How to Tag Someone on YouTube (Comments, Titles and Descriptions)

YouTube doesn't have a tag button like Instagram or Facebook. Tagging works through handles, the short @names every channel has, and the mention feature that turns them into links. Here's how it works in each place, plus the parts of YouTube's own help pages that surprise most creators.

Tag someone in a YouTube comment

Handles show up in comments, mentions, Live Chat and Shorts, according to YouTube's help page on handles. To mention someone in a comment:

1. Open the video and tap or click in the comment box.
2. Type @ followed by the first letters of their handle.
3. Pick the right channel from the suggestions so the handle becomes a link.
4. Finish your comment and post it.

Replies work the same way. When you reply to a comment, YouTube adds the person's handle for you, which is handy in busy threads. I've covered the rest of that in how to reply to a comment on YouTube.

Tag a channel in your video title or description

Creators can mention other channels when they upload or edit a video. YouTube's help centre gives these steps:

1. Open the title or description box while creating or editing your video.
2. Type the @ symbol followed by a channel name or handle.
3. Choose the channel name or handle from the recommended list.
4. Save or publish the video as normal.

You can mention as many creators as you like, as long as their names fit within the character limit for the title or description.

Will the person know you tagged them?

Usually, but not always. YouTube says the channel you mention gets a notification in their inbox, yet not every mention triggers one. It sends notifications for the important ones, giving the example of a creator with a similar number of subscribers mentioning you.

Here's the line in YouTube's help that most people miss: mentioning a channel in your video doesn't increase the likelihood of your video appearing to that channel's fans. Tagging a big creator won't borrow their audience. If you want shared reach, Collaborations (below) is the feature built for it.

Where to find the times you've been tagged

If you run a channel, YouTube Studio keeps your mentions in one place:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Select Comments from the left menu.
3. Open the Mentions tab.

It's worth checking now and then. A mention from a channel your size is a natural opening to say thank you or suggest working together.

How to stop people tagging you on YouTube

YouTube lets you switch mentions off. Sign in, click your profile picture, go to Settings, then Privacy, and turn off Allow users to mention me. That stops people mentioning your channel, so think about whether you'd lose useful notifications from fans and collaborators before you do it.

Tagging vs Collaborations: which one you need

	@mention (tag)	Collaborations
Where it shows	As a linked handle in a comment, title or description	Each collaborator's name and a subscribe button on the video
How many people	As many as fit in the character limit	Up to 10 creators
Needs their approval	No	Yes, they must accept your invitation
Helps reach their audience	YouTube says no	YouTube says it aims to recommend the video to both audiences
Works on	Comments, titles, descriptions	Long videos, Shorts and archived live streams, not active live streams

To invite a collaborator, YouTube's help centre says to open the upload in YouTube Studio, go to the Details section, click Show more under Audience, then click Invite a collaborator under Collaboration. One thing to agree first: the channel that posts the video keeps the earned revenue, and YouTube doesn't split it between collaborators.

For branded content the process is different again. YouTube says to select paid promotion when you upload or edit, then select your brand partner's channel, which links the video to the brand's Google Ads account.

Posts on a channel's Community tab have their own eligibility rules, set out in how YouTube communities work.

Getting your own handle right

People can only tag you easily if your handle is easy to type. YouTube's rules say a handle is 3 to 30 characters for most languages, isn't case-sensitive, and can include underscores, hyphens and full stops, but not at the start or end. If yours is a jumble of numbers, my guide to changing your YouTube handle shows how to fix it.

My verdict

Use @mentions to credit people, say thanks or start a conversation, because that's what they're good at. Don't tag big channels hoping for their viewers: YouTube says plainly that it won't help. If you're making a video with someone, use Collaborations so both names and subscribe buttons appear, and agree on revenue first, since it all goes to the posting channel. And if you'd rather talk privately, see how to message someone on YouTube.

This guide is part of my YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do you tag someone in a YouTube comment?

Type the @ symbol followed by their handle, choose their channel from the suggestions, then post your comment. Their handle becomes a link to their channel.

Can you tag someone in a YouTube video?

You can mention them in the video title or description by typing @ and their channel name or handle. To show them as a co-creator on the video itself, invite them with Collaborations in YouTube Studio.

Does YouTube notify people when you tag them?

Often, but not always. YouTube says not every mention triggers a notification, only important ones, such as a mention from a creator with a similar number of subscribers.

How do I stop people from tagging me on YouTube?

Click your profile picture, go to Settings, then Privacy, and turn off Allow users to mention me.