How to Add a City to Your Instagram Bio

Putting your city in your Instagram bio seems like it should be simple, but it’s one of the most searched-for “how-to” questions out there. The good news is, it is easy once you know the right steps. Whether you’re a local business that wants a clickable map address or a freelancer who just wants to show their city without giving away private information, this guide will walk you through exactly how to do it professionally and effectively.

Why Even Bother Adding a City to Your Instagram Bio?

That little line of text in your Instagram bio is some of the most valuable real estate you have online. Adding your location isn't just about sharing where you are - it’s a powerful positioning tool that can directly impact your growth, especially if your brand, service, or art is tied to a specific place.

Here’s why it’s so effective:

• Better Local Discoverability: Instagram's algorithm increasingly favors local content. When you add a location, you give the platform a clear signal about who you serve. This helps you show up more often in search results for users looking for businesses or creators "near me." Someone searching "coffee shop Austin" is far more likely to find your profile if "Austin, TX" is properly listed.
• Builds Trust and Authenticity: For brick-and-mortar stores, agencies, or local service providers like photographers and real estate agents, a physical location adds a layer of credibility. It tells potential customers that you are a legitimate, established business they can find and engage with in the real world.
• Attracts the Right Clients and Collaborators: If you're a freelancer, artist, or consultant, specifying your city helps you attract local clients or collaboration opportunities. A brand looking for a content creator in Chicago will filter their search by location. If your city isn't in your bio, you won't even appear as an option.
• Saves Prime Bio Space: When done correctly, the official location tag is a separate, clickable field below your main bio text. This means you don’t have to waste any of your precious 150 characters in the main bio section saying, "Based in Denver, Colorado." You can use that space for a more compelling call-to-action or value proposition.

The First Step: You Need a Business or Creator Account

Before you start digging through settings, there's a non-negotiable first step: your Instagram account must be a Business or Creator account to access the official location feature.

Personal accounts work great for keeping up with friends, but they lack the professional tools needed to grow a brand. The clickable address, contact buttons, and in-depth analytics are all exclusive to Professional accounts.

Don't worry, switching is free, easy, and you can switch back at any time. Here's how:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) in the top-right corner.
2. Tap on 'Settings and Privacy'.
3. Scroll down to the 'For professionals' section and tap 'Account type and tools'.
4. Tap 'Switch to professional account'.
5. Instagram will walk you through a few steps. You'll choose a category that best describes what you do (e.g., Artist, Blogger, Restaurant, Local service). You'll then get a choice between a 'Creator' account or a 'Business' account.

Creator vs. Business Account: Which One Is for You?

• Creator Account: Best for public figures, influencers, artists, and content producers. It offers more flexible profile controls, simplified messaging inboxes, and access to creator-specific analytics.
• Business Account: Best for brands, retailers, local businesses, and service providers. It gives you the ability to add a physical location, get more robust analytics on audience demographics, and enables additional business-specific features.

For the purpose of adding a clickable city or address, both options work. However, if you have a physical storefront, a Business account is generally the better choice.

How to Add a Public Address to Your Instagram Bio

This is the standard, official method for displaying a full, clickable street address in your bio. It’s perfect for restaurants, cafes, boutiques, salons, galleries, and any business that wants customers to get directions and visit their physical location.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Navigate to your Instagram profile.
2. Tap the 'Edit profile' button below your bio.
3. Scroll down to the section titled 'Public business information' and tap on 'Contact options'.
4. Tap on 'Business address'. This is where you’ll input your location details.
5. Fill in your Street Address, City/Town, and Zip/Postal Code. Instagram will verify the address to make sure it's a real location.
6. Once you've entered your address and saved it, head back to the 'Contact options' menu.
7. Make sure the toggle for 'Display contact info' is turned on (it should be blue). If this is turned off, your address and other contact details won't show up on your public profile, even if you’ve filled them out.
8. Tap 'Done' or the checkmark to save everything, and you're all set!

