How to Create a Location on Instagram Without Facebook

Want to add a custom location tag to your Instagram posts but hit a wall because you don't want to use Facebook? You're not alone. This guide cuts through the noise and shows you the only reliable method that works right now for creating a custom location on Instagram, even if you're trying to avoid your personal Facebook profile.

Why Custom Locations on Instagram Still Matter

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly touch on the "why." A custom location tag isn't just a gimmick, it's a powerful branding and community-building tool. When done right, it can:

• Solidify Your Brand Identity: Instead of tagging a generic city, you can tag your specific business name, like "The Daily Grind Roasters" or "Serenity Yoga Studio." It reinforces who you are with every post.
• Create a Taggable Hub: It gives your customers and fans a specific place to tag their own content. Imagine a customer taking a picture of their new latte from your shop and tagging it with your unique location. This becomes a living gallery of user-generated content, building social proof and a sense of community.
• Improve Local Discoverability: When users search for locations near them, your custom spot can appear. This is especially useful for pop-up shops, market stalls, new services, or event spaces that might not be on traditional maps yet.

For brands, event organizers, and local businesses, a custom location neatly packages every user's experience into one tappable, discoverable feed. It transforms your physical space into an interactive digital one.

The Direct Answer: Can You Create an Instagram Location Without Facebook?

Let's get straight to it: No, there is currently no way to create a new location directly within the Instagram app. Instagram pulls all of its location data from Facebook's database (now Meta's). Think of Facebook as the global map library and Instagram as the student that just checks out books. To add a new location to the map, you have to go through the library - Facebook.

Many old articles and tutorials suggest methods that simply don't work anymore. For years, you could create a new place by using the "Check In" feature on your personal Facebook profile. However, Meta has phased this feature out for most users to clean up location spam. Trying it now usually leads to a dead end.

So, while you can't bypass Facebook's system entirely, you can create a location without using your personal Facebook profile. The only reliable method today involves creating or using a Facebook Business Page. It's a workaround that keeps your personal profile separate and is the officially supported way to add a legitimate business or landmark to Meta's map.

The Modern Method: Using a Facebook Business Page to Create Your Location

Ready to finally create that custom location? This step-by-step process is the only one that consistently works. You'll need to use the Facebook mobile app for this, as the feature is often unavailable on desktop.

Step 1: Check if the Location Already Exists

Before you go through the trouble, do a quick search. Open Instagram, create a new post, tap "Add Location," and type your desired name. Do the same thing on your Facebook Business Page's post creator. Sometimes variations of your name might already exist, so check for misspellings, abbreviations, or older names.

Step 2: Create a Facebook Business Page (if you don't have one)

If you don't already have one, you'll need a Facebook Business Page. Don't worry, this doesn't need to be a fully detailed page you update daily if you don't want it to be. You're just using it as a tool to access the location creation feature.

Go to facebook.com/pages/create and follow the simple on-screen instructions. Just fill in the essentials: a Page name, a category (like "Local Business" or "Brand"), and a brief description. That's enough to get started.

Step 3: Access the "Check In" Feature on Your Business Page

This is the most critical part. Open the Facebook mobile app and navigate to your Business Page.

1. On your Page's admin view, find the option to create a new post. It usually says "What's on your mind?" or "Create a post."
2. In the post creation screen, you'll see a series of options to add things like photos, feelings, etc. Tap on "Check In." This will open up a list of nearby locations and a search bar.

Important: For "Check In" to work correctly, make sure you have enabled location and GPS services for the Facebook app in your phone's settings. Without a precise GPS signal, the option to add a new location may not appear.

Step 4: Add and Configure Your New Custom Location

Now you're ready to create the actual location name that will eventually appear on Instagram.

