Yes, a Facebook Page can tag a person in a post. When a Page tags someone, it creates a link to their profile. The post with the tag may then appear on the tagged person’s timeline and in the News Feeds of their friends. Pages have the ability to tag any public profile on Facebook in their posts.
How Does Tagging Work on Facebook?
Tagging on Facebook creates a link to the profile of the person being tagged. When you tag someone, you type the @ symbol followed by their name. For example: @JohnSmith.
When you publish the post, the name will appear as a link. Clicking on the link goes to that person’s profile. Tagging only works if you use the person’s exact profile name.
Pages follow the same tagging functionality as regular user profiles. They can tag any public profile by typing the @ symbol and name. The tag will create a link to that user’s profile.
Who Can Be Tagged by a Page?
Facebook Pages can tag any public user profile on Facebook. This includes:
- Individual users
- Other Pages
- Public groups
- Public events
As long as the profile is public, a Page can tag it in a post. Tagging works on personal profiles, as well as other Pages representing businesses, brands, organizations and public figures.
Where Do Page Tags Appear?
When a Page tags someone, the tag can appear in several places:
- On the Page’s own timeline, in the post where the tagging occurred.
- On the tagged person’s timeline, in the Posts where they’re tagged section.
- In the News Feeds of the tagged person’s friends.
The post will show up on the Page’s own timeline as normal. But tagging someone also shares that post further. The tagged profile can then see the post on their own timeline.
In addition, the post may appear in the News Feed of the friends of the tagged person. However, it will only appear in friends’ feeds if their privacy settings allow for it.
Can You Tag a Person Without Their Consent?
Facebook requires consent from users before they can be tagged by Pages. This prevents unwanted tagging from bombarding someone’s profile and News Feed.
Once a Page tags someone, that user will receive a notification. They have the option to approve or ignore the tag. If they approve it, the post will share to their timeline as normal. If they ignore it, it will not appear on their profile or in their friends’ News Feeds.
The tag preview and approval step ensures that users have full control over their tagging experience. It provides consent before a Page can share posts further through tagging.
Why Would a Page Tag Someone?
Pages may tag users for several reasons, including:
- Tagging a friend or family member in a post they may find interesting or relevant.
- Tagging a public figure like a celebrity or politician to get additional attention.
- Tagging fans who engaged with a post like commenting or liking it.
- Tagging people featured in photos posted by the Page.
Tagging is a way for Pages to interact with individual users. It helps share posts further with relevant audiences. Pages can use it to increase their reach and engagement beyond just their own followers.
Do Tags Increase Reach for Pages?
Yes, tagging can help expand the reach of a Page’s post. There are a couple factors behind this:
- Shares the post to the tagged profile’s timeline – This exposes the post to that person’s followers and friends who visit their profile.
- Appears in News Feeds of the tagged person’s friends – Friends may see the post even if they don’t follow the Page.
Without tagging, a Page’s post would only appear to people who actively follow that Page. Tagging shares it to additional audiences beyond the Page’s own followers.
However, keep in mind that tagged users must approve the post before it will appear on their own timelines. And friends may not see it in their feeds depending on privacy settings.
Best Practices for Tagging Users
Here are some best practices for Pages when tagging users:
- Only tag users who are relevant to the post content.
- Tag users who you think will appreciate or benefit from the post.
- Ask for consent before tagging users, especially public figures.
- Tag users directly in the photo if they appear in the image.
- Thank users for engaging if you are tagging them for liking, commenting, etc.
Tagging should seem natural and add value for the users being tagged. Irrelevant tagging can come across as spammy. Make sure anyone you tag has a logical connection and interest in the post content.
Can You Turn Off Tagging Approvals?
Users have the ability to turn off tag review controls in their Facebook settings. This automatically approves any new tags without requiring approval.
However, this setting only applies to personal profiles. Page settings do not include the option to turn off tag approvals.
All tags from Pages must go through the standard review process. Users must actively approve each tag before it appears on their own profile or friends’ feeds.
These controls prevent Pages from spamming irrelevant tags or bombarding users with unwanted content.
Mistakes to Avoid When Tagging
Here are some common mistakes for Pages to avoid when tagging users:
- Tagging too many irrelevant people in a single post.
- Tagging someone who does not want to be associated with your content.
- Tagging a person without their permission.
- Tagging someone with a private or inactive account.
- Tagging a person who you don’t have any relationship with.
Avoid tagging people who won’t appreciate it or find it useful. Mass tagging many random users comes across as spam. Make sure anyone you tag is directly relevant to the post topic and will likely welcome the tag from your Page.
Can You Adjust Tagging Privileges?
Page admins can restrict which roles are allowed to tag people in posts. Under Page Settings, go to General and edit the option for “Tagging Ability.”
There are three choices:
- Admins Only: Only people assigned as Admins or Editors can tag.
- Admins and Mods: Admins, Editors, and Moderators can tag.
- All Managers: All privileged roles (Admin, Editor, Moderator, Advertiser, Analyst) can tag.
More restrictive settings prevent abuse of tagging privileges. But you may want to allow contributors like Moderators to engage fans through tagging.
Can You Tag in Comments?
In addition to posts, Pages can also tag users directly in comments:
- When commenting on their own Page’s posts, admins can tag profiles.
- When commenting on other Pages’ posts, admins can tag just like normal users.
- Tagged users must still approve the tag before it shares to their timeline.
Comment tagging functions the same as post tagging. The Page types @name to create a linked tag prompting the user to approve sharing the comment.
Pages should follow the same best practices when tagging in comments. Only tag users who are genuinely relevant to the conversation.
Do Tags in Photos Work Differently?
Tagging someone who appears in a photo functions a little differently than normal tagging. When you tag a person in a photo:
- The post won’t share to their timeline without additional approval.
- But it will tag them in the photo itself immediately.
- Friends viewing the photo will see the person tagged even without approval.
The photo tag creates an instant association without requiring the user’s consent. This allows Pages to properly tag people who appear in the image.
However, the post itself still needs approval to share beyond just the photo tag. Tag approvals prevent unwanted sharing of the entire post.
Can You Remove or Edit Tags?
Page admins can edit or delete tags from their posts after publishing:
- Go to the post and click the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select Edit Post to access the tag editing options.
- Delete tags completely or change them to something else.
Once a tag is removed, the post will no longer appear on the person’s profile or friends’ feeds. This allows Pages to clean up any tagging mistakes after the fact.
Do Tags Benefit the Tagged User?
Being tagged by a Page can provide some benefits for the user:
- Increased visibility and exposure from the Page’s audience.
- Association and endorsement from the Page depending on context.
- Highlighting their presence if they appear in tagged photos.
However, users should only approve tags that feel authentic, relevant and aligned with their personal brand. Avoid approving tags with content you don’t want association with.
The main benefit of tags for users is the ability to control and manage the experience. Social media tagging is opt-in rather than forced.
Conclusion
Facebook allows Pages to tag public user profiles in their posts and comments. The tagged users must first approve the tag before it shares to their timeline.
Tagging extends the reach of Page posts by sharing them to additional personal timelines. It provides another way for Pages to interact with their audience.
Pages should tag carefully and sparingly to avoid bombarding users. Only tag people who appreciate the context and bring natural value to the post content.