Adding Mentions and Tags in Posts
Learn how to add @mentions and account tags to your social media posts in Publlish across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and LinkedIn — and what each platform supports.
Mentioning other accounts in your posts — tagging a partner, crediting a collaborator, or calling out a client — is a standard part of social media content. How mentions work varies significantly between platforms, and not all mention types are supported through third-party publishing tools like Publlish.
This guide covers what's supported on each platform and how to add mentions correctly in the Publlish composer.
How to Add a Mention in Publlish
In the Publlish composer, type @ followed by the username or account name you want to mention. Publlish may suggest matching accounts as you type, depending on the platform.
Mentions are added directly in the caption field — the same way you'd type them natively on each platform.
Platform-by-Platform Mention Support
Instagram mentions are fully supported in Publlish captions.
- Type
@usernamein the caption field - The mention will appear as a clickable link on the published post
- You can mention any public Instagram account
- Instagram also supports tagging accounts in the image itself (photo tags) — this must be done natively in the Instagram app after the post is published, as photo tagging is not available through the API
Character note: Mentions count toward Instagram's 2,200-character caption limit.
Facebook mentions (tagging Pages in posts) have limited API support through third-party tools.
- You can type
@PageNamein the caption, but the tag may not resolve as a live link depending on Facebook's current API permissions - Tagging personal profiles in posts is not supported through Publlish — this must be done natively
- Business Page-to-Page tags (e.g. tagging a partner brand's Page) may work but behaviour can vary
Recommendation: For posts where a working tagged mention is important (e.g. a partnership announcement), schedule via Publlish and then add the tag natively on Facebook after publishing.
X (Twitter)
X mentions are fully supported in Publlish.
- Type
@usernamein your post — the mention will be a live, clickable link on X - Mentions on X notify the tagged account
- Mentions count toward your 280-character limit
LinkedIn mentions are supported in Publlish for both personal profiles and Company Pages.
- Type
@and the person or company name to mention them - LinkedIn will show a suggestion list if the mention feature is active in the composer
- Mentions work for both personal LinkedIn profiles and Company Pages
- The mentioned person or company receives a notification
TikTok
TikTok mentions in captions are supported in Publlish.
- Type
@usernamein the TikTok caption field - The mention will appear as a live link on the published TikTok
- Mentions count toward TikTok's 2,200-character caption limit
YouTube
YouTube doesn't use mentions in video descriptions the same way other platforms do. You can include a channel URL or name in the description, but @mentions that create live notification links are primarily a YouTube community post and comment feature — not supported for video descriptions through the API.
Summary Table
| Platform | Caption @mentions | Image/photo tags | Notifies mentioned account |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✅ Supported | ❌ Must do natively | ✅ Yes | |
| ⚠️ Limited | ❌ Not supported | ⚠️ Sometimes | |
| X (Twitter) | ✅ Supported | N/A | ✅ Yes |
| ✅ Supported | N/A | ✅ Yes | |
| TikTok | ✅ Supported | ❌ Must do natively | ✅ Yes |
| YouTube | ❌ Not supported via API | N/A | N/A |
Tips for Using Mentions Effectively
Always verify the exact username before scheduling — a typo in a mention tag will either break the link or mention the wrong account. Check the exact handle on the platform before adding it to the caption.
For partnership posts, mention the partner brand in both the caption and, where the platform supports it, in the image tag natively after publishing. Double tagging maximises notification visibility.
Don't overuse mentions — posts that mention 5+ accounts can look like spam on most platforms and may be algorithmically suppressed.
On LinkedIn, mentioning a person (not just a company) in a post about them significantly increases the chance they'll engage with it, which boosts your post's reach. This is a simple but highly effective tactic for thought leadership content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I tag someone in an Instagram photo through Publlish? Caption mentions (typing @username) are supported. Photo tags (the pin-style tags you add to a photo) must be added natively in the Instagram app after the post publishes.
Why isn't my Facebook mention showing as a linked tag? Facebook's API has restrictions on tagging through third-party tools. If the tag doesn't resolve, add it natively on Facebook after the post publishes. Using Facebook with Publlish →
Do mentions count toward character limits? Yes — on all platforms, the characters in a mention (including the @ symbol) count toward your caption character limit. Character limits guide →
Can I mention a LinkedIn Company Page and a personal profile in the same post? Yes — LinkedIn supports mentioning both in the same post. Type @ and start typing the name; select from the dropdown suggestions.