How to manage tags in OneNote step by step

Tag management within OneNote has become a must-have feature for users who want to organize, prioritize, and easily access their notes. It's no longer enough to simply jot down information; what's essential in the digital age is be able to quickly filter, find, and view the most relevant data on any device, be it a laptop, mobile phone, or tablet. Fortunately, OneNote offers a flexible and powerful tagging system for those who need more control over their notes, to-dos, and reminders.

If you've ever had to race against time to find an important note, you'll know the value of properly labeling information. Not only does it allow you to categorize your ideas and tasks, but you can also create a real priority grid, track the progress of your projects, and even customize the organization to suit your own methods. Understanding how to manage tags in OneNote is the key to much more effective productivity. and a user experience that saves you time day after day.

What are tags in OneNote and what are they used for?

Tags in OneNote work like visual markers or categories that you can apply to any part of your notes. They allow you to prioritize, categorize by topic, or quickly and easily highlight pending tasks, questions, or key aspects. This not only helps you locate specific information later, but also streamlines reviewing lists and highlights key elements of a project or class.

For example, you could use a “Critical” label to remind yourself of important issues, or a “Task” label to check off things you still have to do. Labels give you the ability to see at a glance what matters most. without having to read the entire note.

Advantages of using tags in OneNote

• visual organization: By using different icons and colors, you can identify by priority or topic, making your notes easier to understand.
• Efficient search and filtering: Instead of wasting time searching manually, OneNote allows you to filter by tags displayed on all your pages and notebooks.
• Cross platform access: Tags applied to any device are automatically synchronized, so you'll always have the information available and up-to-date.
• Personalization: You can create your own labels, fully adapting the organization to your workflow.

How to Add Tags in OneNote (Windows, Mac, and Web)

The process for adding tags is similar across versions of OneNote, although there are slight differences depending on the operating system you use.

For Windows users

1. Place the cursor at the beginning of the line or select the text you want to mark.
2. In the Home, locate the group of Tags.
3. Use the arrows to expand the list of labels and select the icon you prefer (e.g., “Important,” “Task,” “Question,” etc.).
4. If you want to see all possible labels, click on the arrow More in the bottom corner of the label panel.

Tags can be applied to a single line or an entire paragraph, allowing you to mark everything from single sentences to larger blocks of information.

In OneNote for Mac

1. Click or select the text you want to label.
2. On the menu Home, hover over the Tag gallery.
3. Display the menu by pressing the down arrow at the bottom of the gallery.
4. Select the label icon you want to apply. For example, "Question" if it's information you'll need to verify later, or "Task" for pending actions.
5. To see more tags, use the additional arrows or open the full menu of all available tags.

OneNote for Mac facilitates a intuitive visual management of labels and the ability to create new labels if the predefined ones don't suit your needs.

Customize and create new labels

If OneNote's standard tags don't cover your preferences, you can create your own custom labelsThis process varies slightly depending on the version:

1. Select the text you want to personalize with a unique label.
2. Go to the Tags gallery and click the down arrow.
3. Choose the option Create new tag.
4. Assign a descriptive name and select an identifying icon. You can choose featured icons or browse the full list to find the one that best suits your needs.
5. Save the new label and apply it whenever you need it, locating it within the gallery.

This way, you can add labels as specific as "Urgent Contact," "Ideas for the Team," or any other classification that makes your day-to-day work easier.

How to remove tags from your notes

Deleting tags from your notes in OneNote is equally simple and useful for keeping your notebook clean and up-to-date. There are different ways to delete tags, depending on whether you want to delete just one or several at a time:

• Remove a single tag: Right click on the tag in question and select Remove label.
• Delete multiple tags at once: Select all the text that contains the tags you want to delete and use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + 0 en Windows.
• On Mac, return to the Tags gallery menu and click the applied tag again to automatically remove it.

This way, you'll only keep the strictly necessary tags and your searches will be much more precise.

Search and filter notes by tags in OneNote

One of the biggest benefits of this system is that You can quickly search for all notes marked with a specific tagThis is extremely useful in contexts such as teamwork, project management, or keeping track of personal matters.

1. In the OneNote navigation sidebar, tap the button Search.
2. You don't have to enter the exact name of the tag; simply scroll to the bottom of the panel and select one of the tags currently displayed in your notebook.
3. When you tap a tag, you'll see all the pages that contain it. If you select one, OneNote will open that page and highlight all occurrences of the tag.
4. You can adjust the search scope, choosing “All notebooks”, the current notebook, a group of sections, a specific section, or even a specific page.
5. If you prefer, manually enter the tag name in the search box and then select the tab Tags to see the classified results.

This functionality turns OneNote into a efficient tool for reviewing submissions, study topics, or pending tasks, allowing you to access priority information in seconds without wasting time browsing through all your notes.

Generate summary pages using tags

OneNote allows you to go one step further and Automatically create summary pages that group all tagged notes, regardless of which block or section they're in. This feature is especially valuable for those who need to manage large volumes of information scattered across different projects or areas.

To generate a summary page:

1. Access tag search in OneNote.
2. Filter by tag type, section, or any other relevant parameter.
3. Click any item in the list to directly open the source page for that tagged note.
4. If you wish, You can create a new page with the summary of all the tags, whether from the same block or from several different ones.

In this way, you will have A comprehensive and up-to-date overview of all your pending tasks, reminders, and ideas regardless of where they were originally recorded.

Using labels for to-do lists and tracking

One of the most popular uses for tags in OneNote is managing to-do lists. For example, the "Task" tag is interactive, and you can check or uncheck it as you complete tasks. To take full advantage of its potential:

• Apply the “Task” label to each item on your list.
• When searching for tags, select the option “Show only unchecked items” to quickly see what tasks you still have pending on all your pages.
• You can refresh your search at any time to check on your progress and stay on top of your commitments.

Thus, OneNote becomes a real task manager with visual reminders and real-time updatable summaries.

What should you know if you use OneNote on work teams?

In collaborative environments, Labels allow the entire team to identify priorities and share relevant information in an immediate visual way.You can filter by tags to see which member is assigned a task or flag questions that others should address.

Maintain a consensus on tag nomenclature so everyone understands what they mean, and take advantage of this feature to increase productivity on your shared projects.

Recent changes and compatibility

Starting in June 2023, Microsoft has made changes to the labels to adapt them to new compliance guidelines. If you miss old labels after this date, you'll need to recreate them using the custom label creation process.This ensures that your data meets current security and privacy standards and that you can continue to organize your information in the way that best suits you.

Tag management is available in OneNote versions for Microsoft 365, OneNote 2024, 2021, 2016, and 2013, as well as the Mac version and web app. However, some advanced features, such as customization or creating summary pages, may vary slightly depending on the platform and update..

Mastering tag management in OneNote is a huge step toward digital productivity, allowing you to control your information, access key notes in seconds, and adapt your notebook's organization to your unique needs. Maintaining a good tag structure can make the difference between confusion and efficiency in your daily work, whether for personal, academic, or professional use.

Related article:

How to Manage Notebooks in OneNote: A Complete Guide to Getting Organized and Collaborating

Isaac

Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.