How to Tag Files in Windows 11 File Explorer and Find Them Again

Tag it, rate it, find it again in seconds — right inside File Explorer.

Quick answer: For supported photos and Office documents, open Properties > Details and edit Tags. Productivity Plus Pack adds right-click tagging for PDFs, text files and other supported formats. Select files, choose a tag, then find indexed matches through the Search filters section in Explorer's navigation pane. Ctrl+Win+Alt+T followed by a number applies a tag shortcut.

Windows exposes a Tags field for some formats, such as JPEG photos and Office documents, through installed property handlers. Other formats need additional support to make their tags editable and searchable in File Explorer.

Tag+ and Rate+ from Productivity Plus Pack let you tag and star-rate files from the right-click menu — one file or many at once, PDFs included — show the tags on thumbnails, and give you one-click filters to find them again.

Step by step

  1. Select one or more files. Select a file in File Explorer — or several files at once.
  2. Add a tag. Right-click and choose a tag or a star rating. Or press Ctrl+Win+Alt+T followed by a number key (1-9) to apply a tag.
  3. See it at a glance. Tags and stars appear on thumbnails in the Medium, Large and Extra Large icon views.
  4. Find it again. Open the Search filters section in Explorer's navigation pane and click a tag or rating to see all matching files.
Tag submenu with named tags and a selected Finance tag
Choose a tag from the Tag submenu. This example tags a folder; files use the same menu. Menu placement and tag names depend on your settings. View full-size screenshot.

Ways to do it

Use what's built into Windows, the tools you already have, or Productivity Plus Pack — they work well together.

Built into Windows

For supported file types, open Properties > Details to add tags, then search for tags: followed by the tag in File Explorer's search box.

With Productivity Plus Pack

Tag+ and Rate+ add right-click tags and ratings for PDFs, text files, archives and many more types, overlays on thumbnails, and ready-made filters built on Windows Search.

Let AI suggest tags

Tag Sense AI reads your documents and images and suggests tags, using AI that runs privately on your own PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

More about Tag+ · Full Tag+ guide · Read: Which Files Can You Tag and Rate with Productivity Plus Pack? · Read: How to Tag PDFs, Documents and More in Windows · Read: How to Automatically Tag Files Using AI · Read: How to Organize Photos on Your PC · Read: Folders vs Tags: Which Is Better for Organizing Files? · Read: Why Windows Search Isn't Finding Your Files - and How to Fix It · More how-to guides

Can I tag several files at once?

Yes. Select all the files you want, right-click, and choose the tag - it's applied to every selected file.

Where are my tags stored?

Locally on your computer - inside the file for formats that support it, such as JPG and MP4, or in a hidden NTFS stream attached to the file for types like PDF, TXT and ZIP. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Why doesn't a tagged file show up in a filter?

The filters use Windows Search, so they only include files in locations Windows Search indexes.

Try it free with Productivity Plus Pack

Try every feature free for 30 days, no account or credit card needed. After the trial, choose a one-time payment for the direct download or a monthly subscription for the Microsoft Store edition.