How to Tag Someone on LinkedIn

Tagging someone on LinkedIn is more than just a notification - it’s a powerful way to network, increase your content’s reach, and build professional relationships. This guide will walk you through exactly how to tag people and companies, the best practices to follow so you don't look spammy, and how to fix common issues when tagging isn't working as it should.

Why Tagging on LinkedIn is a Smart Move

Before getting into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." Understanding the strategy behind a simple @-mention can transform the way you use the platform. When you tag a person or a company, you’re not just linking to their profile, you’re activating a networking tool.

• It Boosts Your Reach Instantly: When you tag someone, your post doesn't just appear to your network, it also has a chance to appear in the feeds of the person you tagged. This simple action can exponentially increase the number of eyeballs on your content. If a respected industry leader engages with your tagged post, their endorsement introduces you to a whole new, relevant audience.
• It Acknowledges and Gives Credit: Proper networking is about building bridges, not just broadcasting messages. Tagging is the digital equivalent of a public shout-out. Did a colleague provide a great insight in a meeting? Did you get inspiration from someone's article? Tag them. It shows you value their contribution and that you're a team player, which goes a long way in building professional goodwill.
• It Sparks Conversation and Engagement: A tag is a direct invitation to join a conversation. The person you tagged gets a notification, making it far more likely they will see your post and engage with a comment or a share. This interaction signals to the LinkedIn algorithm that your content is valuable, pushing it out to even more people.
• It Strengthens Professional Relationships: Consistently and genuinely acknowledging others builds familiarity and strengthens your connections. It’s a low-effort, high-impact way to stay on someone’s radar. Sharing a company's recent achievement and tagging them reinforces your interest and support for their brand.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Tagging on LinkedIn

Tagging on LinkedIn is straightforward, but the process varies slightly depending on where you're doing it. Here’s a breakdown of how to tag in posts, comments, and media.

How to Tag People or Companies in a LinkedIn Post

This is the most common way you’ll use the tagging feature. You can do this when creating a new post from scratch or when sharing someone else's content with your own commentary.

1. Start by creating a new post. Click on "Start a post" at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. Write your update, question, or story. As you write, decide where you want to mention the person or company.
3. To initiate a tag, type the "@" symbol.
4. Immediately after the "@" symbol, begin typing the name of the person or company you want to tag. Don't press space.
5. A dropdown menu will appear with suggestions. The list automatically refines as you type more characters.
6. Find the correct person or company page in the list and click on their name to select them.
7. Once selected, their name will appear in blue within your post editor. This confirms the tag is active. You can then continue writing the rest of your post.

Example: "Had a fantastic discussion with @Jane-Doe from @AwesomeInc today about the future of digital marketing. Her insights on short-form video were game-changing!"

How to Tag Someone in a LinkedIn Comment

Bringing someone into an existing conversation is a great way to add value or get an expert’s opinion. The process is identical to tagging in a post.

1. Find the post you want to comment on.
2. Click the "Comment" button.
3. In the comment box, type your response. When you’re ready to tag someone, type the "@" symbol followed by their name.
4. Select the correct person or company from the dropdown menu that appears.
5. Finish your comment and click "Post." The tagged person will receive a notification that you've mentioned them in a comment.

This is perfect for saying something like, "Excellent point about analytics! @John-Smith, this reminds me of the client case you were just discussing."

How to Tag Someone in a Photo or Video

Sometimes you want to tag people who are physically in a picture or video. This attaches their profile directly to the media itself.

1. Start a new post and click the icon to add a photo or video.
2. After selecting and uploading your media, you'll see a preview of it in the post editor.
3. For photos, a "Tag" icon (often a person silhouette) will appear on the image. Click it.
4. Click on the face or area of the photo where the person is. A text box will pop up.
5. Start typing the person's name, then select them from the dropdown list. You can do this for multiple people in the same photo.
6. For videos, the process is similar. There's typically a button to "Tag" people below or on the side of the video preview.
7. Once you're done tagging, add your caption and publish the post. People tagged will get a notification.

The Dos and Don'ts of Tagging Etiquette

Tagging is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used skillfully or poorly. Following some simple etiquette preserves your reputation and makes your tags more effective.

The Dos:

• DO Tag with Relevance and Purpose: Only tag people who are genuinely connected to your post. This includes people you're quoting, collaborators on a project, attendees at an event you're discussing, or someone whose work inspired your thoughts. Relevance is everything. A relevant tag feels like a compliment, an irrelevant one feels like spam.
• DO Add Context: Don't just add a list of names. Explain why you are tagging them within the body of your text. Saying, "Great event organized by @AwesomeConf highlighting keynote speaker @JaneDoe" provides context and value for everyone reading. It’s far better than a generic post with a list of orphaned tags at the end.
• DO Double-Check the Name and Profile: Many people have similar names. Before finalizing your tag, take a second to make sure you’ve selected the right person. Clicking the wrong "John Smith" can be anywhere from slightly embarrassing to confusing. Hover over the name to check their headline or company affiliation.

The Don'ts:

• DON'T Spam-Tag for Visibility: This is the biggest mistake people make. Tagging a list of 20 industry leaders in an attempt to get their attention is transparent and often backfires. It annoys the people you tag (who may remove the tag or even disconnect from you) and signals to your network that you prioritize reach over genuine connection.
• DON'T Tag Someone to Ask for a Favor Publicly: Using a tag to say, "@InfluencerName, could you share my new article?" puts that person in an awkward position. They may not know you well, or they simply don't want to. Reserve requests like that for Direct Messages.
• DON'T Forget to Engage Back: If your tagging works and starts a conversation, be present to participate. If someone you tagged or one of their connections comments, responding quickly shows that your goal was genuine engagement, not just a cheap trick for more views.

Troubleshooting: "Why Can't I Tag Someone?"

Sometimes LinkedIn's tagging feature doesn't behave as expected. Here are a few common problems and their solutions.

Problem: The person's name isn’t appearing in the dropdown menu.

• They aren't in your Network: LinkedIn prioritizes your 1st-degree connections in the tag suggestions. If you're trying to tag someone you're not connected with, you might need to type their full name very specifically.
• You're Misspelling Their Name: Even a small typo can prevent the right profile from showing up. Double-check the spelling.
• They've Adjusted Their Privacy Settings: LinkedIn allows users to control whether others can mention or tag them. If someone has disabled this feature, you won't be able to find them. There's nothing you can do about this, so it's best to respect their choice.

Problem: The tag is plain black text, not a blue link.

• This usually means you typed out the person's name instead of selecting it from the dropdown menu. To fix it, simply edit your post, delete the plain text name, and add the name again using the "@" symbol, making sure to select them from the list.

Problem: I’m tagged in something and want to remove my tag.

• You have complete control over where you are tagged. If someone tagged you in content that isn't relevant, is spammy, or simply misrepresents you, you can remove it. Click the three dots at the top-right corner of the post where you are tagged and click "Remove tag."

Final Thoughts

When used thoughtfully, tagging people on LinkedIn is a key skill that drives reach, credits your network, and strengthens professional connections. Always focus on relevance and context to ensure your tags add value to the conversation for everyone involved.

After you’ve put in the work to create insightful content with your colleagues and partners, you want a reliable way to share it. Planning and scheduling your posts is critical. Tools like Postbase can help by allowing you to carefully schedule your tagged content when your audience is most active. A visual calendar helps you see everything at a glance, so you can focus on building relationships rather than just posting.