How to Tag Someone in a Reel on Facebook

Tagging someone in a Facebook Reel is one of the fastest ways to boost your video’s reach and build community, but the process has a few simple rules you need to follow. This guide won't just show you where to click - it’ll walk you through exactly how to tag people before you post, what to do if you forget and need to add a tag later, and the best strategies for using tags to grow your audience. We'll cover everything from simple mentions to smart collaboration tactics.

Why Tagging in Your Facebook Reels is More Than Just a Mention

Before we jump into the "how-to," let's quickly cover the "why." Understanding the benefits of tagging will change how you approach your content strategy. Tagging isn't just about giving a shout-out - it's a powerful tool with tangible marketing benefits.

• Expanded Reach: When you tag a friend, collaborator, or brand, your Reel has the chance to be seen by their audience, not just yours. Their followers might see the tagged content, instantly putting your video in front of a new, targeted group of people.
• Increased Engagement: Tagged individuals receive a notification, prompting them to check out your Reel. This often leads to an immediate like, comment, or share, which signals to the Facebook algorithm that your content is engaging and worth showing to more people.
• Building Community and Relationships: Tagging is a social act. It acknowledges others, gives credit where it's due, and makes people feel included. For brands, it's an easy way to spotlight user-generated content (UGC), celebrate loyal customers, or build rapport with influencers and other businesses.
• Strengthening Collaborations: If you worked with someone on a Reel - a fellow creator, a client, or a featured friend - tagging them formalizes the collaboration. It lets everyone know who was involved and directs traffic back to their profile, fostering goodwill for future projects.

In short, a simple tag can amplify your content, spark conversations, and build stronger connections with your audience and peers. It’s a small step that delivers significant results.

How to Tag Someone Before You Post Your Facebook Reel: A Step-by-Step Guide

The best and most effective time to tag someone is during the creation process before your Reel goes live. This ensures the tag is properly embedded in the post and that the person receives an official notification. Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Create or Upload Your Reel

Start the process like you normally would. Open your Facebook app, tap the “+” icon to create a post, and select "Reel." You can either record a new video directly in the app or upload a pre-made video from your phone's camera roll. Go ahead and add your music, text overlays, effects, and any other creative touches you want.

Step 2: Navigate to the Final "Share" Screen

Once you’ve finished editing your video clips and are happy with how your Reel looks and sounds, tap "Next." This will take you to the final screen where you set everything up before posting. This is where all the tagging magic happens.

Step 3: Write Your Caption and Tag Using the "@" Symbol

This is the most common method of tagging someone. In the "Describe your reel..." field where you write your caption, simply type the "@" symbol followed immediately by the name or username of the person or Page you want to tag. For example, "Such a fun day filming with @JohnSmith."

As you type, a drop-down list of suggestions will appear. It's important to select the correct profile from this list. If you just type out their name without selecting it, the tag won't be a clickable link, and they won't receive a notification. Keep typing letters until the right account pops up, then tap it to confirm the tag.

Step 4: Use the Official "Tag People" Feature for a Direct Tag

Separate from the caption mention, Facebook offers a dedicated feature for tagging. This is a cleaner, more official way to associate other accounts with your Reel, similar to how photo tagging works.

• On the same "Share" screen, look for an option that says “Tag people.” It’s usually accompanied by an icon of a person with a tag.
• Tap on it. A new screen will appear where you can search for and select the friends or Pages you want to tag. Just tap on the accounts to add them to your Reel.
• If you’re working with another creator on a branded content partnership, you may also see an option to “Tag a business partner.” This is used for more formal, monetized collaborations.

Why use both methods?

Tagging in the caption with "@" mentioning is great for conversational context, making the tag part of your story. Using the "Tag people" feature adds a more direct, structured tag to the post. For maximum visibility and a higher chance of your collaborators seeing the post, it's a good practice to do both.

Step 5: Review Your Settings and Share

Before hitting that big blue "Share now" button, do a final check. Make sure your tags are correct and your audience settings (Public, Friends, etc.) are what you want. Once you're ready, publish your Reel. The people you tagged will receive a notification that you mentioned them or tagged them in a video.

