How to Tag in Threads

Tagging someone on Threads is more than just a function, it’s your key to sparking conversations, giving credit where it's due, and getting your content seen by the right people. But the platform operates a little differently than its social media cousins. This guide will walk you through exactly how to tag users and leverage Threads' unique topic feature to build community and grow your presence.

Mentioning People: Who, How, and Why

The most common form of tagging is the simple @mention. It’s a direct way to loop another user into your conversation, and it’s fundamental to how Threads connects people. When you tag someone, they get a notification, which dramatically increases the chance they’ll see your post, reply to it, or even repost it to their own followers.

How to Tag a User in a New Thread

Mentioning another account in a fresh post is straightforward. It’s the perfect way to start a public conversation or credit a collaborator right from the start. Here's how it's done:

1. Open the Threads app and tap the "new post" icon in the center of the bottom navigation bar.
2. Start writing your message. When you want to mention someone, type the "@" symbol.
3. As you begin typing their username, a list of suggestions will appear. Threads is pretty good at guessing who you mean, showing a list of people you follow and interact with first.
4. Tap the correct user from the list. Their full username will appear in the text as a blue, clickable link once you post.
5. Finish your post and tap "Post." The person you tagged will get a notification that you mentioned them.

How to Tag Someone in a Reply

Tagging in a reply is just as easy and is the engine of most conversations on the platform. It shows you're speaking directly to a specific person in a larger exchange.

1. Find the thread you want to reply to and tap the "reply" icon (the speech bubble).
2. Just like a new post, type the "@" symbol followed by the first few letters of the person’s username.
3. Select their profile from the pop-up list.
4. Write the rest of your reply and tap "Post."

This is extremely useful when multiple people are involved in a thread. You can specify who your comment is for, which helps keep the conversation organized and clear.

Best Practices for Tagging Users (Without Being Spammy)

With great power comes great responsibility. Randomly tagging influencers or dozens of accounts in an irrelevant post won’t win you any fans. It's seen as spammy and can get your account muted or blocked. The real value comes from intentional, thoughtful tagging. Here are a few strategies to guide you.

1. Tag with a Purpose

Every tag should have a reason. Are you asking a question, sharing something you think they’ll enjoy, giving them credit for an idea, or highlighting their work? Don't tag people just to get their attention. Your mention should add value to them, not just you.

• Good Example: "Just finished reading @authorkate's new book and the chapter on brand storytelling was a game-changer for my strategy. Highly recommend!"
• Bad Example: "Hey @massiveinfluencer @anothercelebrity @randombrand please follow me back! I love your content! #followforfollow"

2. Ask Questions to Spark a Conversation

Tagging isn't just a notification system, it's an invitation. If you genuinely want an opinion from an expert or a brand, frame your post as a question. This gives them a clear reason to reply and engages their audience as well.

Example: "Trying out the new software from @CreativeTools Inc. and loving the new animation feature. Quick question for the team: any plans to add custom export presets? Would be a huge time-saver! @dev_jane maybe you know?"

3. Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

The internet runs on shared ideas and content. If you're reposting an image, quoting a great point from an article, or using an idea from another creator, always tag the original source. It’s good etiquette, respects their work, and builds trust with your own audience. Plus, the original creator often appreciates the shout-out and may repost you, extending your reach.

Example: "Incredible photo of the night sky taken by @spacephotog. The level of detail here is stunning! Check out their profile for more amazing shots."

4. Engage with Brands and Local Businesses

Brands are constantly looking for user-generated content (UGC). If you just bought a new product you love or had a great experience at a local coffee shop, post a picture and tag the business. They often reshare customer posts to their own feed or Stories. This is a powerful, organic way to get onto the radar of a larger account.

Example: "Couldn’t get my week started without a flat white from @TheCornerCafe. Best beans in the city, hands down. ☕"

Mastering Topic Tags: The "Hashtag" of Threads

This is where Threads really stands apart. Instead of letting you use a dozen hashtags (#like #this #on #instagram), Threads uses a more focused system called "topics." You can only add one per post. This might seem limiting, but it forces you to categorize your content clearly, making your post discoverable in a specific, dedicated feed.

