How to Tag Someone on Facebook (Posts, Comments and Photos)

Tagging is how you bring a person into a conversation on Facebook. It turns their name into a link to their profile and lets them know you've included them. I use it all the time to thank a client in public, credit a speaker after an event or point a friend towards something they'll enjoy. It's simple once you know where the tag option lives in posts, comments and photos, and it's worth knowing what a tag does to who can see your post.

The steps below follow Facebook's Help Centre articles on tagging and mentions. Facebook's help pages don't load in full outside the app, so I've worked from summaries of those articles. Menus vary by app version, so a button on your screen might be worded slightly differently.

Tag someone in a new Facebook post

1. Open Facebook and tap What's on your mind at the top of your feed or profile.
2. Write your post. Wherever you want the person's name, type @ and start typing their name.
3. Pick the right person from the suggestions that appear. Their name turns into a link.
4. Alternatively, look for the Tag people option (a small person icon) on the create post screen and choose names from the list.
5. Check your audience setting and tap Post.

On a computer it works the same way: click into the create post box, type @ followed by the name and select the profile from the drop-down list.

Tag a friend in a Facebook comment

Comments are where most tagging happens, usually as "look at this" between friends.

1. Tap Comment under the post.
2. Type @ and begin typing the person's name.
3. Choose them from the drop-down list.
4. Finish your comment and send it.

If the suggestion list doesn't show the person you want, keep typing their full name. Facebook's suggestions lean towards your friends and people you interact with, so someone you're not connected to may not appear.

Tag people in a Facebook photo

According to Facebook's help article called Tag people or Pages in photos on Facebook, you can tag people when you share a photo or afterwards.

Before you post the photo

1. Start a photo post and add your picture.
2. Open the photo editing options and choose the tag option.
3. Tap or click on the person in the picture.
4. Type their name and select it when it appears.
5. Save, finish your post, choose an audience and share it.

On a photo that's already posted

1. Open the photo.
2. Click or tap Tag.
3. Click on the person in the photo, type their name and select it.
4. Click Done tagging.

Facebook's help page says you can tag up to 50 people or Pages in a single photo, which is plenty for a team shot or a workshop group picture.

What a Facebook tag does to your post's audience

This is the part people don't expect. Facebook's help pages explain that:

• The person you tag is notified.
• Their name links to their profile.
• Your post may become visible to the audience you chose plus the tagged person's friends, depending on settings.
• Some people review tags before they appear on their profile, so your tag might need their approval.

So if you've shared something with Friends only and you tag someone with a large friends list, more people may see it than you planned. Check the audience before you tag on anything personal.

Tagging versus mentioning someone on Facebook

What you do	Where	What it does
Type @ and a name	Posts and comments	Mentions the person or Page and notifies them
Use Tag people	New posts	Adds them as people you're with
Tag in a photo	Photos	Labels the person in the picture
Use @everyone	Some groups, admins and moderators	Notifies the group's members at once

In everyday use the words overlap, and Facebook's own help pages use both. Tagging groups is a slightly different job, so I've written a separate guide on how to tag a group on Facebook.

Tagging people from a Facebook business Page

If you run a Page, tagging a customer, partner or venue is a lovely way to say thank you in public. Keep a few habits in mind:

• Ask before you tag a customer. Not everyone wants their name next to a business, even a business they like.
• Tag the business Page rather than a person's private profile when you're crediting a company.
• Don't tag people just to reach their friends. It feels like spam and people will untag themselves.
• If you're reposting someone's content, a tag is good manners. My guide to sharing a post on Facebook covers how credit works when you share.

If you can't tag someone on Facebook

• They may have changed their settings so tags need approval, so the tag might not show until they say yes.
• You may not be connected, and some people only allow tags from friends.
• They may have blocked you, or you may have blocked them.
• The app could be out of date. Update it and try again.
• For Pages, the Page's own settings can stop others from tagging it.

Removing a Facebook tag you didn't want

If someone tags you in something you'd rather not be linked to, you can usually open the post's three dots menu and choose the option to remove the tag. The post stays up, but your name is no longer linked. Menus vary by app version, so look for wording like Remove tag. If someone keeps tagging you after you've asked them to stop, my guide on blocking someone on Facebook explains how to stop them reaching you at all.

Frequently asked questions

Does Facebook tell someone when you tag them?

Yes. Facebook's help pages say the person you tag is notified.

How many people can I tag in a Facebook photo?

Facebook's help page says you can tag up to 50 people or Pages in one photo.

Why can't I tag a friend on Facebook?

It's usually their settings. They might review tags first, limit who can tag them, or you may have blocked each other. An old app version can also cause it.

Can I tag someone who isn't my friend on Facebook?

Sometimes. You can mention people and Pages you're not friends with in some cases, but their settings may stop the tag or send it for review.

Can I remove a tag from my own post?

Yes. Edit the post and delete the tagged name, or edit the photo and remove the tag. Menus vary by app version.