What If I Forgot? How to Tag Someone in a Reel After Posting

This is one of the most common frustrations on social media. You spend all this time creating the perfect Reel, happily post it, and then realize you forgot to tag a key person. Unfortunately, Facebook’s functionality here is limited.

As of now, you cannot go back and use the official "Tag people" feature on a Reel that has already been published. That function is only available during the creation process.

But don't worry, you still have some effective workarounds.

Method 1: Edit the Caption to Add an "@" Mention

This is your best bet. You can always edit the caption of a Facebook Reel after it’s live. By adding an @mention, you can still link to the person's profile and, in most cases, send them a notification.

1. Find your Reel on your profile or feed.
2. Tap the three dots (⋮) icon on the side of the Reel to open the menu.
3. Select "Edit reel."
4. In the caption text box, type "@" followed by the person's username, just like you would during creation. Select their profile from the pop-up list to create the clickable tag.
5. Save your changes. The person will now be tagged in your caption.

While not a "native" tag, this serves the primary purpose of connecting them to the post and letting them know they were featured.

Method 2: Tag Them in a Comment

If for some reason you don’t want to alter your original caption, the next best thing is to tag them in the comments section. This is a highly effective way to get their attention.

• Go to the comments section of your own Reel.
• Write a comment and, using the "@" symbol, tag the person you forgot. For example: "Hey, @JohnSmith, here's that video from our project!"
• The person you tag will receive a clear notification that you've mentioned them in a comment on your post. This often feels even more personal and can be a great way to start a conversation in the comments, boosting your Reel's engagement even further.

Advanced Tagging Strategies for Marketers and Creators

Now that you've mastered the basics, let's look at how to use tagging strategically to build your brand and audience.

1. Understand the "Invite collaborator" Feature

For high-level collaborations, you may see an "Invite collaborator" option alongside "Tag people." This is different from a simple tag. When you invite a collaborator and they accept, the Reel appears on both of your profiles. This is a huge advantage, as you're directly sharing audiences and combining the post's total likes, comments, and views. Use this for joint ventures, co-hosted content, and sponsored posts to maximize exposure for everyone involved.

2. The Right Way to Tag Brands and Influencers

Don't just tag big accounts randomly hoping they'll notice you. Use strategic tagging that feels authentic and provides value.

• Tag Products You Genuinely Use: If you're wearing an outfit from a specific brand or using a piece of software, tag them! Brands are always looking for organic UGC and might share your Reel to their own Stories or feed.
• Tag Locations: If your Reel was filmed at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or business, tag their Facebook Page. It helps others discover the place and gives the business free, authentic promotion they'll likely appreciate and engage with.
• Make It Relevant: Ensure the tag makes sense in the context of the video. Randomly tagging a celebrity in a video about your pet will just look like spam.

3. Drive User-Generated Content (UGC) with a Tagging Campaign

Encourage your audience to become part of your brand story. Create a campaign where you ask followers to create their own Reels featuring your product or service and tag your page. You can offer a prize for the best one or simply promise to feature your favorites. This not only generates a ton of social proof but also supplies you with a stream of authentic content you can reshare (after asking for permission, of course).

4. Check Your Privacy Settings

Remember that tagging is a two-way street. Your ability to tag someone, and their ability to be notified, depends on your and their privacy settings. If someone has enabled tag reviews on their profile, they will have to manually approve the tag before it appears on their timeline. If you’re trying to tag someone who has a private or restricted profile, you might not be able to find them in the search results at all.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to effectively tag someone in a Facebook Reel is a fundamental skill for anyone looking to increase engagement and visibility. The best practice is always to tag accounts during the creation process using both an @mention in the caption and the official "Tag people" feature. If you forget, editing the caption or adding a tag in the comments provides a simple yet effective solution.

Juggling all these small but important details - like tagging, captions, and scheduling - can become overwhelming, especially when you're creating Reels, Shorts, and TikToks. At Postbase, we designed our platform to make managing your social content, especially short-form video, feel simple and streamlined. Because we believe your time is better spent creating great content, not getting lost in the chaos of platform-specific quirks, we built our tools to handle the scheduling and engagement workflows for you, giving you one central place to manage everything.