This post was updated on Jan 25, 2021.
If you’re looking to create a new location to tag on Instagram you’re in the right place.
In this post, I share the step-by-step instructions on how to create a new location on Instagram.
Before you get started
Unfortunately this past year (2020) I’ve heard from a number of organisations that are seeing varying success with the first method below. Instagram’s official stance on the creation of new locations is “No, you can’t create a new location on Instagram.”. Unfortunately the key aspect to having your location added to Instagram is time. For businesses looking to create a location on Instagram quickly and reliably I’d recommend the second method through Business Manager & Page locations.
Let’s get started
Previously Instagram allowed users to quickly and easily create new locations as they were uploading their photos natively in the Instagram App – the good old days.
But since 2015 a lot of users and business owners have been left shaking their heads. Here we have two workarounds, using the Facebook App, to create new locations to tag on Instagram. Skip ahead to the step by step instructions below:
- I just want to add a custom Instagram location
- I want to add a custom Instagram location linked to my Facebook business page
Add a custom Instagram location
When the location you’re looking for doesn’t exist, move over to Facebook where we’ll create a new location in less than 5 minutes which will then allow you to tag them in Instagram.
- Login to Facebook
- Tap ‘Check In’ at the top of your Facebook feed
- Enter the name of the location you’re trying to add – ensuring to use capitals
- Tap “Add <new location>…” at the bottom of the search results
- Choose a relevant category for your location
- Tap Create
- Post your check-in to Facebook
- Search for your new ‘place’ using Facebook’s search filtering
- Claim your place by clicking on the ‘Is this your business?’ tag (see below)
By following the above steps your new location should be added to Facebook – jump over to Instagram and try it out!
Note: We’ve been told of situations where this can take up to 2-4 weeks – if at all – to reflect in Instagram’s location database – make sure to ‘claim’ your page, through the ‘Is this your business?’ and work with several colleagues or friends to ‘check-in’ at the newly created location.
Add a custom Instagram location linked to your Facebook business page
One Location
- Login to Facebook using the Facebook account with administrator access to your Facebook business page – this may be easier on a desktop computer
- Go to your page and tap edit page
- Scroll to the about section of your page and tap edit page
- Tap save
- Enter the name of the location you’re trying to add – ensuring to use capitals
- Tap “Add <new location>…” at the bottom of the search results
- Choose a relevant category for your location
- Tap Create
- Post your check-in to Facebook
Note: Your page may not allow an address if you don’t have an appropriate category – play around with a few that closely represent your business.
Multiple Locations
If your business operates from multiple locations follow the below instructions so that you’re able to better manage your locations through your Business Manager account.
- Login to Facebook using the Facebook account with administrator access to your Facebook Business Manager – this may be easier on a desktop computer
- Go to Business Manager
- Click on the ‘mega menu’ in the top left and select ‘Business Locations’ under Assets – you may need to request locations access here
- Click ‘Set Up Multiple Locations’
- Select your main page – this should be the page that represents all locations and click continue
- Follow the prompts to create your new location/s
How’d you go?
And there you have it! You’re brand new Instagram location.
Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below.
Got this working for me today – thanks heaps!
Thanks Cristina, all the best!
Good advice, it worked! Thank you!
Great to hear Llilly!
Thanks! I can find it on mine but other people don’t see it come up? Any advice on what I may of did wrong
Hey Ani, what step did you get to?
Mine won’t seem to work. I’ve done it 4 times with multiple variables.
I’ve waited an hour.
I created a public location and check in.
I then checked into it from 3 pages.
It still doesn’t show up in IG
Sometimes I’ve found it can take an hour or three to sync across to Instagram, any luck yet?
hi good evening !
i am experiencing the same thing.
Ive waited 2 days and i also created different locations with different categories
to see if that would solve it but no luck.
is there something I’m not doing right?
thanks you for the info.
Are you sure you’re checking in and creating a place? Are you able to share it with me Dane?
Hi, I’m having the same problem. I followed both sets of instructions line by line. Can you help me?
Fb business page
Nikita Martinez Real Estate
Add this, turn that on, turn this on, make sure Facebook know this that and the other, thurn this….
….you know what, I don’t think I’ll bother.
It’s a pain I know!
I just tried this and it didn’t have the option to add a new location? 1/2/18. Thanks for the post! If you know of a way that’s currently working, please share! ♡
Hi Kai, which step were you able to get up to?
I got what you intend, thankyou for putting up.Woh I am glad to find this website through google. It is a very hard undertaking to seek to please everybody. by Publilius Syrus. kkedbfaacked
Thanks John – glad to hear you could get it to work!
Howdy would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re working fcdkgefddafc
Hi John – this blog is run on WordPress.
Hi! Ive been trying to do this for a couple of days now with now luck. I made the location but it would not show up on instagram or facebook. Ive tried changing the category, where I set the location to be, the name, etc. Any tips??
Hello! There is no ADD A NEW LOCATION. I write the name of my place and there is absolutely nothing, no PLUS sign. What is wrong ? 🙂 thanks
Hi John, what can be done if you find an IG location of your business that’s not official, and even worse, it is misspelled or with an incorrect location.
Good afternoon,
thanks for your help in advance.
