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Need tags to manage files for historical research

I want to assign arbitrary text tags to various kinds of files (pdf's, txt, jpeg, docx, etc.) and then be able to use an app to list all files with specified tags. It needs to be fast and work for files stored in the cloud as well as local file system.


For example, I want to tell the app to show me all files with tags of "John", "Mary", "Civil War", "1775", etc. I have nearly a thousand files that I am working with. I have been trying to organize them by tagged-based folders, but am finding that is too complicated since one file can have multiple tags.


I am also colorblind, so Apple's tag color scheme does nothing for me.


Can Finder do this efficiently for me? If not Finder, is there a third-party app that will work?


I am running Mac OS 10.15.5

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 17, 2020 9:53 PM

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Posted on Jul 18, 2020 7:15 AM

The Tags in Finder are not color-dependent. You can assign a color to a Tag, but you don't have to nor do you need the color.

Select a Tag in the Sidebar and it will show all items with that Tag. The Sidebar only shows a limited number of Tags directly, but there is an All Tags button to list them all.


You can also create a Smart Folder that lists items matching whatever combination of Tags you have assigned.


Finder will show files in iCloud Drive. I don't know about any other cloud storage system.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 18, 2020 7:15 AM in response to DRKinSequim

The Tags in Finder are not color-dependent. You can assign a color to a Tag, but you don't have to nor do you need the color.

Select a Tag in the Sidebar and it will show all items with that Tag. The Sidebar only shows a limited number of Tags directly, but there is an All Tags button to list them all.


You can also create a Smart Folder that lists items matching whatever combination of Tags you have assigned.


Finder will show files in iCloud Drive. I don't know about any other cloud storage system.

Jul 18, 2020 8:15 AM in response to DRKinSequim

As tags are an extended attribute on files and folders, as long as you are under the auspices of the Finder, or on iCloud Drive, that tag information remains intact. When you venture to other non-Apple filesystems in other Cloud solutions, you run the very real risk of the tag extended attribute data being stripped from the files and folders.


The above is why I agree with Terence Devlin's suggestion.

Need tags to manage files for historical research

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