How to Enable Tagging on LinkedIn

Tagging another person or company in your LinkedIn post is one of the fastest ways to boost your content's reach, drive engagement, and build relationships on the platform. Mastering this simple feature allows you to pull relevant people into your conversation, credit collaborators, and get your content in front of entirely new audiences. This guide breaks down exactly how to enable and use tagging on LinkedIn, from the basic steps to the strategic best practices that separate the pros from spammers.

Why Bother Tagging on LinkedIn? The Benefits Are Bigger Than You Think

Before jumping into the "how," it's helpful to understand the "why." Used properly, a simple @-mention is a powerful networking and visibility tool. When you skip tagging on LinkedIn, you're leaving a lot of potential engagement on the table.

Boosts Your Reach and Visibility

When you tag someone in a public post, you're not just alerting them, you're often making your post visible to a portion of their network, too. If that person engages with your post (by commenting or liking it), its visibility can multiply significantly. Think of it as a digital introduction to their audience. For a brand or individual, this is a direct path to organic growth without spending a dime on ads.

Sparks Engagement and Conversation

Every tag sends a notification. That small ping is a direct call to action, prompting the person or brand you mentioned to check out your content. This often leads to an immediate like, comment, or share, which signals to the LinkedIn algorithm that your post is interesting. This initial spark can kick off a chain reaction of further engagement from your own network and theirs.

Builds Relationships and Shows Appreciation

Tagging isn't just a technical trick for the algorithm, it's a social gesture. It's how you give public credit to a team member, thank a mentor for their insights, praise a partner company on a successful project, or highlight an idea from an industry leader. These small acts of recognition are the building blocks of strong professional relationships both online and off.

Adds Credibility and Context

Tagging serves as a digital footnote, adding credibility to your claims or context to your story. Mentioning a specific author while discussing their book, tagging a software company when reviewing their product, or acknowledging a data source by tagging the research firm instantly makes your content more trustworthy and informative.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Tagging on LinkedIn

Now that you know why it's so effective, here’s the breakdown of how to do it across the platform, including in posts, comments, and even on media like photos and videos.

How to Tag a Person or Company in a Post Composition

This is the most common use case. Whether you're sharing an article, a text update, or a video, the process is the same and incredibly straightforward.

1. Start composing a new post from your LinkedIn home feed.
2. Type the `@` symbol in the text box where you want to include the mention.
3. Begin typing the name of the person or company you wish to tag. As you type, a dropdown menu of suggestions will appear.
4. Select the correct profile or page from the list. The menu narrows down as you type, so being more specific helps. Once selected, the name will appear in your post as a clickable blue link.
5. Finish writing your post and click "Post" to publish it. The person or company you tagged will receive a notification.

Pro Tip: It’s much easier to tag company pages that you already follow. If you’re having trouble finding a small company page, try following it first and then coming back to create your post.

How to Tag Someone in a Comment

Pulling someone into an ongoing conversation is a great way to ask a question, share an interesting discussion, or get their professional opinion. The method is identical to tagging in a post.

1. Find the post where you want to leave a comment.
2. In the comment box, type the `@` symbol followed by the name of the person or company.
3. Select the correct profile from the dropdown list that appears.
4. Write the rest of your comment and hit "Post." They'll be notified that they’ve been mentioned in a comment.

How to Tag Connections in Photos and Videos

Did you know you can also tag people directly in your visuals? This is perfect for event photos, team shout-outs, or video interviews. The tags appear when a viewer clicks a specific spot on the media, much like on other social platforms.

For a Single Photo Upload:

• Start a new post and select the "Add a photo" icon.
• Once your photo is uploaded and the preview appears, look for the "Tag" icon (usually a person silhouette with a plus sign) in the list of editing options.
• Click anywhere on the photo where you’d like to add a tag.
• A text box will appear. Start typing the name of the person, select them from the list, and click "Done."
• You can add multiple tags to different areas of the photo before you publish your post.

