How to Tag Multiple People on Instagram

Tagging people on Instagram does more than just give a simple shout-out, it connects your content to other accounts, expands your reach, and helps you build a genuine community. Knowing how to tag multiple people effectively - whether in a classic grid post, a quick Story, or a viral Reel - is a fundamental skill for any creator, marketer, or brand on the platform. This guide will walk you through exactly how to do it on every type of content and share a few pointers for doing it right.

Why Tagging Multiple People on Instagram Matters (And It's Not Just for Courtesy)

Before we get into the step-by-step instructions, it's worth understanding why tagging is such a powerful tool. When used correctly, it’s a strategy for organic growth, not just a notification feature.

• Boosts Reach and Visibility: When you tag another account in a post or Reel, your content can appear on the "Tagged Photos" tab of their profile. This exposes your work to their entire audience, which is often a completely new set of eyes. It's like getting a free crossposting opportunity.
• Strengthens Community and Relationships: Tagging collaborators, brand partners, customers (with their permission!), or creators you admire is a public act of acknowledgment. It shows appreciation, fosters goodwill, and strengthens your network. People love being recognized, and it often encourages them to engage with or even share your content.
• Increases Engagement Signals: Posts with tags often see higher engagement. The tagged individuals are notified and may comment or like your post. Their followers see this activity, creating a ripple effect that the Instagram algorithm tends to favor. More engagement tells the platform that your content is valuable and worth showing to more people.
• Adds Social Proof and Authenticity: Tagging real people, partners, and customers makes your content feel more legitimate and trustworthy. A photo of a group of people enjoying your product feels much more authentic when you tag their actual accounts, proving they are real, happy customers or team members.

How to Tag Multiple People in an Instagram Feed Post

Tagging on a traditional feed post (including carousels and videos) is the most common use case. You can tag up to 20 accounts per post. Here’s how to do it both before and after you hit publish.

Tagging Before You Publish (The Ideal Method)

Doing it from the start is the cleanest and easiest way to make sure everyone is included.

1. Start Your Post Creation: Tap the "+" icon at the bottom of the Instagram app and select "Post." Choose your photo, carousel of images, or video. Tap "Next."
2. Apply Edits: Add any filters or make any edits you need, then tap "Next" again.
3. Navigate to the 'Tag People' Screen: You're now on the final screen where you write your caption and add a location. Just below your image preview, you'll see the option "Tag people." Tap it.
4. Add Your First Tag: Tap anywhere on the photo or video. A search bar will appear, prompting you to "Search for a user." Start typing the username of the person or brand you want to tag.
5. Select the Account: Once you see the correct account in the list, tap it to add the tag. The tag will appear on the image. You can drag it to position it precisely over the person or object you’re associating it with.
6. Repeat for All Other Accounts: To add more people, simply tap on a different area of the photo and repeat the process. You can continue doing this until you’ve tagged everyone, up to the 20-account limit.
7. Finalize and Publish: Once you're done tagging, tap "Done" in the top right corner. You'll be brought back to the caption screen, where you can now see the names of the people you've tagged listed next to the "Tag people" option. Finish your caption, add your hashtags, and hit "Share."

Tagging After You've Already Published (The "Oops, I Forgot!" Fix)

Forgot to tag someone? No worries. Instagram lets you easily add or edit tags on existing content without having to delete and re-upload.

1. Go to Your Post: Find the post you want to edit on your profile grid.
2. Open the Edit Menu: Tap the three-dot menu icon (...) in the top right corner of your post.
3. Select "Edit": This will open the editing options for your post.
4. Find the Tagging Icon: Look to the bottom-left corner of your photo or video. You'll see a small icon of a person inside a tag shape with the label "Tag people." Tap this icon.
5. Add New Tags: The photo will now be open for tagging. Tap anywhere on the image to add a new tag, searching for the username just as you would before publishing. You can add more people or tap on existing tags to remove or change them.
6. Save Your Changes: Once you’ve added all the new tags, tap "Done" in the top right corner, and then tap the checkmark to save all your edits. The people you just tagged will get a notification.

How to Tag Multiple People in an Instagram Story

Instagram Stories are all about quick, interactive content. Tagging here is essential for collaborations and shout-outs. You can mention up to 10 accounts per individual Story slide. There are two primary ways to do it.

Method 1: Using the @Mention Sticker

The sticker method is visually prominent and a clear call-out to other accounts.

