Tagging someone in a Facebook post allows you to link that person’s profile to your post so that they receive a notification about it. When you tag someone, their name appears highlighted in blue and links to their profile page. Tagging is a handy way to make sure your friends, family, or any connections on Facebook see the posts you’d like them to see.
There are a couple different ways to tag someone on Facebook, whether you’re creating a new post or commenting on an existing post. The steps are very easy and only take a few clicks. Read on for step-by-step instructions on the different ways to tag people on Facebook.
Ways to Tag Someone on Facebook
There are three main ways to tag someone in a Facebook post:
Tag in a New Post
When you create a brand new post in your News Feed, you can type the ‘@’ symbol anywhere in the post followed immediately by the person’s name. A dropdown will appear showing you name matches to select from.
Tag in a Comment
You can also tag someone in a comment on your or someone else’s post. Just use the ‘@’ symbol in your comment and start typing out their name, then select them from the dropdown.
Tag in a Photo
When uploading a new photo to Facebook, you’re given the option to tag people who appear in the photo. Simply click “Tag Photo” below your photo and select the person by clicking on their face.
Now let’s go through each of these tagging methods in more detail, with steps and screenshots to walk you through the process.
How to Tag Someone in a New Facebook Post
Here is how to tag someone when you create a brand new post in your News Feed:
| Step | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| 1. Click in the box at the top of your News Feed that says “What’s on your mind?” This will allow you to create a new post. | |
| 2. As you type your post, insert the ‘@’ symbol anywhere in the text followed immediately by the first few letters of the person’s name. A dropdown menu will appear with name matches. | |
| 3. Select the correct name from the dropdown menu. Their name will now appear highlighted in blue and linked to their profile. | |
| 4. Add any additional text to your post as you normally would. When finished, click “Post” as usual to share publicly. |
And that’s it! The tagged person will receive a notification letting them know you mentioned them in a post.
How to Tag Someone in a Facebook Comment
You can also tag people in comments on Facebook:
| Step | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| 1. Navigate to the Facebook post you want to comment on and click in the “Write a comment…” box. | |
| 2. Type ‘@’ and start entering the person’s name just like in a regular post. Select their name when it pops up. | |
| 3. Finish your comment as normal and click “Comment” to post publicly. |
The tagged person will get notified of your comment, even if they aren’t already involved in that post’s comment thread.
How to Tag Someone in a Facebook Photo
When uploading photos to Facebook, you can tag people who appear in the picture:
| Step | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| 1. Click “Photo/Video” when creating a new Facebook post. Select the photo you want to upload. | |
| 2. After your photo uploads, click “Tag Photo” below the image. | |
| 3. Click on the face of the person you want to tag. A box will appear over their face. Type their name and select the correct match. | |
| 4. Repeat Step 3 to keep tagging people. When done, click “Back to Post” and share normally. |
Photo tagging is useful for photos from events or group hangouts where you want everyone to receive a notification. The tagged person’s name will appear over their face, linked to their profile.
Tips for Tagging People on Facebook
Here are some useful tips to keep in mind when tagging people in your Facebook posts:
- Type ‘@’ followed immediately by the person’s name. Don’t put a space or their name may not show up in the dropdown.
- You’ll need to be Facebook friends with someone in order to tag them in a post or photo.
- Each tag in a post will notify the person, so avoid tagging excessively.
- For common names, make sure you select the correct person from the dropdown results.
- Double check your tags before publishing so you don’t tag the wrong person.
- You can remove tags from your posts by clicking the ‘X’ next to their name.
- Remember that tagged posts may show up on the person’s Timeline depending on their settings.
Following these tips will ensure your Facebook tags are accurate and appropriate for whoever you’re mentioning.
Why Tag People on Facebook?
Here are some of the main reasons you may want to tag someone on Facebook:
- Get their attention – A tag notification makes it more likely they will notice your post.
- Give them credit – Tag them in a post about an event where they helped out or participated.
- Keep them in the loop – Let them know about something they might find interesting.
- Invite them to view/join – Add them to a post about a social event or group.
- Share something about them – Tagged posts involving someone may appear on their Timeline.
- Share a photo – Easily share group photos by tagging everyone.
Think about your intentions before tagging someone to make sure it will be received well. The tag notification can feel disruptive if it’s not relevant.
What Happens When You Tag Someone?
Here’s a quick rundown of what happens when you tag someone in a Facebook post:
- They will receive a notification saying they were tagged.
- Their name will appear highlighted in blue in your post.
- The post may also show up on their Timeline depending on their settings.
- Any tagged photos may appear in their photo grid.
- The tag notification shows a preview of your post.
- They can remove the tag if they want but your post will remain.
In essence, tagging makes your post pop up all over someone’s Facebook feed! It’s an easy way to grab their attention.
Can Someone Untag Themselves?
Yes, a tagged person can choose to untag themselves:
- They can untag directly from the notification by clicking “Remove Tag.”
- Or they can go to your post and hover over their tagged name, then select “Remove Tag.”
- This removes their name as tagged but your post will still remain.
- The only exception is if they untag from a featured photo, which removes it from their Timeline.
So feel free to tag people, knowing they can always untag later if they want. No harm done!
Can You Tag Someone Who Isn’t Your Facebook Friend?
No, you can only tag people on Facebook who you are already friends with. If you try to tag someone you’re not connected to, their name will not show up as an option in the tagging dropdown menu.
This prevents random tagging between strangers and helps keep Facebook tagging within networks of friends. However, you can still mention someone in a post even if you’re not friends. Their name will just appear normal without tagging.
Can You Tag a Facebook Page or Group?
Yes! Facebook lets you tag pages and groups the same way you tag individual people. This can be handy for getting the attention of brands, organizations, local businesses, or Facebook groups.
To tag a page or group, simply type ‘@’ followed by their name just like with a personal profile. The page name should pop up for you to select it.
Tagging pages is a nice way to give public praise or feedback to an organization. The page will get notified of your post so they can respond or interact.
Can You Tag Someone in a Private Message?
No, Facebook doesn’t allow you to tag user profiles in private messages. The tagging feature only works on posts in your News Feed that are visible to your wider friend network.
In Messenger, you can mention someone in the message text, but their name won’t appear as a tag. There’s no need to tag people in private chats since you are already directly messaging them.
Can You Tag in Facebook Live Videos?
Yes! Facebook Live allows you to tag people in your live broadcast by typing @ followed by their name, just like a regular post. Viewers will see the tagged names pop up live in the video stream.
Tagging someone in a Facebook Live video sends them a notification that they were mentioned in your broadcast. They can then tune into your live video to engage with the real-time conversation.
Can You Tag in Facebook Stories?
Facebook Stories do not have a dedicated tagging feature, but you can still mention people using the ‘@’ symbol when adding text to your Story. This functions the same as tagging in a post.
When you type @ and add someone’s name, it will show up highlighted in your Story text. This can notify people that you mentioned them in your Story.
However, there is no way to tag someone’s face the way you can in a standard photo post. Tagging only works in text-based Stories.
Conclusion
Tagging people is an easy way to involve your friends, family, and other connections on Facebook. Now that you know how to tag someone in posts, comments, and photos, you can start improving your engagement!
Use Facebook tags mindfully and intentionally to get people’s attention on things you’d like them to see. With just the ‘@’ symbol and a name, you can reach the right folks with your posts.