1. In the "Check In" search bar, type the exact custom location name you want to create (e.g., "The Founder's Corner Coffee Co."). Be careful with spelling and capitalization, as this is how it will appear.
2. Dismiss any existing locations that pop up. If your custom name is truly unique, you should see an option at the bottom that says "Add [Your Location Name]..." with a small gray plus icon. Tap it. If this option doesn't appear, try typing something slightly different or move to a different physical location and try again - Facebook is finicky about new locations far from your GPS signal.
3. Next, you'll be asked to choose a category for your place. Choose something relevant, like "Coffee Shop," "Event Venue," "Retail Company," or "Landmark." This helps Facebook correctly classify your new location.
4. Finally, you'll be prompted to add a physical address. This is a vital step. Provide a real, specific address. Facebook is much more likely to approve locations with a legitimate physical address. You can also specify your current city if the app asks.
5. Once you've filled in the details, tap "Save" or "Done." Now you should see your new custom location tagged in the draft of your Facebook post. You don't need to actually publish this post. You can simply back out and discard the draft. The location submission has already been sent to Facebook.

Step 5: Be Patient and Test it on Instagram

Your work is done, but now comes the waiting game. The new location you created won't be available instantly. It needs to be reviewed and approved by Facebook's system and then synced with Instagram's database. This could take anywhere from a few hours to several days, or in rare cases, a couple of weeks.

Here's how to check if it's ready:

• Every day or so, open Instagram and start creating a post.
• Go to "Add Location."
• Search for the exact name of the custom location you created.

When it appears in the search results, congratulations! You can now select it, and your followers will be able to as well.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Sometimes things don't go according to plan. Here are a few common issues and their solutions.

"The option to 'Add' my new location isn't appearing."

This is the most common roadblock. Here are a few things to try:

• Enable Location Services: Make sure GPS is turned on for your phone and that the Facebook app has permission to use your location. It needs this to know you are physically near the address you're trying to add.
• Be Specific: Facebook's algorithm looks for unique names. If your location is too generic (e.g., "John's Shop"), it may not allow you to create it. Try something more distinct.
• Try Again Later: Sometimes the feature is just buggy. Closing the app, restarting your phone, or simply trying again a few hours later can magically make it work.

"My location was created on Facebook, but it's still not on Instagram."

Patience is the name of the game. It can take time for location information to sync between the two platforms. However, if it's been over two weeks, your location might not have fully synced properly. The best course of action is often to try recreating it, perhaps with a slightly modified name, to re-trigger the approval process.

"Someone else made a location for my business but spelled it wrong."

If an incorrect location for your business already exists, you can try to claim and edit it. Search for the incorrect location page on Facebook. Once you find it, look for an option that says "Is this your business?" From there, you can go through the process of claiming the page, which will eventually allow you to correct its name and address.

Alternative Strategy: What If You Absolutely Refuse to Use a Facebook Account?

If creating a Facebook Page is a complete non-starter, you've accepted that a custom geographical pin is out of reach. But you can still achieve a similar branding effect using Instagram's native features:

1. Create Branded Hashtags: Instead of a location, create a unique hashtag like #TheFoundersCornerHQ or #SerenityYogaVirtualStudio. Encourage customers to use this hashtag instead of a location tag. You can follow the hashtag to see every post.
2. Use Nearby Hub Locations: If your business is in a shopping center or well-known neighborhood, use that broader, popular location tag. This makes your post visible to anyone browsing that location's feed, increasing local visibility.
3. Text Overlays in Stories & Reels: For ephemeral content, simply use the text tool to write your custom location name on your video or photo. This won't be a clickable link, but it still reinforces the association with your brand's space.

Final Thoughts

While Instagram's reliance on Facebook's database means there's no getting around it completely, creating a custom location is very possible by using a Facebook Business Page. This method keeps your personal life separate and gives you the professional branding tool you need to build community and grow your presence.

Once you have that custom location ready, embedding it into a consistent content strategy is key. Frankly, keeping track of every post element - captions, hashtags, locations, and tags - can become overwhelming. For my team's work, we use Postbase to plan and schedule all our content in one simple, visual calendar. It helps us see everything at a glance and makes sure critical branding details, like our custom location tag, are always included without having to remember them every single time.