How to Get My Business on Instagram Location

Putting your business on the Instagram map is one of the most effective ways to attract local customers and build social proof, yet it's often a confusing process. This guide cuts through the noise and provides a clear, step-by-step walkthrough for creating and using a custom location tag for your business. We'll cover everything from creating the tag on Facebook to troubleshooting common issues so you can get found by customers in your area.

Why Your Business Needs an Instagram Location Tag

You've probably seen them - the little clickable location links above an Instagram post or on a Story sticker. For a brick-and-mortar business, having your own custom location tag isn't just a neat feature, it's a powerful and free marketing tool. When people tag your business, they are essentially creating a digital footprint that leads new customers right to your door.

Here's why it's so valuable:

• Increased Discoverability: When a user taps on your location tag, they're taken to a dedicated page showcasing every public photo and video tagged with that location. It's like a visual, user-generated catalog of your business, seen through the eyes of real customers. This helps potential customers find you when they browse locations near them.
• Powerful Social Proof: Every post tagged with your location is an authentic endorsement. It's a happy customer telling their followers, "I was here, and I liked it enough to post about it." This kind of user-generated content (UGC) is far more trustworthy than a traditional ad.
• Drives Local Foot Traffic: People often use Instagram to find new places to eat, shop, and visit. If someone sees a friend's post from your cool-looking cafe, boutique, or salon, they can tap the location, see where it is, and easily get directions. It closes the gap between online discovery and offline visits.
• Community Building Hub: Your location page becomes a living gallery of your community's experiences. You can monitor it to see what customers love, repost their content (with permission!), and engage directly with people who are actively visiting your business.

The Most Important Thing to Know: Instagram Locations Come from Facebook

Here's the part that trips almost everyone up: you cannot create a new location directly within the Instagram app. It might seem counterintuitive, but Instagram's entire location database is powered by Facebook. To add your business as a selectable location tag on Instagram, you must first create it on Facebook.

Once you create and register a physical place on Facebook, it will automatically sync with Instagram's location database, making it available for you and your customers to use in posts, Reels, and Stories. Don't waste your time looking for a "create location" button inside Instagram - it doesn't exist. All the work happens on the Facebook mobile app.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Your Custom Location Tag Via Facebook Check-In

The most reliable way to register a new location is by using the "Check In" feature on the Facebook mobile app. It requires you to be physically at your business location or to manually adjust the map. Before you begin, make sure you have allowed the Facebook app to access your location in your phone's settings (Settings >, Privacy >, Location Services on iOS or equivalent on Android).

Follow these steps exactly:

Step 1: Open the Facebook App and Create a New Post

On the Facebook mobile app (not the desktop website), go to your personal profile or business page and tap the "What's on your mind?" field to start creating a new post. You don't actually have to publish a post with content, but you do have to start the process.

Step 2: Tap on "Check In"

From the list of options below the text box (like "Photo/Video," "Tag people," etc.), select "Check In." This will bring up a list of nearby places based on your phone's current GPS location.

Step 3: Search for Your Business Name

In the search bar at the top, type the exact name of your business as you want it to appear on Instagram. Be mindful of spelling, capitalization, and spacing. Search the list to see if your location already exists (maybe created by a customer). If it doesn't appear, you're ready for the next step.

Step 4: Find and Tap the "Add a New Place" Button

If your search yields no results for your business, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the location list. You should see a blue button or link that says "Add a new place" or "Add [Your Business Name Here]...". Tap it. If you don't see this option, it might mean your location services aren't enabled for Facebook, or Facebook has temporarily restricted the feature in your area. Try again in a few hours if it's missing.

Step 5: Choose a Category for Your Business

Facebook will ask you to select a category that best describes your business. This is important for search and categorization. Choose the most specific one possible. Options include "Restaurant," "Cafe," "Local Business," "Shopping & Retail," and many more. Pick the one that fits your business best.

Step 6: Specify Your Physical Location

This is the most critical step. Facebook will give you two main options:

• I'm currently here: If you are physically standing at your business address, this is the easiest option. Let the app use your GPS to pinpoint the location.
• Manually choose a location: If you're not at the business, you'll need to type in the city and then move the pin on the map to your exact street address. Take your time and make sure the pin is perfectly positioned. An incorrect address will cause major issues later.

Once the location is set, you will be prompted to add more details, like your full street address. Fill this out completely and accurately.

Step 7: "Create" and "Claim" Your Location

After finalizing the details, tap "Create" or "Save." You've now created a custom place! Facebook may then prompt you with a question like "Are you the owner of this business?" with a link to claim it immediately. This links the custom check-in location to your official Facebook Business Page, making it more legitimate.

What's Next? Using Your New Tag on Instagram

You've done the hard part. Now, you have to wait. It typically takes anywhere from a few hours to several days for a new location created on Facebook to sync and become available on Instagram. Be patient.

Once it's synced, you can start using it:

• For Feed Posts and Reels: When creating a post or Reel, you'll see an "Add Location" option in the caption editor. Tap it, start typing your business name, and it should now appear in the list. Select it.
• For Stories: After taking a photo or video for your Story, tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen. Select the "Location" sticker, search for your business name, and choose it. You can resize, move, and change the color of the sticker.

You did it! Your business now has a permanent, clickable home on Instagram.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Sometimes, things don't go as planned. Here are solutions to the most frequent issues.

"My Location Isn't Showing Up on Instagram!"

• Give it more time. Seriously. The sync between Facebook and Instagram is not instantaneous. Wait at least 48-72 hours before worrying.
• Check your official Facebook Page address. The absolute best way to solidify your location is to make sure your official Facebook Business Page has the full, correct address saved in its "Page Info." This anchors your business to that address, helping Instagram find it a hundred times faster.
• Check the spelling and spacing. Are you searching for "My Cool Cafe" on Instagram when you created it as "my cool cafe" on Facebook? The details matter. Search for the exact name.

"I Can't Find the 'Add a New Place' Button on Facebook."

• Enable Location Services. This option often disappears if you haven't given the Facebook app permission to access your phone's GPS/location. Check your phone's privacy settings.
• Update your app. You might be running an outdated version of the Facebook app. Head to the app store and see if an update is available.
• Try from a different device. Sometimes one account or device seems to get glitched. Ask a friend or a fellow worker to attempt from their device.

"Customers Have Created Duplicate or Misspelled Locations."

This is a common headache for popular businesses. The best defense is a good offense. If your official, claimed location is easy to find and consistently used by you, customers will be more likely to use it correctly.

If duplicates already exist, managing them requires you to get proactive on Facebook. You can sometimes report duplicate places or suggest edits. The ultimate goal is to connect your official Facebook Business Page to your primary location, which should make it the top search result over any customer-created variations.

Final Thoughts

Getting your business's physical address to show up as a clickable location on Instagram is a one-time setup that delivers long-term marketing benefits. By correctly creating a custom location through Facebook's check-in feature on your mobile app, you are giving customers a seamless way to become brand advocates, boost your local visibility, and build a vibrant gallery of user content around your business.

Once your location is set up and customers start tagging you, managing all that extra engagement can be a lot. We built Postbase to bring all your comments and DMs from every platform into one clean inbox, so you never miss a customer mention or question. It keeps your community management smooth so you can focus on building your brand, not wrangling notifications.