How to Organize Files with Finder Tags

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Customize your tag list

   Open Finder and select Settings from the Finder menu or press Command + Comma. Click the Tags tab to view all enabled tags. Check the boxes next to tags you wish to see in the Finder sidebar or click the plus button to define a new custom tag.

   Note: Right-click any tag in the Settings menu to rename it or change its color.
2. 30 sec

   Assign tags to files

   Right-click any file or folder in Finder and locate the Tags section in the context menu. Select a color or type a custom tag name into the input field to assign it. Press Enter to confirm the addition.

   Note: You can assign multiple tags to a single file to allow for complex categorization.
3. 15 sec

   Use the shortcut menu

   Select a file in Finder and press Control + Option + 0 to open the tag entry box directly above the file. Type the tag name and press Enter to instantly apply it. This method is the fastest way to tag multiple files in succession.

   Note: Control + Option + 0
4. 30 sec

   Filter by tags

   Look at the Finder sidebar on the left. Click on any colored tag icon under the Tags header to instantly display every file across your entire Mac that shares that tag. Use the search bar in the top-right corner while in a tag view to narrow results further.

   Note: If the Tags section is hidden, hover over the word 'Tags' in the sidebar and click Show.
5. 45 sec

   Remove tags from files

   Right-click the tagged file and select Get Info or press Command + I. Navigate to the Tags field, click the X icon next to the tag you wish to remove, or press the Delete key while the tag is highlighted. The tag will be unlinked from the file immediately.

   Note: Removing a tag from a file does not delete the tag itself from your system.