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New to OtterLedger? Read the Documentation
45 Guides Available Quick Start Guide
Learn AI Categorization View Guide
Have Questions? Check the FAQ
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Tags

Guide 7: Tags

Add flexible labels to transactions for custom tracking

Overview

While categories organize transactions by type (Food, Transportation, etc.), tags let you add cross-cutting labels that work across categories. Tags are perfect for tracking projects, trips, clients, or any custom grouping.

What you'll learn:

  • Understanding tags vs. categories
  • Creating and managing tags
  • Applying tags to transactions
  • Filtering and reporting by tags

Time required: 10 minutes

Prerequisites

  • OtterLedger file with transactions

Tags vs. Categories

Aspect Categories Tags
Structure Hierarchical (parent/child) Flat list
Assignment One per transaction (or split) Multiple per transaction
Purpose What type of expense Additional context
Reports Primary organization Cross-cutting analysis

When to Use Categories

  • Classifying transaction type (Food, Transportation)
  • Tax reporting (Schedule C lines)
  • Standard financial reports

When to Use Tags

  • Tracking a specific trip (e.g., "NYC Trip 2026")
  • Client or project expenses (e.g., "Acme Project")
  • Reimbursable expenses (e.g., "Reimbursable")
  • Tax deductions (e.g., "Tax Deductible")
  • Goals or tracking (e.g., "Home Renovation")

Creating Tags

Method 1: Tags Section

  1. Click Tags in the sidebar

  2. Click Add Tag

  3. Enter tag details:

    • Name - Descriptive name
    • Color - Visual identifier (optional)
    • Description - What this tag is for

  4. Click Save

[Screenshot: Add Tag dialog]

Method 2: From Transaction

  1. Open any transaction
  2. In the Tags field, type a new tag name
  3. Click Create "[tag name]"
  4. Tag is created and applied

[Screenshot: Creating tag from transaction editor]

Managing Tags

View All Tags

Click Tags in the sidebar to see all tags with:

  • Tag name and color
  • Number of transactions using each tag
  • Quick filters

[Screenshot: Tags list view]

Edit a Tag

  1. Tags → Click on tag → Edit
  2. Change name, color, or description
  3. Save

Note: Renaming a tag updates all transactions using it.

Delete a Tag

  1. Tags → Click on tag → Delete
  2. Confirm deletion

Deleting a tag removes it from all transactions but doesn't delete the transactions.

Merge Tags

If you have duplicate or similar tags:

  1. Tags → Select tag → Merge
  2. Choose the tag to merge into
  3. All transactions move to the target tag

Applying Tags to Transactions

Single Transaction

  1. Open the transaction (click on it)

  2. Find the Tags field

  3. Click to add tags:

    • Select from existing tags
    • Or type to filter/create

  4. Save the transaction

[Screenshot: Transaction with multiple tags applied]

Multiple Transactions (Bulk)

  1. Select transactions in the list:

    • Ctrl+Click individual transactions
    • Shift+Click for a range
    • Ctrl+A for all visible

  2. Right-click → Add Tag

  3. Select the tag to apply

  4. All selected transactions are tagged

Remove a Tag

Single transaction:

  1. Open transaction
  2. Click the "x" on the tag to remove
  3. Save

Multiple transactions:

  1. Select transactions
  2. Right-click → Remove Tag
  3. Select tag to remove

Tag Use Cases

Use Case 1: Trip Tracking

Track all expenses for a specific trip:

  1. Create tag: "Hawaii Vacation 2026"
  2. Tag all trip-related transactions:
    • Flights (Transportation category)
    • Hotel (Travel:Lodging category)
    • Dining (Food:Restaurants category)
    • Activities (Entertainment category)

Now you can see total trip cost across all categories.

[Screenshot: Filter showing all transactions tagged "Hawaii Vacation"]

Use Case 2: Client Project

Track expenses for a client project:

  1. Create tag: "Acme Corp Project"
  2. Tag all project expenses:
    • Software purchased
    • Travel to client
    • Meals with client
    • Contractor payments

Report shows total project cost for invoicing or cost tracking.

Use Case 3: Reimbursable Expenses

Track expenses your employer will reimburse:

  1. Create tag: "Reimbursable"
  2. Tag work expenses paid personally
  3. When reimbursed, create income transaction
  4. Filter by tag to match reimbursements

Use Case 4: Tax Categories

Add tax-related tags for year-end:

  1. Create tags: "Tax Deductible", "1099", "Charitable"
  2. Tag relevant transactions throughout year
  3. At tax time, filter by tag for quick review

Use Case 5: Goals

Track savings toward goals:

  1. Create tags: "Emergency Fund", "New Car", "Vacation"
  2. Tag savings transfers
  3. Monitor progress toward each goal

Filtering by Tags

Quick Filter

  1. Go to Transactions
  2. In the filter bar, click Tags
  3. Select one or more tags
  4. View matching transactions

Advanced Filter

  1. Click Filter button
  2. In the Tags section:
    • Include tags: Show only these tags
    • Exclude tags: Hide these tags
    • Match: Any (OR) or All (AND)

[Screenshot: Advanced filter with tag options]

Save Tag Filters

For frequently used tag filters:

  1. Set up your filter
  2. Click Save Filter
  3. Name it (e.g., "Acme Project Expenses")
  4. Access from Saved Filters dropdown

Reporting with Tags

Tag Summary Report

  1. Go to Reports
  2. Select Tag Summary
  3. Choose date range
  4. View spending by tag

[Screenshot: Tag Summary report]

Tags in Other Reports

Most reports support tag filtering:

  1. Open any report
  2. Click Filter
  3. Select tags to include/exclude
  4. Report updates to show only tagged transactions

Exporting Tagged Transactions

  1. Filter transactions by tag
  2. Click Export
  3. Choose format (CSV, PDF)
  4. All filtered transactions export

Tips & Best Practices

  1. Use specific names - "NYC Trip Jan 2026" is better than "Trip"

  2. Use colors - Colors help visually identify tags in lists

  3. Clean up old tags - Delete or archive tags from completed projects

  4. Combine with categories - Tags add context; categories add structure

  5. Tag consistently - If you start tagging a project, tag ALL related transactions

  6. Review untagged - For important tracking, periodically check for missed items

  7. Keep it simple - Don't over-tag; use tags for meaningful tracking only

Tag Colors

Available colors help identify tags at a glance:

Color Suggested Use
🔴 Red Urgent, reimbursable
🟠 Orange Warning, review needed
🟡 Yellow Flagged, pending
🟢 Green Complete, approved
🔵 Blue Work/business
🟣 Purple Personal projects
⚫ Gray Archived, inactive

Troubleshooting

Q: I can't find a tag I created.

A: Go to Tags in sidebar to see all tags. Check if it was accidentally deleted or merged.

Q: How do I see all transactions without tags?

A: Use advanced filter → Tags → select "Untagged only" or "Exclude all tags."

Q: Can I tag split transactions?

A: Tags apply to the whole transaction, not individual splits. All splits share the same tags.

Q: My tag report is empty.

A: Verify transactions are tagged. Check the date range includes tagged transactions.

Q: Can I import tags?

A: Tags aren't imported from bank files. You can bulk-apply tags after import using filters and bulk edit.

What's Next?

Continue organizing your finances:

Need help? Visit the OtterLedger community at github.com/openledger or check the FAQ.