1. Create Your Story: Open the Stories camera, then take a photo, record a video, or upload content from your camera roll.
2. Open the Sticker Tray: After creating your Story's background, tap the square smiley face sticker icon at the top of your screen.
3. Select the "@Mention" Sticker: Find and tap the sticker that says "@MENTION."
4. Search and Tag: A cursor will pop up. Start typing the username of the account you want to tag. A list of suggestions will appear underneath. Tap the correct one.
5. Customize the Sticker: Once an account is tagged, the sticker appears on your screen. You can tap the sticker to cycle through a few different styles and colors. You can also pinch to resize it or drag it anywhere on the screen.
6. Add More @Mention Stickers: To tag another person, simply go back to the sticker tray and add another @Mention sticker. Repeat the process for as many people as you need to tag (up to ten).

Method 2: Using the Regular Text Tool

If you prefer a more integrated look, you can tag people directly within your text overlays.

1. Get Your Story Ready: Create the photo or video you want to post to your Story.
2. Select the Text Tool: Tap the "Aa" icon at the top of the editing screen to open the text tool.
3. Type the Mention: Type the "@" symbol followed immediately by the username you want to tag. As you type, Instagram will suggest accounts at the bottom of the screen.
4. Select the Correct Account: Tap on the profile you want to tag from the list. Once selected, their username will become underlined in your text box, confirming the tag is active.
5. Add Multiple Accounts in One Go: You can continue typing and adding more @mentions within the same text box or create separate text boxes for each person. This gives you more creative control over placement, fonts, and colors.

How to Tag People in an Instagram Reel

Tagging is just as important in Reels to credit creators, feature partners, or include anyone involved in your content. Like feed posts, you can tag up to 20 accounts.

Tagging During the Upload Process

The easiest way to handle tags in Reels is on the final share screen before publishing.

1. Create Your Reel: Record your video clips, add audio, text, and effects as you normally would. Once you’re finished with the creative editing, tap "Next."
2. Go to the Share Screen: You’re now on the final screen where you write your Reel's caption and choose a cover image.
3. Access Tagging Options: Below the caption box, find and tap on the "Tag people" option.
4. Add Your Tags: This opens a new screen where you can start adding people. Tap the "+ Tag people" button, search for each username, and select them from the list. The accounts you’ve tagged will appear right there on the screen.

Understanding the Difference: Tag vs. Invite Collaborator

On this same screen, you'll see an "Invite collaborator" button. This is different from a simple tag:

• A Tag just notifies the person and adds the Reel to their profile's tagged tab.
• An Invite Collaborator sends a request for the other person to become a co-author of the Reel. If they accept, the Reel will appear on their profile grid as if they posted it themselves, and they will share analytics and credit with you. This is perfect for genuine partnerships and collaborations. You can only have one collaborator per Reel.

Mentioning Accounts in the Caption

Just like with a feed post, you can also tag people by typing "@username" directly into your Reel's caption. While this sends a notification, it's not the same as an official tag. It doesn't put the Reel on their "tagged" tab. For maximum effect, it's best to use the official "Tag people" feature and then mention them in the caption to give a visible shout-out.

Best Practices for Tagging on Instagram

Knowing how to tag is great, but knowing when and why is what separates a novice from a pro.

• Tag Only Relevant People: Never mass-tag popular accounts or celebrities in an attempt to get their attention. It comes off as spammy and can hurt your reputation. Only tag accounts that are featured in the content, were involved in creating it, or are genuinely relevant to what you’re posting.
• Get Permission for User-Generated Content (UGC): If a customer posts a great photo featuring your product, that's awesome! But before you repost it, always send them a direct message to ask for permission to use their content and tag them. It’s respectful and legally sound.
• Don't Clutter Your Visuals: When tagging multiple people in a feed post, try to spread the tags out over their specific locations in the photo. Stacking 20 tags in one tiny corner makes the post look messy when a user taps to see who is tagged.
• Remember That Not all Mentions are Tags: A simple @mention in a caption or comment sends a notification but doesn't have the same "tagging" functionality. An official tag is what adds content to someone else's profile. Use both where appropriate.
• Stay Ready to Engage: Tagging initiates a conversation. When the people you've tagged show up in the comments or share your post, be ready to respond quickly to keep the momentum going.

Final Thoughts

Tagging multiple people on Instagram - whether in a post, Story, or Reel - is a straightforward way to boost visibility, build relationships, and get your content in front of new audiences. By using the right tagging features for each format, you can connect with your community and collaborators effectively and give your content the networked push it needs to perform better.

While mastering tagging helps get more eyes on your content, managing all the engagement that comes from it can get busy quickly. This is where our platform, Postbase, comes in handy. We designed it to keep your social media streamlined, especially when you're managing content and conversations with partners or collaborators. With our unified inbox, you can see all your comments and DMs from tagged posts in one place, so you never miss an opportunity to engage. Our visual calendar also allows you to plan out collaborative posts in advance, taking the daily stress out of building a consistent, professional feed.