What’s a Topic Tag? (And How It’s Different)

Think of a topic tag not as a keyword-stuffed hashtag, but as the single subject line for your content. It’s what your post is about. When someone clicks on a topic tag, like "SocialMediaMarketing," they are taken to a feed of other posts that have also used that same tag. Using the right one connects your post to a larger, relevant conversation.

Traditional hashtags are often used for branding, humor, or stringing keywords together. Threads topics are simpler and designed for clear categorization and discovery.

How to Add a Topic Tag to Your Thread

1. Start a new post as you normally would.
2. Once your text and media are ready, tap the hash symbol (#) icon. Some users may just need to type '#' in the text editor.
3. A screen will pop up prompting you to "Add a topic..."
4. Start typing your topic. Threads will show you existing topics that people are using, often with a count of how many posts are using that tag.
5. You can select an existing topic or type out your own. Even phrases with spaces are allowed (e.g., "Digital Marketing Tips").
6. Once selected, the tag will appear as a blue, clickable link at the bottom of your post (or sometimes inline, depending on app version). Tap "Post" when you're ready.

Strategies for Choosing the Perfect Topic Tag

Since you only get one, picking the right topic tag matters. Here's a little strategy to get it right:

• Be Specific but Searchable: If your post is about email marketing for small businesses, the topic tag "Email Marketing" is better than the overly broad "Marketing." Think about what niche conversation your content contributes to. What would someone logically search for or click on to find content like yours?
• Check What Already Exists: When you start typing your potential topic, Threads will show you similar tags that are already popular. It's often better to join an existing, active conversation with a popular topic tag than to invent a brand new one that no one is searching for (unless you're building a unique tag for a specific campaign or series).
• Align with Your Core Niche: For brand accounts, it helps to be consistent. If you're a food blogger, consistently using tags like "Healthy Recipes," "Vegan Cooking," or "Meal Prep Ideas" will help signal to the algorithm (and to users) what your account is all about.
• Think in Terms of Communities: Topic tags group posts into communities of interest. Ask yourself: "What community does this content belong to?" Is it for "#BookLovers," "#IndieGameDev," or "#Photography"? Choose the tag that best represents that group.

A Common Question: Can You Tag People in Photos on Threads?

We’re used to tapping on a photo on Instagram and seeing little pop-up tags indicating who is in it. This feature brings another layer of visibility and connection.

The Short Answer: Not Really

As of now, Threads does not support tagging people directly in photos or videos in the same way Instagram does. You can't tap an image to see a list of tagged accounts. This functionality could be added in the future, as Meta frequently updates the app, but for now, it's not a native feature.

The Best Workaround: Tag 'Em in the Caption

The standard and accepted way to tag someone associated with a photo is to simply @mention them in the main text of your post. This is perfectly effective, as they will still receive a notification, and your followers can easily click through to their profile. Think of the caption as the central place for all context - including who is in the photo or who helped create it.

Example (with an image posted): "Had an amazing strategy session today with @jessica_builds and @marketing_mike planning some incredible projects for Q4. The future is bright! ✨"

Final Thoughts

Mastering mentions and topic tags on Threads is a simple process that unlocks a lot of growth potential. Smartly tagging users with the "@" symbol can turn your posts into active conversations, while choosing the right topic tag with "#" ensures your content finds its community. It’s all about creating connections intentionally, one post at a time.

As you get the hang of starting these new conversations, managing all the replies and comments across Threads, Instagram, and your other profiles can become a real challenge. At Postbase, we built our tool to solve exactly this kind of chaos. Our unified inbox brings all your DMs and comments from every platform into one clean, organized feed. This makes replying to your community and keeping up with conversations genuinely manageable, helping you stay connected without the stress.