Instagram tag vs mention
The short answer
On Instagram, a tag sits on the photo or video and files the post on the tagged account's profile. A mention is an @handle in a caption, comment or story.
| Tag | Mention | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | On the image or video | In the caption, a comment or a story |
| Shows on their profile | Yes, in the Tagged tab | No |
| Notifies them | Yes | Yes |
| Can they remove it | Yes, from their Tagged tab | No, only the poster can edit it |
| Clickable | Yes, tap the image | Yes, tap the handle |
What is the difference between tagging and mentioning on Instagram?
A tag is attached to the media and a mention is written in the text. Both notify the account, but only a tag puts the post on that account's own profile, under the Tagged tab, where its followers can browse it. That is why brands ask customers to tag them rather than just mention them.
There is a third kind, the collab post, where two accounts publish one post together and it appears on both grids.
Which should a brand ask customers to use?
Both, but a tag does more work. It lands the post in a place the brand's followers can find it, and the brand can see every tagged post in one place. A mention in a caption reaches only the poster's audience.
What about posts that do neither?
Plenty of customers write the brand's name, or a hashtag, and tag nothing. Those posts are invisible to the brand's notifications and its Tagged tab. Finding them means searching the name itself.
How we find all three
For tracked brands Monitor Mentions reads the hashtag, the Tagged tab and, at higher tiers, a search for the name itself, and records which of those found each post. That is how a mention nobody tagged still turns up in the feed.
Tag vs Mention: questions people ask
Does a mention show up on my Instagram profile?
No. Only tags appear on your profile, in the Tagged tab. Mentions notify you but stay on the poster's account.
How many accounts can you tag in one Instagram post?
Up to 20 accounts per post.
Can I hide a post someone tagged me in?
Yes. You can remove yourself from the tag or hide the post from your Tagged tab. You cannot remove a mention from someone else's caption.