Instagram identifier for the DS-160: what to enter
Select INSTAGRAM in the DS-160 social media dropdown and enter your Instagram username — the handle in instagram.com/username. Not the display name shown in bold on your profile, and never your password.
Enter this in the DS-160 identifier box
Your identifier will appear here.
The form wants the username or handle only — not the full URL, and never your password. The platform goes in the dropdown; this string goes in the box beside it.
Sure you have listed every account?
An account you used in the past five years but left off the form is treated as misrepresentation — a far bigger problem than anything posted on it. A free scan shows what is publicly tied to your name, so you can list it before an officer finds it.
Check my profiles free →Example
Profile link
instagram.com/ana.lopez_93Identifier (platform: INSTAGRAM)
ana.lopez_93Dots and underscores are part of the username — keep them exactly.
Where to find your Instagram username
- In the app: tap your profile picture (bottom right). The username is shown at the very top of the screen.
- On the web: open instagram.com, click Profile — your username is in the address bar after instagram.com/.
- Display name vs username: the bold name under your photo is the display name, which anyone can share. The username at the top is unique — that is the identifier.
Common mistakes
Entering the display name
"Ana López" is a display name. The identifier is the username (ana.lopez_93) — the one an officer can type into instagram.com/ to find you.
Leaving off old usernames
Instagram lets you change your username. Every username you used in the past five years belongs on the form, each as a separate entry.
Forgetting second accounts
A finsta, a business page or an old account you can no longer log into all count if you used them in the window. Forgotten accounts are the dangerous ones.
Getting the Instagram identifier right is the easy part
The real risk on the DS-160 is the account you forget to list, and the post that contradicts your application. A free check finds every public profile tied to your name and shows what an officer would see on each — before you submit.
Run the free visa social media check →Instagram on the DS-160: common questions
What is my Instagram identifier for the DS-160?
Your Instagram username — the part after instagram.com/. For instagram.com/ana.lopez_93 the identifier is ana.lopez_93. Choose INSTAGRAM in the dropdown, type the username in the box next to it, and use "Add Another" for any other Instagram accounts or old usernames.
Do I include the @ symbol?
The @ is not part of the username itself, so the clean answer is ana.lopez_93. What matters is that the officer can find the account; either form identifies it, but the bare username is the standard.
My Instagram is private. Do I still list it?
Yes — disclosure does not depend on privacy settings. An account used in the past five years and left off the form is treated as misrepresentation — a far bigger problem than anything posted on it. Separately, F, M and J applicants (since June 2025) and H-1B/H-4 applicants (since December 15, 2025) are asked to set profiles to public for the online-presence review.
What about Threads?
Threads uses your Instagram username but is not in the DS-160 dropdown. If you post on Threads, the honest place for it is the form's follow-up question about other websites or applications you used to create or share content.
Other platforms
Independent service — not affiliated with any government and not legal advice. App menus change; the DS-160 platform list is maintained by the State Department. Always confirm against the live CEAC form.