I’ve tried what you told us, but it still does not works.
The problem that I’m facing is:
if you have your facebook account associated in your IG account my guests can find and add my business location in their photos.
in the other hand, if they have not their account integrated my business location does not appear at all even if you search by name.
Hello and thank you for the input. Unfortunately my problem couldn’t be solved. I have a private FB from which i create a business page, and respectively and IG account. So far I was always posting in IG adding my location. Now, i can’t find my location on the IG-Business acount. Still when i do it from my private IG it appears, same from others, but again, for the business account if i want to add the location it just doesn’t appear as an option, the only chance i have is to write the name of the city. when i go take that link and search from the street i see that there my location doesn’t appear on the map neither. I would appreciate any input. Thank you!
I have the same issue, is there a fix?
HI thanks for the info! But unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work for me. I created one location and waited 1 day with no sign of it showing up on instagram. So I tried a different category and other variables just to see if they would work with different locations. No luck yet. It hasn’t been 2 days. Any idea why Instagram is not picking it up? Thanks again.
Hello, I have the same issue here. Since months I can’t find my business location on IG, from my business account. From any other account it still possible, but not from mine, which means, I can’t write my location on my pics, while other business can do it. Also I have sent many but many messages to IG help Center and there is no reply. Does anybody have an idea what is it about? Why IG is not reacting? I have seen already other inquiries on this subject with no answer.
Thank you.
Hi. I followed the steps and the location is still not showing up on Instagram. Do I need to create the locaon my personal page as opposed to the business page, which is what I did?
Thanks!
Hi Alexis, I’d recommend giving it a try with your personal account. Remember you need to check in.
I can tag my business location on other instagram sign ins but when trying to tag via my insagram biz page it wont find the location. why?
That’s super odd Will are you able to share your location name?
I am having the same issue
I have a location that exists on Facebook but cannot be found on Instagram. I’ve been using the location to check in on Facebook for months, but can never pull it up on Instagram. How can I resolve this?
Hi Andrew! That’s odd – can you share the place you’ve created on Facebook?
Same here! I’ve literally been checking in to it for years on IG. We’re a church. The really odd thing is it shows up as a location for some and not for others.
I’ve done this step, but the location keep disappearing on Instagram. We’re a multisite church and I’d like to be able to tag what campus I’m at using locations. If Instagram and Facebook are connected and using the same location information, why does it keep removing locations I use to tag just about every day?
Secondary question, before I did locations, Instagram would actually give my campus location address to another business nearby. Super confused. Thanks!
Oh! and our FB page is http://www.facebook.com/hopefellowshipchurch and our Instagram is @hopefellowshipchurch. Thanks!
Went through and added a location on facebook. However does not show up on Instagram. I’ve tried multiple times different categories nothing seems to work.
It’s working, but it only works for me. Other people cannot add the location. It also doesn’t show when i do a places search.
John
I really need your help.
Here’s what I have:
Facebook Personal Page, Facebook Business Page — I have admin profiles for both.
(I have my Instagram linked to the Personal Page, since the Business Page only links to Instagram Ads.)
I have my Instagram account… I have done all the things you mentioned in this tutorial… I’ve let a few days go by and I still CAN NOT add my Location into Instagram Photo Posts. BUT, I CAN do a separate search for my business in Instagram and it DOES come up. So, I just cant add it to my photo posts (which is the main feature I want).
Please, please help.
i have two location geotags but noticed the secondary one is getting more popular. should i switch?
Hi, I’m trying to add locations for posts about a trip I’ve recently been on. Facebook doesn’t seem to allow you to add locations for places if you’re not physically at the location when you try to enter the location into the app.
Is there any way around this? Thanks!
Help. My business location appears if I search for it on my personal Instagram, but when i try to add it on my business Instagram account – it’s not there. How do I fix?
I have added new check in locations but when I then try to post a new post on Facebook or Instagram the location isn’t showing up to select?
I guess I’m waiting for them to sync up, hasn’t worked yet. I completed all of your steps.
I’m having issues with this. I created the page. It did populate on Instagram once and has now disappeared. Not sure what to do, any suggestions?
Thank you for this fantastic info. Followed you instructions and my location is back. Thank you
for everyone that is having problems with instagram your facebook page has to be verified in order for it to work.
I added the location and checked in but it isn’t showing in Facebook search at all. How do I sort this? Thank you.
Our Facebook account for the business has the correct location, and it’s linked as a geotag on Instagram. However, there are now multiple geotags now. How do I delete the others so all photos/geotags can just be linked to one?
Are the misspelled locations unclaimed on Facebook?
Hey Jon,
thanks for the guide ! Do you have any idea on how I can Completely delete a location that is existing on FB / IG, for example when it is spelled wrong. Not on a single post, but in that way that nobody will be able to find the location anymore.
Any chance to do that by myself ?
Thanks ! Moe
If the location is unclaimed, you may be able to claim and edit the location through Facebook. It may take additional time from there to carry across to Instagram.
I’m not a Facebook user. Is there any way to add a business location without a Facebook account?
Unfortunately not!
This was excellent content – I took the time to write this because you are no bullshit, and I appreciate the advice as a pro marketer.