How to Add Location to a TikTok Post

Adding a location to your TikTok videos seems like a tiny step, but it’s one of the simplest ways to connect with a local audience and give your content more context. Whether you're a local business, a travel creator, or just want to ground your video in a specific place, this guide will walk you through exactly how to add a location, why you should, and some smart strategies to make the most of this feature.

Why Is Adding a Location to Your TikTok Post So Important?

You might think of the location tag as just another line of text on your post, but it's a powerful tool for discovery. When you tag a location, you’re basically telling the TikTok algorithm who to show your video to. It’s not just about aesthetics, it's a strategic move that can significantly boost your reach and engagement with the right people.

Connect with a Hyper-Local Audience

Have you ever scrolled through TikTok and seen videos from a restaurant just a few blocks away, or from an event happening in your city this weekend? That’s the power of the location tag. When you geotag your post, TikTok is more likely to show your video to users in or interested in that specific area. For local businesses like coffee shops, boutiques, real estate agents, or hair salons, this is gold. You're not just screaming into the void, you're reaching potential customers right in your neighborhood.

Boost Discoverability and Searchability

TikTok is becoming a major search engine, especially for Millennials and Gen Z. People are searching for things like "best brunch in Austin" or "things to do in Paris." If you’ve tagged your video with a relevant location–the name of the restaurant or the city itself–your content has a much higher chance of appearing in those search results. This turns your videos into helpful, findable resources that serve an audience with specific intent, which often leads to more followers and engagement.

Add Context and Authenticity

A location tag anchors your video in the real world. If you're sharing a stunning travel video from the Amalfi Coast, tagging "Positano" adds a layer of credibility and helps your viewers feel like they’re there with you. For a food review, tagging the exact restaurant allows others to find it and try it for themselves. This context makes your content more valuable, relatable, and trustworthy. It quietly says, "This wasn't just a staged video, this happened right here."

How to Add a Location to a TikTok Post: A Simple Guide

Thankfully, adding a location is one of the easiest things you can do before posting your video. TikTok has streamlined the process right into the final publishing screen. Here's exactly how it's done.

Let's walk through it, step-by-step:

1. Create Your Video: Either record your video directly in the TikTok app or upload a pre-edited clip from your camera roll. Add your sounds, effects, text, and any other creative elements you want. Once you're happy with it, tap the "Next" button.
2. Navigate to the Post Screen: This is the final screen before you publish your video. It’s where you write your caption, add hashtags, tag people, and adjust all your settings.
3. Find the "Location" Option: Look for an icon of a map pin with the word "Location" next to it. It’s usually located below the caption input area, grouped with other options like "Tag people" and "More options."
4. Select Your Location: Tap on "Location." A new screen will appear, often suggesting locations near your current spot if you have location services enabled.
   • You can select one of these suggested locations.
   • Alternatively, you can use the search bar at the top to type in a specific name of a place, a landmark, a business, or a city.
5. Confirm and Post: Once you find and tap the correct location, you'll be taken back to the post screen, and you'll see the location name you chose now displayed. Review the rest of your post settings and hit "Post." That’s it! Your video is now geotagged.

Can You Add or Change a Location After Posting?

This is one of the most common questions creators have, and the short answer is, unfortunately, no. As of now, TikTok does not have a feature that allows you to edit the location tag - or the caption, for that matter - on a video once it has been published.

This limitation means it's really important to double-check that you've selected the right location before hitting the post button. So, what can you do if you made a mistake or forgot to add one entirely?

Your only option is to delete the video and re-upload it with the correct location. Here's when that might be worth considering:

• If the video is brand new: If you notice the mistake within the first few minutes or hours, and it hasn't gathered a ton of views or engagement yet, deleting and re-posting is a low-risk move.
• If the location is critical to viewership: For a local business, a travel guide, or an event-focused video, the location tag is a core part of your discovery strategy. Without it, you're missing out on your target audience. In this case, it might be worth sacrificing the initial engagement to get the post right.

However, if the video has already gained significant traction and is performing well, you might be better off just leaving it as is. Deleting a video that the algorithm has already started pushing out means you'll lose all of that early momentum, and there's no guarantee the re-uploaded version will perform as well.

Advanced Strategies for TikTok Geotagging

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start using location tags more strategically to grow your brand or business. It’s not just about tagging where you are, it’s about tagging where your audience is.

Tag Specific vs. Broad Locations

Deciding how specific your location tag should be depends entirely on your goal.

• Be Specific for Foot Traffic: If you're a brick-and-mortar business, tag your exact business name and address. This helps local customers find you on a map and see content from others who have visited.
• Go Broad for Wider Reach: If you're a B2B service provider or an online creator targeting a region, you might tag a larger area like a neighborhood ("Williamsburg, Brooklyn") or a whole city ("New York City"). A travel blogger sharing a "3-Day Itinerary for London" would benefit more from the "London" tag than the location of the coffee shop they filmed the intro in.

How to Create a Custom Location for Your Business

Ever wonder how new businesses pop up as location tags on Instagram and TikTok? This is a killer tip many people don't know: TikTok pulls its location data from Foursquare, which is linked with Facebook.

If your business location isn’t showing up when you search for it on TikTok, you might need to create it. You can do this through the Facebook "Check In" feature.

Steps to Create a Custom Location:

1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Start creating a new post. Tap the "Check In" button.
3. In the search bar, type your business's name. If it doesn't appear, scroll to the bottom of the list and tap "Add a new place."
4. Fill out the category and address details for your business. Facebook will use your phone's GPS to suggest a current location, but you can adjust it to be precise.
5. Once you create it, your custom location should start appearing as a taggable option across Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram) and, eventually, in TikTok's location database within a few days or weeks.

Think Like Your Audience: Strategic Tagging

Don’t just think about where your video was filmed, think about who you want to see it.

• Nearby Hotspots: Did you open a food truck near a major university or a popular park? Try tagging that landmark instead of just your truck's location. You can tap into the audience searching for content related to that popular spot.
• Event-Based Tagging: If you're attending a big local event like a music festival, farmers market, or conference, tag the event's location. This helps you reach a highly engaged audience who are all interested in the same thing at the same time.

Common Troubleshooting for TikTok Locations

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are a few common issues and how to fix them.

Problem: "My location isn't showing up!"

If you search for a location and it simply doesn't appear, it's likely not in TikTok's database yet. As mentioned above, this is especially common for new businesses. The best fix is to create the location on Facebook and wait for it to sync.

Problem: "The Location button is missing on the post screen."

This is usually a temporary glitch with the app. Try these quick fixes:

• Force-close and restart the TikTok app.
• Clear the app's cache (in your phone's settings).
• Make sure your TikTok app is updated to the latest version.

Problem: "Should I always add a location?"

Not necessarily. If your content is meant for a broad, global audience and has no specific geographic relevance (like a comedic sketch or general advice applicable to anyone), adding a location might actually limit its initial reach. Only use it when the location provides value and helps connect your video to the right audience.

Final Thoughts

Adding a location to your TikTok posts is a simple action that delivers powerful results in local discovery and audience connection. By thinking strategically about whether to tag a specific business, a broad city, or a popular nearby landmark, you can turn this small feature into a valuable part of your content strategy that drives real-world traffic and community engagement.

A successful TikTok strategy relies on being consistent and deliberate with your content organization. Here at Postbase, we built our visual calendar to help creators and marketers see their entire social schedule at a glance. You can plan your content pillars - like local spotlights, product features, and community stories - and easily drag and drop posts to keep your content calendar balanced and effective across all of your platforms, including TikTok. Using a tool like Postbase takes the chaos out of planning, letting you focus on creating great content.