For a Video Upload:

• Similarly, start a post and upload a video file.
• In the preview/editing screen, click the "Tag" button on the top right-hand side.
• LinkedIn will then ask you to "type to add a tag." Begin typing the name of the person or people you want to tag and select them from the list. Unlike photos, video tags are not tied to a specific location in the frame but apply to the entire video.

How to Enable Yourself to Be Tagged

The "enable" part of tagging on LinkedIn is less about turning a feature on and more about making sure your privacy settings allow it. If people complain they can't tag you, your settings are likely the reason. By default, this is on for most people, but it’s always good to check.

Here’s how to check and adjust your tagging eligibility:

1. Navigate to your LinkedIn profile and click on the "Me" icon in the top navigation bar.
2. Select "Settings &, Privacy" from the dropdown menu.
3. From the left-hand navigation menu, click on "Visibility."
4. Scroll down to the "Visibility of your LinkedIn activity" section and click on "Mentions or tags."
5. You will see a simple toggle switch. Make sure it is set to "Yes" (green) to allow others to mention or tag you in their content. If it is set to "No," other users will not be able to find your profile when they use the @-mention function.

Best Practices for Effective Tagging (And What Not to Do)

Tagging is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used skillfully or poorly. Following these simple rules will help you build your network instead of irritating it.

• Be Relevant. The cardinal rule. Only tag people who are genuinely relevant to the content. Are they in the photo? Did you use their quote? Is the article directly related to their field of expertise? If the answer is no, don't tag them. Irrelevant tagging comes across as desperate and spammy.
• Don't Over-Tag. A post stuffed with a dozen unrelated tags is a huge red flag. It shouts "I'm just trying to get attention!" and devalues the mentions you include. A good rule of thumb is to stick to 3-5 highly relevant tags at most. Quality over quantity.
• Give Your Tag Context. Don't just drop an @-mention at the end of your post and hope for the best. Weave it into the narrative. For example, instead of just dropping a name, say, "Great insights on AI ethics from @JaneDoe in her latest article on the topic." This tells both Jane and your audience why you tagged her.
• Engage with the Engagement. If a person or company you tagged takes the time to respond, continue the conversation! A quick "Thanks for sharing!" or a thoughtful reply to their comment shows you appreciate their engagement and are interested in building a real connection.

Why Can't I Tag Someone? Common Issues and Simple Fixes

Ever tried to tag someone only to find they won’t pop up in the dropdown menu? It's a common frustration. Here are the most likely reasons why and what you can do about it.

Reason 1: They Are Outside Your Network

On LinkedIn, it's generally easiest to tag your 1st-degree connections. While you can often tag 2nd and 3rd-degree connections, it can sometimes be hit-or-miss depending on their settings and yours. You typically cannot tag someone who has blocked you or who you aren't somehow connected with. For Company Pages, following the page almost always solves any issue with finding it in the tagging menu.

Reason 2: Their Privacy Settings Forbid It

This is the most direct cause. Just as you have the option to allow or disallow tagging for your profile, so does everyone else. If a person has turned off the ability to be mentioned or tagged in their "Settings &, Privacy," they simply won't appear in the dropdown menu for anyone. There isn't a workaround for this, you just have to respect their preference.

Reason 3: A Simple Spelling Mistake

It sounds obvious, but it happens all the time, especially with unique names or common names with various spellings. Double-check the spelling. Sometimes adding more of the name (e.g., Jane D instead of just Jane) helps LinkedIn’s system find the exact person you’re looking for.

Final Thoughts

Tagging on LinkedIn is a simple mechanic with surprisingly strategic depth. By moving beyond random mentions and using it to give credit, start meaningful conversations, and provide context, you can turn a basic feature into a cornerstone of your networking and content strategy. It drives visibility, fosters goodwill, and ultimately helps you build a stronger, more engaged community around your professional brand.

Of course, once your tagging strategy starts paying off and your posts generate more comments and conversation, managing that influx of engagement can be a challenge. That’s why we designed the engagement tools in Postbase with a unified inbox. All your comments and direct messages from across your social platforms, including LinkedIn, funnel into a single, clean workspace. This approach allows you to reply faster and build better relationships without the chaos of switching between multiple apps and tabs to keep up.