How to Tag Someone on an Instagram Video

Trying to tag a friend, brand, or collaborator in your latest Instagram video? It's one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your video's reach, give credit where it’s due, and build a stronger community. This guide will walk you through exactly how to tag people in your Instagram videos, from Reels and feed posts to Stories, both before and after you publish them.

Why Tagging on Instagram Videos is a Smart Move

Before getting into the step-by-step instructions, it helps to understand why tagging is so valuable. It’s not just about letting a friend know you posted a video of them. Tagging is a strategic tool for growth and engagement.

• Increases Visibility and Reach: When you tag an account, that user gets a push notification. This simple alert often encourages them to view, like, comment on, or even share your video. If they have a large following, a reshare can put your content in front of thousands of new eyes.
• Builds Community and Relationships: Tagging creators, collaborators, or brands is a way of publicly acknowledging their contribution. It’s a networking tool that strengthens relationships and makes people feel seen and appreciated, which is the foundation of organic social media growth.
• Shows Up in Their "Tagged" Tab: When you officially tag someone on a feed video or Reel, your content appears on their profile under the "Tagged Posts" tab. This acts like a mini-portfolio of user-generated content for them and an extra discovery channel for you.

In short, a tag is an invitation to engage. It opens a door for connection and collaboration, turning a simple video post into a conversation starter.

The Main Event: How to Tag Someone Before You Post

The best and most effective time to tag someone is during the upload process, right before you hit "Share." This method works for both feed videos and Reels and ensures the person you tag gets an immediate notification.

Step-by-Step Guide for Tagging in Reels and Feed Videos

The process is nearly identical whether you're uploading a standard in-feed video or a Reel. Once you've filmed or selected your video and added any music, effects, or text, you'll reach the final pre-publishing screen.

1. Create Your Post: Go through the usual steps of creating your Instagram video. Select your clip, make your edits, and trim it to your desired length. Hit “Next” when you’re happy with the visuals.
2. Navigate to the "Share" Screen: This is the final screen where you write your caption, add a location, and configure your post’s settings before it goes live.
3. Select "Tag People": Look for the option labeled "Tag People." It's usually located right below the caption field, often next to "Add Location." Tap on it.
4. Tap to Tag on the Video: A preview of your video’s cover image will appear. Simply tap anywhere on the image where you’d like the tag to appear. This is especially useful if you want to tag a person in the exact spot they appear in the video, or tag a brand on the specific product they made.
5. Search and Select the User: A search bar will pop up. Start typing the username of the person or brand you want to tag. Instagram will populate a list of suggestions. Tap on the correct account from the list.
6. Reposition the Tag (Optional): Once you select an account, a black or white tag with their username will appear on your video preview. You can drag and drop this tag to a different position if you’d like. You can tag up to 20 accounts in a single post.
7. Confirm Your Tags: After you’ve added all your tags, tap "Done" in the top right corner. You’ll be returned to the share screen, where you should now see the number of people tagged listed next to the "Tag People" option.
8. Hit "Share": Once your caption is perfect and your tags are in place, hit the blue "Share" button. Your video is now live, and everyone you tagged will receive a notification.

The Two-for-One Trick: Using "Invite Collaborator"

If you're creating content with another person or brand, a simple tag isn't enough. You should use the "Invite Collaborator" feature. This is a game-changer for reach.

A collaboration post appears on the profile feed of both accounts, shares the same like and comment count, and reaches both of your audiences simultaneously.

How to Use It:

• Follow the exact same steps above until you reach the "Tag People" screen.
• Instead of tapping on the video, you’ll see an option labeled "Invite Collaborator." Tap it.
• Search for the account you partnered with and select their username.
• When you publish the video, they will receive a notification inviting them to be a collaborator. Once they accept, the post will appear on their profile grid as if they posted it themselves.

This is the standard practice for influencers, brand partners, and any creative joint ventures. It's the most effective way to share audiences and grow together.

Oops, I forgot! How to Tag Someone in a Video After It's Posted

We've all been there. You spend ages perfecting a video, write a killer caption, press "Share," and then realize you forgot to tag a key person. Don't worry, you can easily add tags to an existing video post.

1. Go to Your Video: Find the video post on your profile grid that you want to edit.
2. Open the Edit Menu: Tap the three-dot icon (...) in the top-right corner of your post.
3. Select "Edit": A menu will appear. Choose the "Edit" option.
4. Find "Tag People": On the editing screen, you’ll see a thumbnail of your video. In the bottom-left corner of the thumbnail, you'll find an icon of a person with "Tag People" written next to it. Tap it.
5. Add Your Tags: Just like before, you can now tap anywhere on the video, search for the user, and add the tag.
6. Tap "Done": Once you’ve added the desired tags, hit "Done" to save your changes.

Important note: When you add a tag to a video after it's published, the tagged user won't receive a push notification. However, the video will still appear in the "Tagged Posts" section of their profile, so they will eventually see it.

Tagging Strategy: On the Video vs. In the Caption

You can tag people in two primary ways: by tagging them on the video itself or by mentioning them in the caption using the "@" symbol. They serve slightly different purposes, and for maximum effect, you should often do both.

Tagging Directly on the Video: The "Official" Tag

• What it does: Adds the video to the person's "Tagged Posts" tab on their profile. Sends them a notification.
• Best for: People who are in the video, brands whose products are featured, and collaborators. This is considered the primary, formal way to tag.

Tagging in the Caption (@mention): The "Shout-out"

• What it does: Creates a clickable link to their profile within your caption. It also sends them a notification. It does not add the post to their tagged tab.
• Best for: Giving a casual shout-out, citing a source of inspiration, or referencing another user who isn't directly involved but whose audience might appreciate the content.

The Pro Strategy: If someone is critically important to your video (like a collaborator or the main subject), do both. Tag them directly on the video so it appears on their profile, and also @mention them in the caption to make it easy for your own followers to check out their account.

Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Tag Someone?

Sometimes, Instagram won't let you tag a specific account. This usually comes down to one of a few common issues:

• Privacy Settings: The user may have adjusted their privacy settings to limit who can tag them. Many people only allow tags from people they follow.
• You've Been Blocked: If someone has blocked you, you won't be able to find their username to tag them (and you won’t be able to see their profile at all).
• It's a Private Account: You can tag private accounts, but they have to manually approve the tag before the post appears in their tagged section.
• A Simple Typo: The most frequent reason. Double-check that username for any small spelling errors. A single wrong letter or extra underscore will prevent you from finding the right account.

Final Thoughts

Tagging on Instagram videos, whether it's through a direct tag, a collaborator invite, or a caption mention, is a fundamental skill for anyone looking to grow on the platform. Mastering these simple steps turns your video content into a tool for building relationships and reaching new audiences far beyond your own followers.

Planning and crafting brilliant video content is just one part of the social media puzzle. Here at Postbase, we built our platform to handle the other side: scheduling that content reliably and intuitively. We designed our tool for today's social reality, focusing on making video publishing for Reels and TikToks seamless, because you shouldn't have to guess if your perfectly edited and tagged video will actually go live on time. With a clean visual calendar to see your entire strategy at a glance, our goal is to help you get your content organized and out in the world without the typical chaos and frustration.