When you go back to your main profile page, you'll see your city and state listed as a clickable link. When a user taps it, they'll be given the option to get directions via their phone's native map application. This simple integration is extremely useful for driving foot traffic.

How to Show Just Your City (Not Your Full Street Address)

So, what if you're a freelancer, a remote consultant, or a creator who wants to signal you’re based in a specific city but would rather not broadcast your home or office address to the world? There’s a clever workaround for this that involves your linked Facebook Business Page.

The trick is to change your business category on Facebook to one that is recognized as a 'local service' that operates in a service area rather than at a fixed address. This tells Instagram to display only the City/State information instead of the full address.

The "Local Service" Trick Using Your Facebook Page:

1. Link Your Instagram to a Facebook Business Page: This method only works if your Instagram business account is connected to a Facebook Business Page. If it’s not, you can do this from Instagram's Account Center (Settings & Privacy > Accounts Center > Profiles > Add accounts).
2. Go to Your Facebook Page: Using the Facebook website on a desktop computer usually works best for this. Navigate to the Facebook Business Page that's linked to your Instagram account.
3. Edit Your Page's 'About' Section: On your page's left-hand menu, click 'About'. From there, look for 'Edit page info'.
4. Change Your Category: Under 'General', find the 'Category' field. This is the most important step. Change your category from whatever it is now (e.g., 'Restaurant') to something like 'Local Service', 'Marketing Agency', or another service-based category. Save the change.
5. Update Your Location: Next, go to the 'Location' section on the same 'Edit page info' page. Here, you should enter your City, State and Zip Code, but you can leave the Street Address field blank.
6. Uncheck the Map Display Box: Make sure the box that says something like "My Page doesn't have a location," is unchecked. Facebook wants to know your general area. However, there may be another box that says "Customers visit my business at my street address." If you see it, make sure that is also unchecked. Save your changes.
7. Sync It Back to Instagram: Now, go back to your Instagram mobile app. Go to 'Edit Profile' > 'Contact Options' > 'Business Address'. Your address field might still show your old full street address. Just tap it and press 'Update business address'. It should pull the 'city-only' updated information from Facebook. If it does not, you might have to temporarily erase the old info and allow Instagram to pull it again. And remember to check that "Display contact info" is still on.

After following these steps, your Instagram bio should now display a neat, clickable link of just your city and state – no street address necessary.

The Simplest Method: Just Type It In

There's always a simple, low-tech option: just manually typing your location directly into your 150-character bio field. You can use an emoji to make it pop, like "✨ NYC-based Designer & Illustrator" or "Photographer 📍Austin, TX".

When is this method a good idea?

• If you don’t want to go through the process of setting up a Professional Account.
• If your account is set to private.
• If you’re so strapped for time that a clickable address isn’t a priority.

What are the downsides?

• It's not clickable and provides no map integration.
• It uses up valuable characters in your bio that could be used for your value proposition or a CTA.
• It doesn’t look as refined or professional as the official location tag.
• It provides a much weaker signal to Instagram's algorithm for local discovery.

Overall, while it's the easiest way to get the job done, it's the least effective for SEO and user experience. It's recommended to take the few extra minutes to set up the official location tag.

Final Thoughts

Adding a city to your Instagram bio is a small detail that makes a big difference. It's a quick win for boosting your local search visibility, building credibility with potential customers, and shaping how your brand is perceived. By using either the standard business address method or the Facebook 'local service' trick, you can set up a professional location tag that perfectly suits your needs.

Getting your profile details right is a great foundation, but attracting a local audience is about what you post every day. Consistently planning, scheduling, and engaging with your community is how strong local brands are built, and that’s a challenge we know well. We designed Postbase to make that process feel a lot less chaotic. From our visual calendar for planning your content weeks ahead, to the unified inbox that keeps all your DMs and comments in one place, we handle the workflow so that you can focus on creativity and connecting with your neighbors.