{"id":1010,"date":"2020-05-27T12:44:20","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T17:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.bear.app\/?p=1010"},"modified":"2021-12-17T13:47:09","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T19:47:09","slug":"advanced-tips-and-ideas-for-organizing-tags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bear.app\/2020\/05\/advanced-tips-and-ideas-for-organizing-tags\/","title":{"rendered":"Advanced tips and ideas for organizing tags"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By now you probably know that tags are pretty useful in Bear. Maybe you have a grasp of the fundamentals<\/a> and want to take your tagging to the next level\u2014better organization, a polished tag library, a bountiful body of notes ready to be shared and published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s dive deeper into tagging in Bear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manage tags in the Sidebar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the first<\/a> of these two posts exploring tags, we covered ways to use tags in notes, such as nested tags, multi-word tags, and adding or removing a tag from multiple notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have a good amount of flexibility in terms of managing your growing library of tags, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sort tags in the Sidebar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By default, Bear organizes tags alphabetically in the Sidebar. In Bear\u2019s Preferences > General<\/strong>, you have a couple other options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, tags can be sorted by their number of notes, instead of alphabetically. You can also reverse the sort order of tags and notes, which affects both the main Note List and how they sort in individual tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delete a tag from all notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Use this one with caution!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can quickly delete a tag from all<\/em> of its notes and from the Sidebar. Just long-tap (iOS) or right-click (Mac) on the tag in the Sidebar, and select Delete<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Export all notes in a tag<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is great for converting notes in a tag to a different format for sharing, though it works a little differently between Mac and iOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mac<\/strong>: Select a tag in the Sidebar, then use File > Export Notes<\/strong>. In the dialog that appears, you can pick an export format and the option to combine all notes into a single\u2026 whatever file you choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iOS<\/strong>: Long-tap a tag in the Sidebar, then choose Export<\/strong>. As of this writing, there is not yet an option to combine notes into a single file on iOS. But you can choose an export format, then share it to any compatible apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check the \/Untagged section<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Look, it happens to the best of us. You\u2019re on a roll making notes, the ideas are flowing, the research is rolling in, and the next day you realize you forgot to tag it all. Bear is here for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next to the top-level Notes section in the Sidebar is what professionals in the industry refer to as a disclosure triangle<\/strong>. Give it a tap-a-roo and you\u2019ll see some handy custom sections like Todo, Today, and Locked (for Bear Pro users). For today, the section we want is Untagged<\/strong>, and you get three guesses as to which kinds of notes it collects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regularly checking the Notes > Untagged section is a great way to stay on top of tagging and make sure every note has its place in your Sidebar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Less (tags) can be more (organization)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, grammarians, it should be *fewer tags, not less. Just work with us<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you use Instagram or Twitter, you\u2019ve probably come across those people<\/em>\u2014the ones who use so many tags in every message that it\u2019s hard to find the actual content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, we\u2019re not here to tell you how to live your life. But we can<\/em> recommend some tips on how to tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have no idea how to start, don\u2019t overthink it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019re new to organizing notes with the freedom of tags, and looking for a way to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For your first tags, our advice is to think about the key purpose or topics of each note, then use those for your initial tags. Are they for writing, research, work, ideas, errands, travel? Starting out, those might feel a little basic. But even Carter Beauford<\/a> had to learn how to crawl before he could drum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seriously, he started drumming at three<\/em>, and performing professionally at nine<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it\u2019s time to get organized: be purposeful<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you have a growing library of tags or just snapped out of your \u201cInstagram phase.\u201d Either way, you could use help with getting your tags focused, toned, and more useful. We have some ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n