How to Tag Someone on an Instagram Story

Tagging someone on your Instagram Story is more than just a quick shout-out, it's a powerful tool for connection, collaboration, and boosting your visibility. Done right, a simple @mention can turn a passive viewer into an active participant and amplify your reach exponentially. This guide will walk you through exactly how to tag accounts in your Stories, the strategic reasons behind doing it, and what to do if you run into any trouble.

How to Tag Someone Using the @Mention Sticker

The most common and visually distinct way to tag an account on your Instagram Story is by using the dedicated @mention sticker. It's designed to be attention-grabbing and straightforward. Here's the step-by-step process.

Step 1: Create Your Story

Open the Instagram app and swipe right or tap the plus icon (+) at the top of your screen, then select "Story." You can either take a new photo or video, or swipe up to choose existing media from your camera roll. Once your background is ready, you can move on to adding the tag.

Step 2: Access the Sticker Tray

Tap the smiley face sticker icon at the top of the Story creation screen. This will open the sticker tray, where you'll find everything from GIFs and music to polls and questions.

Step 3: Select the @Mention Sticker

In the sticker tray, look for the sticker labeled "@MENTION". Tap it to add it to your Story. Occasionally, its position in the tray might change, but it's almost always visible near the top.

Step 4: Type the Username

A cursor will appear on the sticker. Start typing the username of the person or brand you want to tag. As you type, Instagram will show a list of suggested accounts at the bottom of the screen. Tap the correct account from this list to confirm your selection.

Pro Tip: Always double-check that you've selected the correct account, especially for users with similar names. Tagging a random account by mistake can be confusing for your viewers and the person you accidentally tagged.

Step 5: Customize and Place Your Sticker

Once you've selected the username, you can customize the tag. Here's what you can do:

• Resize: Use two fingers to pinch and zoom to make the sticker larger or smaller.
• Reposition: Tap and drag the sticker anywhere on the screen.
• Change Style: Tap the sticker itself to cycle through a few different color and style variations (e.g., solid, semi-transparent, rainbow). Find one that fits the aesthetic of your Story.

Step 6: Publish Your Story

When you're happy with how everything looks, tap "Your Story" in the bottom left corner to post it. All the accounts you've tagged will receive a notification and a direct message letting them know they've been mentioned, with an option to add your Story to their own.

An Alternative: Tagging with the Text Tool

If the sticker doesn't fit your vibe, you can also tag people using the regular text tool. This method offers more creative freedom with fonts and colors and can blend more seamlessly into your Story.

1. Open the Text Tool: On your Story creation screen, tap the "Aa" icon in the top right corner.
2. Type the "@" Symbol: Start by typing the "@" symbol. This tells Instagram you intend to mention an account.
3. Enter the Username: Just like with the sticker, begin typing the username. A list of suggested accounts will appear above your keyboard. It's important to select the correct account from this list to create an active, clickable tag. If you just type out their name without selecting it, it will only register as plain text, and they won't be notified.
4. Customize Your Text: After selecting the username, the tag will be underlined. Now, you can use all the text tool's features:
   • Cycle through different fonts at the bottom.
   • Tap the color wheel at the top to change the color.
   • Add a background highlight or a text animation effect.
5. Position and Post: Drag the text box wherever you want it, resize it, and share your Story. Functionally, it works exactly the same as the sticker - the tagged account will be notified and can reshare your post.

Strategy and Best Practices: Why Tagging Matters

Tagging isn't just a technical function, it's a core part of building community and engagement on Instagram. Using it strategically can significantly benefit your personal brand or business.

Building Relationships and Fostering Community

Tagging is the digital equivalent of a public acknowledgment. When you tag friends, collaborators, or customers, you're strengthening your relationship with them. It shows you appreciate their contribution, whether you're sharing a funny memory with a friend or highlighting user-generated content (UGC) from a happy customer. Each tag is a small form of connection that adds up over time.

