Facebook Mentions and Tags: The Complete 2026 Guide for Businesses

Mentions and tags are Facebook's built-in way to boost reach. Tag someone and they get notified—your content can appear on their timeline.

Used strategically, mentions expand reach exponentially. Used wrong, you get unfollowed or flagged.

Skip to: Business Uses | Best Practices | Troubleshooting

Mentions vs. Tags: What's the Difference?

Mentions: @SocialRails in post text Tags: Selecting "SocialRails" when uploading a photo

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How to Mention Someone on Facebook

In a Post

1. Create a new post
2. Type @ followed by the name/page name
3. Select from dropdown suggestions
4. Their name becomes clickable link

Works for:

• Personal profiles (if settings allow)
• Facebook Pages
• Groups (within that group)

In a Comment

1. Type @ in the comment field
2. Start typing the name
3. Select from dropdown
4. Complete your comment

On Mobile

Same process—type @ and the name. Facebook auto-suggests based on:

• Your friends
• Pages you follow
• Recent interactions

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How to Tag Someone in Photos

When Uploading

1. Upload photo to your post
2. Click "Tag Photo" or the tag icon
3. Click on the person in the photo
4. Type their name
5. Select from suggestions
6. Save tags

On Existing Photos

1. Open the photo
2. Click "Tag Photo"
3. Click where the person is
4. Search and select their name
5. Done

Who Can Be Tagged

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Mention and Tag Settings

For Personal Profiles

Control who can tag and mention you:

1. Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings
2. Click "Profile and tagging"
3. Adjust these options:
   • Who can post on your profile
   • Who can see posts you're tagged in
   • Review tags before they appear
   • Who can see tagged posts on your profile

For Pages

1. Go to Page Settings
2. Click "General"
3. Find "Tagging Ability"
4. Set who can tag your Page

Options:

• Allow others to tag photos/videos published by [Page Name]
• ON: Anyone can tag you
• OFF: Only you can tag your Page

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Business Uses for Mentions

1. Partner Shoutouts

Mention business partners in collaborative posts.

Excited to announce our partnership with @PartnerBusiness!

Together we're bringing [what you're doing] to [audience].

Stay tuned for [teaser of what's coming].

Benefits:

• Content reaches both audiences
• Builds relationship with partner
• Looks authentic and collaborative

2. Customer Appreciation

Tag customers who share their experience (with permission).

Look at this amazing setup by @CustomerName! 🔥

They're using our [product] to [what they accomplished].

Tag us in your photos to be featured!

Benefits:

• Social proof
• Encourages user-generated content
• Strengthens customer relationships

3. Influencer Collaborations

Mention influencers in sponsored or partnership content.

Had an amazing time with @InfluencerName at [event]!

Loved hearing their thoughts on [topic].

What questions would you ask them? 👇

4. Local Business Cross-Promotion

Tag neighboring businesses for community building.

Coffee from @LocalCoffeeShop + our [product] = perfect combo ☕

If you're in [area], stop by both!

5. Event Coverage

Tag speakers, sponsors, and attendees at events.

📸 From today's [event]!

Thanks to:
🎤 @Speaker1 for the keynote on [topic]
🎤 @Speaker2 for the workshop
🎁 @Sponsor for making this possible

See you next year!

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Best Practices for Mentions

Do:

Ask permission first Don't mention people/pages without context or reason. Ask partners before tagging them in promotional content.

Keep it relevant Only mention when the person/page is genuinely connected to the content.

Tag sparingly 1-3 mentions per post maximum. More looks spammy.

Mention in context Incorporate mentions naturally into sentences, not just listed at the end.

Follow up Engage with comments on posts where you've mentioned others.

Don't:

Spam mentions for reach Mentioning unrelated pages hoping for shares = bad reputation.

Tag competitors inappropriately Comparative content is fine. Random tagging is not.

Forget to check settings Make sure the person/page allows mentions and tags.

Over-tag customers Some customers don't want the attention. Always ask.

Use mentions as criticism Publicly mentioning to complain rarely goes well.

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Monitoring Mentions of Your Page

Where to Find Mentions

1. Go to your Page
2. Click "Notifications"
3. Look for "Mentions" or tags

Or:

1. Use Meta Business Suite
2. Go to "Inbox"
3. Check "Mentions" tab

Setting Up Mention Alerts

In Meta Business Suite:

1. Go to Settings
2. Click "Notifications"
3. Enable notifications for mentions and tags

Third-party tools:

• Mention.com
• Brand24
• Social listening tools

Responding to Mentions

Positive mentions:

• Like the post
• Leave a thank you comment
• Share to your Page (if appropriate)

Negative mentions:

• Address professionally
• Take conversation to private message
• Don't get defensive publicly

Neutral mentions:

• Engage if relevant
• Don't force interaction

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Strategic Tagging in Photos

Photo Tagging for Events

When posting event photos:

1. Tag attendees who are visible
2. Tag the venue
3. Tag sponsors and partners
4. Use event hashtag

Product Photo Tagging

When customers share product photos:

1. Ask permission to repost
2. Tag customer in your repost
3. Tag relevant product pages if applicable

Team Photo Tagging

When posting team content:

1. Tag team members who consent
2. Creates personal connection
3. Expands reach to their networks

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Common Problems and Solutions

"I can't mention a Page"

Possible reasons:

• Page has restricted mentions in settings
• You're typing the name incorrectly
• Page doesn't exist or was removed

Solution:

• Try exact page name
• Check if page exists by searching
• Some Pages disable external mentions

"My tag wasn't accepted"

Why it happens:

• Person has tag review enabled
• They declined the tag
• Their settings don't allow tags

Solution:

• Ask them directly
• Mention in text instead of photo tag

"Mentions don't show as links"

Possible reasons:

• Page name has special characters
• You didn't select from dropdown
• Network/app glitch

Solution:

• Always select from the dropdown
• Don't just type the name and move on
• Try refreshing and redoing

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Mentions for Different Content Types

Posts

Great seeing @PartnerName at [event] today!

[Rest of your post content]

Videos

Mention collaborators in the video description:

In this video, @ExpertName breaks down [topic].

Key takeaways:
- [Point 1]
- [Point 2]
- [Point 3]

Follow @ExpertName for more on [topic].

Stories

Mention by typing @name in Story text or using the mention sticker.

Note: Story mentions send notifications too.

Live Videos

Shout out viewers and guests: "Thank you @ViewerName for joining us!"

Mentioned viewers get notifications and are more likely to engage.

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Measuring Mention Impact

Metrics to Track

Simple Tracking Method

1. Note your average post reach
2. Compare mentioned posts vs. non-mentioned
3. Track which mention partners drive most engagement
4. Focus on high-performing mention relationships

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Quick Reference

Mention Checklist

• Is this mention relevant and authentic?
• Does the person/page allow mentions?
• Have I asked permission if needed?
• Am I using 3 or fewer mentions?
• Is the mention integrated naturally?

Tag Checklist

• Are the people visible in the photo?
• Do they want to be tagged?
• Is the content appropriate for their timeline?
• Have I asked permission for customers?

Related Resources

Facebook Guides:

• Facebook Page vs. Group
• Getting More Facebook Likes
• Interactive Facebook Posts
• Facebook Captions Guide
• Facebook CTA Buttons Guide
• Facebook Business Manager Guide

Engagement Strategies:

• Instagram Mentions Guide
• Social Media Engagement Strategies
• Getting Facebook Followers
• User Generated Content Guide

Cross-Platform:

• Connect Facebook to Instagram
• Cross-Posting Social Media Guide
• Influencer Marketing Guide