crafting your own captions for Instagram Reels.
Know your audience
It’s much easier to create effective content when you know what your audience enjoys. Dig into your metrics to see what resonates with your followers.
Are they here to learn something from you? Maybe they’re more interested in your observations, or maybe jokes land better with your target audience. Who are your most active fans?
You can even use Hootsuite Analytics to identify when your audience is most active, so you can be sure you’re posting at the best time to capture their attention.
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Once you know what they like and when they’re watching, you can create Reels (and captions) accordingly.
Know the character limit
Reel captions can be up to 2,200 characters long, though Instagram adds a “… more” to your caption after 125 characters.
You can’t always count on people clicking to expand your caption, so keep it brief and avoid writing a caption that will get cut off mid-sentence.
If you’re going for a funny caption, make sure it’s shorter than 125 characters so the punchline doesn’t get cut off.
Test longer captions on short videos
Our experiment on Reels caption length found short captions most successful, but don’t discount the power of a longer caption! Your Reel will loop while people read the caption, resulting in a higher view count.
If you’re planning a longer caption, make it informative – people appreciate learning something new, and they won’t feel as though you wasted their time.
When writing a longer caption, make sure that the first sentence is shorter than 125 characters. Remember, Instagram adds a “… more” to your caption after 125 characters, so this ensures that your caption doesn’t get cut off mid-sentence.
Don’t use tons of hashtags
Hashtags are a popular way to browse Instagram, but gone are the days of pasting a huge hashtag block at the end of every post.
Instagram’s own @creators account recommends using a maximum of 3-5 hashtags per post. Hootsuite research also suggests that too many hashtags can negatively affect your reach.
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So, how can you find the right hashtags for your content? A social listening tool like Hootsuite makes it easy to discover the right Instagram hashtags for your brand. Search streams make it easy to see which hashtags are the most popular and the most effective.
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Be flexible
Instagram is constantly making changes to its algorithm. The best way to keep up is to review your Instagram analytics on a regular basis to see what’s performing well. Keep an eye on trends and experiment with different types of captions until you get the results you want.
Okay, that’s enough tips for now. On to the captions!
276 captions for Instagram Reels
Short and sweet captions for Instagram Reels
Sometimes a short caption says it all. Here are some ideas for quick captions that capture the mood:
All you need is love
But first, coffee!
Catching good vibes
Chasing the rays
Creating a core memory
Crushing my to-do list today
Dance break
Dancing like no one’s watching
Do what makes you happy
Don’t kill my vibe
Energy in motion
Feeling alive!
Feeling myself
Feeling the beat
Finding joy in the simple things
Girls just wanna have fun
Go big or go home
Golden hour glow
Good morning from (your location)
Good vibes only
Happy to be here
Here comes the sun
I woke up like this
It’s been a long week!
Keeping it cute
Let’s get moving
Living my best life
Minding my business
Mood booster on
New ______ just dropped
Pass the popcorn
Practice makes perfect
Rollin’ with the homies
Seize the day
Shake it off
Smooth like butter
Snacktime
That’s my best friend
The soundtrack to my life
The struggle is real
This is gonna be good
This is our house
Vacation mode activate
You won’t break my soul
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A post shared by Josh Zilberberg (@josh.zilberberg)
Days of the week captions for Instagram Reels
The right caption makes it quick and easy to create content for every day of the week:
Monday Mood
Monday Motivation
Transformation Tuesday
Travel Tuesday
Taco Tuesday
Wednesday Wisdom
Woman Crush Wednesday
Winesday
Wednesday Humpday
Thirsty Thursday
Throwback Thursday
Happy Friday
Finally Fri-yay
Foodie Friday
Friday Feeling
Caturday
Selfie Sunday
Sunday funday
Self-care Sunday
Sunday Scaries
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A post shared by @sirbanksalot11
Question captions for Instagram Reels
Questions prompt viewers to comment on your post, so this is a great way to drive engagement!
Anyone else?
Can you relate?
Does anyone else do this or just me?
How do you think I did?
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
What’s your favorite ____?
Which one is your favorite?
What do you think?
Which one would you choose?
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A post shared by Gabe Erwin (@gabe)
Cute captions for Instagram Reels
Posting a Reel that features your friends or your love? Try one of these cute captions:
All I need
All of me loves all of you
Couple goals
Does this make me look engaged?
Felt cute, might delete
For like ever
I’m obsessed with this
My best friend
P.S. I love you
Puppy love
Put a ring on it
Spreading positivity
This is my happy place
Vibing with this
You + me
You’re the one that I want
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A post shared by WINSTON THE WIENER (@itsyaboy_winston)
Pet owner captions for Instagram Reels
Is your pet the star of your Instagram Reels? Use one of these captions to show off their cute antics!