Example: A coffee shop reposts a customer's photo of their latte art and tags the original poster. The customer feels seen and appreciated, strengthening their brand loyalty.

Increasing Reach Through Reshares

The single most powerful benefit of tagging is the ability for the tagged person to instantly reshare your Story to their own audience. When someone you tag hits the "Add to Your Story" button, your content is immediately exposed to all of their followers. If you tag an account with a larger following, this can generate instant visibility you wouldn't have had otherwise.

Example: A freelance graphic designer shares their new logo design for a local bakery and tags the bakery's account. The bakery reshares it, exposing the designer's work to hundreds of potential new clients in the local area.

Collaborating with Brands and Creators

For influencers, creators, and businesses, tagging is non-negotiable for partnerships. It's how you properly credit collaborators, fulfill brand partnership requirements (alongside the Paid Partnership label), and direct traffic between accounts. Tagging makes the partnership clear and directs your audience to check out the other account involved.

How to Hide a Tag: The "Ghost Tag" Technique

Sometimes you want the benefits of tagging (notifying the person, enabling reshares) without having an @mention sticker clutter up an otherwise clean and aesthetic Story. This is where "ghost tagging" or hiding your tags comes in handy.

Here's how to do it:

1. Add your tag using either the @mention sticker or the text tool.
2. Use two fingers to shrink it down as small as possible.
3. Drag the tiny sticker or text box off the visible canvas of the screen or hide it behind another element like a GIF or a larger sticker.

The tag will still be active, the person will get a notification, and they can reshare it - but it won't be visible to your viewers. Use this when you need to tag multiple accounts but want to maintain a clean visual look.

Troubleshooting Common Tagging Issues

What if you try to tag someone and it just… doesn't work? It happens. Here are some of the most common reasons why you might have trouble tagging an account and how to fix them.

You Can't Find the Person's Username

This is the most frequent issue. If a username isn't showing up as you type, it could be for a few reasons:

• You Spelled it Wrong: The easiest mistake to make. Double-check for extra underscores, periods, or swapped letters.
• They Changed Their Username: People update their handles, so if you haven't tagged them in a while, their name might be different. Check their profile to confirm.
• The Account Is Private: While you can typically tag private accounts you follow, there may be settings or glitches preventing it.
• They Blocked You: If another user has blocked you, you won't be able to find their account or tag them in anything.
• The Account Is Deactivated or Deleted: If the account no longer exists, you won't be able to mention it.

You've Hit the Tagging Limit

Instagram allows you to tag a maximum of 10 accounts per single Story. This includes both visible and hidden tags. If you need to tag more than 10 people, you'll have to create a separate Story slide.

App Glitch or Outdated Version

Sometimes, the app itself is the problem. If everything else seems right, try these basic tech support steps:

• Restart the App: Close the Instagram app completely and relaunch it. This simple step solves a surprising number of issues.
• Check for Updates: Head to the App Store or Google Play Store to see if there's a new version of Instagram available. Running an old version can cause features to malfunction.
• Clear the Cache: (For Android users) You can go into your phone's settings, find the Instagram app, and clear the cache to get rid of temporary files that might be causing a problem.

Final Thoughts

Tagging on Instagram Stories is a fundamental skill for anyone looking to grow their presence and build a community online. Mastering the basics of the @mention sticker and text tool is the first step, but understanding the strategy behind connecting with others is what unlocks real growth. It turns every Story from a monologue into a potential conversation, opening the door for collaboration and wider reach.

Keeping an eye on all those tags, waiting for the reshares, and managing the resulting DMs can become a job in itself, especially when you're handling multiple brands or have a high volume of content to track. At Postbase, we designed our platform specifically for the modern social media landscape where visuals and engagement are everything. By using our unified inbox to manage all your comments and DMs you can streamline those conversations, making sure an important interaction never gets lost in the shuffle as your brand continues to grow.