Alright, so here’s the deal.

I made a post on Instagram—something I thought looked pretty dope. Maybe it was a reel, a picture, or a big announcement.

I wanted to tag someone as a collaborator, so the post could go up on both our pages. Real teamwork kinda stuff.

But guess what?
I forgot to add them.
Yeah. Classic me.

If you’ve done the same thing, don’t stress. I figured it out—and I’ll walk you through how to fix it.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

• You can’t add a collaborator after you post.
• You can delete and repost with a collaborator invite.
• Or just tag them normally (but it’s not the same).
• Collab posts = more reach, more love.

First Off, What Even Is a Collaborator?

Let me explain it real simple:

A collaborator on Instagram is someone who shares a post with you. You both show up as authors, and the post shows up on both of your profiles.

Here’s what happens when you invite a collaborator:

• Both your usernames are at the top of the post.
• The post lives on your profile AND theirs.
• Likes, views, and comments are shared.

It’s like hitting “share” on steroids.

Can You Add a Collaborator After Posting?

Here’s the honest answer:

Question	Answer
Can I edit a post and add a collaborator?	❌ Nope. Not possible.
Can I fix it somehow?	✅ Yep, by deleting and reposting.

So yeah, if you forgot to invite a collaborator before posting, the only real fix is to delete the post and re-upload it the right way.

Kinda sucks, but that’s where we’re at.

Here’s How I Do It (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Delete the Old Post

I know—this part feels scary. But trust me, it’s necessary.

Here’s what I do:

• Go to my profile.
• Tap the post I messed up.
• Hit the three dots (⋮) in the corner.
• Tap Delete.

Gone. Like it never happened. Clean slate.

Step 2: Re-Upload the Same Post

Next, I just start over:

• Tap the ➕ plus button at the bottom of Instagram.
• Pick Post or Reel (whichever one it was).
• Choose the same photo or video I used before.
• Hit Next, just like usual.

Step 3: Tag My Collaborator the Right Way

Here’s where I don’t mess up this time:

• Before posting, I tap “Tag People.”
• Then I tap “Invite Collaborator.”
• I search for my friend’s username.
• I tap their name and hit Done.

After I post it, they’ll get a request to accept the collab. Once they do, boom—it’s now a shared post.

Here’s a Simple Diagram:

+-------------------------+
|   Upload the Post      |
+-------------------------+
           ↓
+-------------------------+
| Tap "Tag People"        |
+-------------------------+
           ↓
+-------------------------+
| Invite Collaborator     |
+-------------------------+
           ↓
+-------------------------+
| Pick Username & Share   |
+-------------------------+

What If I Don’t Wanna Delete My Post?

Yeah, sometimes I’m just not in the mood to re-do everything.

In that case, here’s my backup plan:

• Tap the three dots on the post.
• Hit Edit.
• Tap on the picture or video.
• Tag my friend the normal way.

Done. Not a full collab, but at least they’re tagged.

Just know:

• It won’t show up on their profile.
• It won’t share the likes/views.

It’s just a regular tag, like “Hey, I was here.”

Here’s a Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Tag	Collaborator
Shows up on their page?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Shares likes/views?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Needs approval?	❌ Nope	✅ Yep
Best for teamwork/collabs?	❌ Nah	✅ For sure

Not Sure What to Do? Use This Flowchart:

Did you already post it?
        |
       Yes
        |
  Want it to be a real collab?
    /           \
  Yes           No
  |               |
Delete &        Just tag
Repost         them normally

Pro Tips I Learned the Hard Way

• You can only invite collaborators if your account is public.
• They also need to have a public account.
• You can’t do collabs on Stories—only Posts and Reels.
• Your friend has to accept the invite before it goes public on their page.

My Final Thoughts

Instagram kinda dropped the ball on this one.
I wish we could just edit posts and add collaborators later, but hey—this is the game we’re playing.

If I really want to get that extra reach, make it a shared post, or work with someone on content, I just bite the bullet and repost it.

And honestly?
Most of the time, it’s worth it.

Better engagement. Better reach. Better teamwork.

Sometimes the fix is annoying. Do it anyway—reach matters.

—Sahadat.