How to Tag a Post on Facebook

Tagging someone on Facebook is the fastest way to get their attention, give them credit, or pull them into a conversation, and doing it right can boost your post's visibility instantly. Whether you’re posting a team photo, giving a shout-out to a partner, or just sharing a memory with friends, this guide covers every single step. We’ll show you how to tag people and Pages in new posts, old posts, photos, and videos, plus share some simple etiquette to make sure your tags always hit the mark.

Why Tagging on Facebook Is a Game-Changer

On the surface, tagging seems simple - it's just a way of pointing a digital finger at someone and saying, "Hey, this is you!" or "This involves you!" But when used strategically, it’s a powerful tool that transforms a static post into an interactive one. Understanding the 'why' behind tagging helps you use it more effectively, whether for personal connection or brand growth.

• It Supercharges Your Reach and Engagement: When you tag a friend or a Page, they receive a notification. This simple nudge encourages them (and often their network) to view, like, comment on, and share your post. The algorithm notices this extra activity, which can lead to increased visibility in the News Feed. For businesses, tagging a happy customer or a partner brand instantly taps into their audience, creating a cross-promotional effect with zero budget.
• It Builds Community and Relationships: Tagging isn't just about visibility, it's about connection. For personal use, it helps create a shared timeline of memories among friends and family. For brands and creators, it’s a way to publicly acknowledge followers, collaborators, and other businesses. Giving a brand a shout-out for great service, tagging a local artist you admire, or mentioning a collaborator in a project fosters goodwill and strengthens relationships. It shows you’re paying attention and valuing others' contributions.
• It Provides Context and Gives Credit: Proper credit is everything in today's digital world. If you share a stunning photo, tag the photographer. If you post about an event, tag the venue and the speakers. This not only gives credit where it's due but also provides your audience with valuable context and resources. Someone seeing a great photo might click the photographer's tag and become their new follow, or someone interested in an event can immediately find the venue's Page for more info. It turns your post into a useful hub of information.

How to Tag a Friend or Page in a New Facebook Post

This is the most common use of tagging, and thankfully, it’s incredibly straightforward on both desktop and mobile devices. The key is using the "@" symbol to launch the tagging feature.

Tagging on a Computer (Desktop)

When you're at your computer, you have a full keyboard and a larger screen, making the process quick and easy.

1. Log into your Facebook account and go to your News Feed or profile page.
2. Click the "What's on your mind, [Your Name]?" box to start a new post.
3. Type your message. When you get to the point where you want to include a tag, type the @ symbol. Do not put a space after it.
4. Immediately after the @ symbol, begin typing the name of the friend or the title of the Facebook Page you want to tag. For example, "@JaneDoe" or "@Postbase".
5. A dropdown menu will appear with a list of suggestions that match what you've typed. The list will update in real-time as you type more letters.
6. Find the correct person or Page in the list and click on their name. Once selected, their name will appear in blue text within your post creator. This blue highlight confirms the tag is active.
7. Finish your post and click the blue "Post" button. The person or Page you tagged will receive a notification.

Pro Tip: If you tag someone and want to be less formal, you can use backspace to delete their last name before continuing your sentence. For example, after selecting "@Jane Doe" from the list, you can delete "Doe" so the sentence might read, "Had a great lunch with @Jane today!" The tag will remain active.

Tagging on the Facebook Mobile App

Tagging on your phone works almost identically to the desktop version. It’s designed to be quick and intuitive for when you're on the go.

1. Open the Facebook app on your iOS or Android device.
2. Tap the "What's on your mind?" field at the top of your News Feed.
3. Write your caption. When ready to tag, type the @ symbol.
4. Start typing the name of the person or Page. A list of contacts and Pages you follow will pop up right above your keyboard.
5. Scroll through the suggestions and tap on the correct profile or Page. The name will turn into a bold, blue link in your draft.
6. Once you're done with your post, tap "Post" in the top-right corner.

Tagging People in Facebook Photos and Videos

Tagging directly in media is the best way to identify who is in a photo or video. You can do this right when you upload or go back later to add tags to media already on your timeline.

Tagging When You First Post a Photo or Video

It's easiest to tag people right as you upload the image, while the details are fresh in your mind.

• Start a new post and click "Photo/Video" to upload your media.
• Once the image is displayed in the post creator, hover your mouse over it. On desktop, click the "Edit" icon (a pencil) and then look for the "Tag Photo" icon at the top (it looks like a price tag silhouette).
• On mobile, simply tap on the photo preview after uploading it. You’ll see icons at the top or bottom, tap the tag icon.
• Facebook’s facial recognition might automatically suggest tags for your friends. If so, you can just confirm them.
• To add a tag manually, simply click (or tap) on a face in the photo. A text box will appear. Start typing a name, and as before, select the correct person from the dropdown menu.
• Once you’ve tagged everyone, save your changes and finish writing your caption and post it. Tagged individuals will show up as "with [Friend's Name] and others."

