Tag one budget PDF used by two projects with “2026 Campaign” and “Needs Review.” Input: one original file and two labels. Result: find that same file by either project or status without duplicating it.

Apply tags and retrieve the file

Select the item in Finder and add tags from the toolbar or Control-click menu. One item can have multiple tags; find them in the sidebar or Finder search. Favorite Tags can be assigned to Control-1 through Control-7. Apple’s tags guide

Give labels distinct jobs, such as project context and next action, and agree on a small team vocabulary and shortcut order. Macworld’s example narrows the files first and then applies tags to that subset. Macworld’s keyboard workflow

Correct a wrong tag or empty result

Edit the selected file’s tags and remove only the mistaken label. Control-0 clears every tag on the selected item, so do not use it when other project labels must remain. If search is empty, choose the tag from Finder’s search suggestions and check that it is shown in the sidebar. Tags do not replace sharing permissions or backups; change the folder or sharing settings when location or access needs to change. Apple’s tags guide

Related: Save recurring searches as Finder Smart Folders · Refine Spotlight searches

Sources