Organize the files on your Mac using Tags

Tags tab of Finder Preferences

Tags allow you to selectively color code files and folders so you can quickly identify specific or related items in the Finder. They are similar to the previous system of Labels except that you can apply more than one tag to an icon.

Tags provides an additional way of finding and sorting files. You can have an endless number of tags although you are limited to seven colors.

There are several excellent reasons to get in the habit of tagging your files. You can display all files with a certain tag in the same place, regardless of their location. You can also sort and group the contents of folder by their tags. Tags can also come in handy for temporarily bring files to you your attention. For instance, I have an in-progress tag that I use for files on which I’m currently working. When I’m finished with a file, I remove the tag.

When an icon is color coded, a colored dot appears next to the item’s name. There are several ways to apply a color tag to an item:

Select the item and click File on the Finder menu. Select the desired color under Tags. Click the word Tags to create a new tag and then type in its name.
Ctrl-Click (or Right-Click) the item and then select the desired color under Tags. To create a new tag, right-click and then click the word Tags. Then, type the name for the new tag.
Select the item, click the Edit Tags button on the Finder toolbar and then type in the name if it’s a new tag or select an existing tag from the list.
Drag the file or folder onto the names of Tags in the Sidebar.
You can add tags when saving a file from the Save dialog box.
You can tags from the Tags window on top of the Get Info box.

Apply a tag to a file image

OS X provides you several tags to start out with, named Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, etc. but you can easily rename them from the Finder Preferences dialog box. Choose Finder > Preferences from the menu and then click Tabs on top of the screen. Right-click or double-click any tag and then type in the new name.

To change the color of a tag, right-click it and then choose the desired color from the list. From this window you can also choose which tags to display in the Sidebar. Click the checkbox next to any tag that you want displayed.

To remove a tag from an item, right-click the item, choose Tags and delete the tag(s) in the tags box.

Quick Guide: To Add & Use Finder Tags

Select the item you wish to tag in the Finder window.
Select File from the menu and then select the desired color under the Tags area. Click the word Tags to create a new tag.
Or
Right + Click the item and then select the desired color under the Tags area. Click the word Tags to create a new tag.
Or
Select the item, click the Edit Tags button on the Finder toolbar and then select the desired color from the list.
Or
Select the item, display the Get Info window (⌘ + I) and then type in the tag in the Tags window.
To change the color of a tag, choose Finder > Preferences from the menu, click Tags on top of the window, right-click the tag whose color you wish to change and then select the new color from the list.
To rename a tag, choose Finder > Preferences from the menu, click Tags on top of the window and then double-click the tag that you want to rename. Type in the new name and press Return.
To choose what tags appear in the Finder Sidebar, choose Finder > Preferences from the menu, click Tags on top of the window and then click the box next to any tag you want displayed in the Sidebar.
To display a list of all files with a particular tag, click the desired tag color in the Finder Sidebar.

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