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How to Fix Cannot Tag a Colleague in Microsoft Viva Engage

Partner Editor Oct 9, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user is unable to tag a specific coworker using the @mention function in Viva Engage, even though the colleague's account exists.

How to Fix Cannot Tag a Colleague in Microsoft Viva Engage

Product: Microsoft Viva Engage
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to mention a colleague in a post or comment to notify them.
Observed behavior: The colleague's name does not appear in the @mention suggestions dropdown, while other users with similar names are displayed.

Before you start

Ensure you have the exact spelling of your colleague's full name and their official corporate email address before attempting to search.

Solution 1Recommended

Search Using Full Email Address or Exact Name

Force the Viva Engage directory to locate the specific user by typing their complete details instead of relying on partial name suggestions.

Viva Engage prioritizes people you interact with frequently in its mention suggestions. To find someone outside your immediate circle, you must provide more specific identifying information.

Initiate the mention

Click inside the post or comment text box and type the '@' symbol.

Type the exact email address

Instead of typing just their first name, type the colleague's complete corporate email address or their full first and last name without pressing space.

Select the profile

Wait a few seconds for the directory to perform a deep search. Once their profile appears in the dropdown menu, click on it to successfully tag them.

Search Using Full Email Address or Exact Name

Search Tip: Using the exact email address is the most reliable way to distinguish between colleagues who share the same first and last name.

Solution 2

Verify Account in the Organization Directory

Confirm that the colleague has an active account provisioned in your organization's broader directory.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Viva Engage not show all colleagues when I type an @mention?

Viva Engage's auto-suggest algorithm prioritizes people you interact with frequently and members of the specific community you are posting in. Users outside this immediate network may require a full email address search to appear.

Can I tag someone if they haven't logged into Viva Engage yet?

If your organization uses Microsoft Entra ID syncing, they should appear in the directory. However, in some configurations, a user's profile may not be fully discoverable in Viva Engage until they log in for the first time or are assigned the proper license.

What should I do if typing the email address still doesn't work?

Try clearing your browser cache, logging out and back in, or using the Viva Engage mobile app. If the problem persists, contact your IT administrator to verify that the colleague's account is active and correctly synced.

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