Be the person your dog thinks you are
Can’t go to work today, gotta stay home and snuggle
Crazy cat lady
Crazy dog lady
Cuteness overload
Full-time cat mom
Happiness is a warm puppy
Just kitten around
Just me and my dog
My cat was right about you
Puppy love
The cat’s in charge, I just live here
The cat’s meow
VIP: Very Important Puppy
You can’t buy happiness, but you can adopt it
POV captions for Instagram Reels
POV reels are quick and easy to film, so they’re a great way to get into making reels if you’re not already! Start each caption with “POV:” followed by your text.
It’s happy hour
Me trying to focus
The nachos just arrived
Trying _____ for the first time (a new food or activity)
We just got married
We’re on a road trip together
We’re out on a date
You’re the designated ____ in the family (IT person, cook, dogwalker)
Your order from _____ finally arrives (unbox with me video)
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A post shared by JoJo Siwa (@itsjojosiwa)
One-word captions for Instagram Reels
A single word + your favorite emoji = the perfect caption in no time!
Absolutely
Amazing
Awesome
BFFs
Blessed
Blessings
Brothers
Celebrate
Dance
Dreamer
Dreaming
Energy
Excitement
Explorer
Exploring
Fail
Fashion
Fave
Fearless
Feelings
Feels
Flowers
Focused
Forever
Forgetful
Freedom
Fun
Goals
GOAT
Gorgeous
Gratitude
Groove
Happiness
Hustle
Inspiration
Joy
Kitty
Laughter
Laughter
Leaves
LOL
Love
Love
Magic
Mistakes
Mood
Mountains
Movement
Naptime
Nope
Nostalgia
Passion
Perfect
Perfection
Progress
Puppy
Reading
Ready
Relatable
Rhythm
Siblings
Sisters
Smile
Soulmates
Speechless
Spontaneous
Strolling
Summer
Sunset
Sunshine
TGIF
Throwback
Tomorrow
Totally
Trees
Unforgettable
Vacation
Vibe
Vibes
Wanderlust
Wild
Work
Working
Writing
XOXO
Yesterday
Yummy
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Seasonal captions for Instagram Reels
Lacking inspiration for your next post? You can never go wrong with an observation about the weather. Head to the nearest window, grab a quick clip, and you’re halfway to your next Reel.
Spring
April showers bring May flowers
Blooming beauty everywhere
Here comes the sun
I’m in bloom
It’s gonna be May
Life’s brighter outside
Longer days ahead
Spring has sprung
Spring is in the air
Springing forward
Springing into action
The world is blooming
Time to blossom
Summer
Beach hair don’t care
Beach life, please!
Chasing sunsets always
Endless summer days
Ice cream is a food group
Long days, warm nights
Soaking up the sun
Summer adventures await
Summer lovin’ vibes
Fall
Autumn leaves
Fall-ing in love
Feeling witchy
I love fall most of all
Pumpkin spice season
Pumpkins, apples, joy
Savoring fall moments
Spooky season
Sweater weather
Turkey time
Winter
Cozy and cuddly
Cuffing season
Embracing the chill
Frosty and fabulous
Hot cocoa time!
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Let it snow
The weather outside is frightful
Winter wonderland vibes
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A post shared by Brian Moller | B Mo the Prince (@bmotheprince)
Literary captions for Instagram Reels
Turn to your favorite authors for Reel inspo! We’ve put together a short list of classics, but the possibilities are endless when books are involved.
“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.” – J.M. Barrie
“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” – Mary Shelley
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott
“Brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you go on even though you’re scared.” – Angie Thomas
“For you, a thousand times over.” – Khaled Hosseini
“I can’t stand it to think my life is going so fast and I’m not really living it.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Let the wild rumpus start!” – Maurice Sendak
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am.” – Sylvia Plath
“It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” – Jane Austen
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Warhol
“To thine own self be true.” – William Shakespeare
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” – Emily Bronte
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” – Paulo Coelho
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Movie captions for Instagram Reels
Borrow from history’s greatest cinematic characters to make an impact with your next caption:
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” – Gone with the Wind
“Keep the change, ya filthy animal!” – Home Alone
“Big Mistake. Big. Huge.” – Pretty Woman
“Bueller . . . Bueller?” – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
“Hello, gorgeous!” – Funny Girl
“Here’s looking at you, kid.” – Casablanca
“I’ll be back.” – Terminator
“I’ll have what she’s having.” – When Harry Met Sally
“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” – The Godfather
“I’m the king of the world!” – Titanic
“Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.” Sunset Blvd.
“My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” – Forrest Gump
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” – Dirty Dancing
“Snap out of it!” – Moonstruck
“There’s no place like home.” – The Wizard of Oz
“We’re alike, me and cat. A couple of poor nameless slobs.” – Breakfast at Tiffany’s
“You had me at hello.” – Jerry Maguire
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” – Jaws
“May the Force be with you.” – Star Wars
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A post shared by Julian Burzynski (@juliancookies)
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