Tagging Photos or Videos That Are Already Published

Forgot to tag someone? No problem. You can always go back and add tags later.

1. Go to your profile and find the photo or video you want to add a tag to.
2. Click to open it in the full-screen viewer.
3. Look for the "Tag Photo" (or "Tag Video") option. On desktop, it’s typically on the right-hand side menu or as an icon at the bottom of the photo. On mobile, tap the three-dots menu icon for more options.
4. Follow the same process as above: click on the person you want to tag, type their name, and select it from the list.
5. When you're done, the tags will be saved automatically. The people you just tagged will receive a notification right away, even if the post is months or years old. This is a neat way to resurface a fond memory.

How to Go Back and Tag Someone in an Old Post

What if you need to tag a brand or a person in just the text of an old status update? This is just as easy as tagging an old photo.

1. Navigate to the post you want to edit on your profile or Page timeline.
2. Click the three dots (...) in the top-right corner of the post.
3. From the dropdown menu, select "Edit post" (or "Edit caption").
4. The original post editor will pop up. Move your cursor to the exact spot in the text where you want to add the tag.
5. Type the "@" symbol and then the name of the person or Page, selecting it from the suggestion list just as you would for a new post.
6. Once the blue tag is in place, click "Save". The post will update with the new tag included.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Tagging Strategies & Etiquette

Knowing how to tag is good, knowing when and why is better. Great tagging habits improve your online relationships and can even help your content perform better.

The "When" and "Why": Simple Tagging Etiquette

• Be Relevant: Only tag people who are actually in the photo, were at the event, or are directly mentioned and relevant to the caption. Tagging irrationally just to get attention is considered spammy.
• Don't Be a Spammer: Never tag a list of 50 friends on a promotional flier for your business. It's annoying to them, it looks desperate, and social media algorithms are smart enough to recognize this behavior as low-quality engagement bait, potentially hurting your post's reach.
• Tag Brands and Businesses You Love: User-generated content (UGC) is marketing gold for brands. If you're posting a picture featuring a product or experience you genuinely enjoyed, tag the company. Many brands monitor their tags and love to share customer posts on their own channels, giving you a nice visibility boost.
• Credit Other Creators: If you re-share a quote, idea, or piece of artwork, always tag the original creator. It’s courteous, professional, and helps support the wider creative community.

Reminder: Users Have Control Over Tags

Remember that users ultimately control what appears on their timeline. Most people have the "Timeline Review" feature enabled, meaning they must manually approve any post they're tagged in before it shows up on their own profile. Don't be offended if your tagged post doesn't appear on their page - they may want to keep their timeline curated. Even if they don’t approve it for their timeline, they'll still get a notification and the tag will remain on your original post.

Troubleshooting Common Facebook Tagging Problems

Sometimes tagging doesn’t work as expected. Here are the fixes for the most common issues.

• "I can't find the person/page I want to tag." This happens for a few reasons. First, check your spelling. If that's correct, the person may have privacy settings that prevent others from tagging them. For Pages, you might not have "liked" the Page yet. Try liking the Page and then attempt to tag it again. Some Pages also disable the ability to be tagged, though this is less common.
• "The tag I typed isn't turning blue." This is the universal sign of a failed tag. It almost always means you didn't click the person or Page from the pop-up list. Simply typing "@JohnDoe" isn't enough, you must select the entity from the dropdown menu provided by Facebook to create the actual link.
• "I tagged someone but the name has a typo." You can't directly edit a tag hyperlink. To fix it, you need to use the "Edit post" function, delete the entire incorrect blue tag, and then re-type it using the @ symbol to search for the correct name and select it.

Final Thoughts

Tagging on Facebook is a straightforward skill, but it adds a layer of connectivity and reach that makes the platform truly social. By using tags thoughtfully on new posts, old memories, and in photos, you can boost engagement, strengthen relationships, and give credit where it’s due - turning your simple updates into engaging community conversations.

Keeping track of all those tagged mentions and comments across multiple brand accounts can definitely be a handful. As social media managers, we knew that pain of flipping between tabs, so we built Postbase to bring that chaos into a single, clean workspace. We designed it with a unified inbox that gathers all your comments and mentions from every platform, so you can see every tag notification and never miss a chance to connect with your community.