«Tagging documents» – more flexibility than classic folder structures

«Tagging documents» may sound like a technical term that seems more complicated than it is. In practice, proper tagging can help you find your documents much faster—without rigid folder structures. In this article, you’ll learn how tagging works and what advantages it offers over the classic file structure.

What does tagging actually mean?

With tagging, you add specific keywords (tags) to your documents. This lets you label each document with multiple terms that describe its content. Instead of filing your documents in a single folder, you can organize them flexibly by different criteria: by topic, customer, project, or even date.

Save time with flexible search

In a folder structure you often spend time looking for the right folder. Especially when several similar documents exist, you can end up clicking around for a while until you finally find what you’re looking for. With tagging, you simply use the tags in a search function and find your document within seconds.

Example

• You created an invoice for the «Website redesign» project.
• With tagging you label the invoice with «invoice», «website redesign», and «2025».
• You can now quickly find the document under both «invoice» and «website redesign»—without having to save or copy it into multiple folders.

More overview, less chaos

In a classic folder structure you might be tempted to store documents multiple times, for example in «Customer A» and also in «Project A». That leads to duplicates and more storage use. With tagging, you only need a single version of a document because you can categorize it however you like—saving space and avoiding confusion.

Flexible when structures change

Maybe you set up your folder system five years ago and now realize that you actually need different categories or a brand‑new folder. Adjusting a folder structure can be tedious, especially if you’ve already stored hundreds or thousands of documents. With tagging, restructuring is easier: you only need to add new tags or revise old ones. You stay flexible and can always adapt your filing system to your current needs.

Better collaboration

When several people have access to the same documents, folder structures can quickly create misunderstandings: Which folder contains which document? Who has the latest version? With tagging, you can define a shared tagging system. This creates clarity, and everyone immediately knows which tags are relevant. By using tags consistently, everyone on the team finds the right documents faster and more clearly.

Conclusion

Classic folder structures quickly reach their limits. Tagging documents offers far more flexibility, saves time, and reduces the risk of chaos and duplicates. By adding meaningful tags to your files, you ensure quick findability and clear structures—without getting lost in a rigid folder system.