R
Rishtaara
WordPress Fundamentals
Lesson 18 of 32Article12 min

Tags (Add, Edit, Delete)

Tags are specific, granular keywords describing a post's details, while categories are broad topic buckets. A post can have zero, one, or many tags, but should usually have exactly one main category.

Tags vs categories — the key difference

Tags are specific, granular keywords describing a post's details, while categories are broad topic buckets. A post can have zero, one, or many tags, but should usually have exactly one main category.

Real-life example: If categories are bookstore sections, tags are the sticky notes a librarian adds — “beginner-friendly”, “2026 update”, “free tools” — cutting across multiple sections.

  • Category: WordPress (broad section)
  • Tags: plugins, security, beginners, 2026-guide (specific labels, can span categories)

Adding and managing tags

While writing a post, add tags directly in the sidebar's Tags panel — type a word and press Enter, or pick from existing tags as you type.

To manage tags globally (rename, merge duplicates, delete), go to Posts → Tags. This is useful for cleaning up near-duplicate tags like “seo-tips” and “SEO Tips” that accumulated over time.

Tip: Avoid creating a brand-new tag for every post. Reuse existing tags where possible — a tag used only once provides little navigation value to readers.
Example tags on a single post
Category: WordPress
Tags: beginners, dashboard, tutorial, 2026

Deleting tags safely

Deleting a tag removes the label from every post that used it, but does not delete the posts themselves. If you rename a tag by mistake, note that its URL slug may change too, which can affect any bookmarked tag archive links.