tag ☆

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Description:
Manipulate and query tags on macOS files

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Productivity

Tags: macos file-management productivity cli automation

Install: brew install tag

About:
Tag is a command-line utility for manipulating and querying extended attributes (xattrs) on macOS files, including Finder tags and other metadata. It provides a more intuitive and powerful interface than the built-in `xattr` and `mdls` commands for working with file tags. This tool is essential for advanced file management and automation workflows on Apple systems.

Key Features:

Add, remove, and list Finder tags on files and directories
Query files based on tag names and other metadata attributes
Support for setting and reading arbitrary extended attributes
Scriptable command-line interface for automation

Use Cases:

Automating the organization of files in a directory based on tags
Building scripts that process files marked with specific tags (e.g., 'to-process')
Integrating tag-based file management into larger workflows

Alternatives:

xattr – Tag provides a more user-friendly syntax specifically for tags, whereas xattr is a lower-level tool for all extended attributes.
Finder – Tag enables automation and scripting, which is not possible with the manual Finder GUI.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 12, 2025 3:04am		1	VERSION_BUMP	703af4d1
Sep 22, 2023 12:20pm		1	VERSION_BUMP	8ae44580