Foam

Tags

Tags provide flexible categorization and organization for your notes beyond wikilinks and folders.

Creating Tags

Inline Tags

Add tags directly in note content:

# Machine Learning Fundamentals

This covers basic algorithms and applications.

#machine-learning #data-science #algorithms #beginner

Front Matter Tags

Add tags in YAML front matter:

---
tags: [machine-learning, data-science, algorithms, beginner]
---

Hierarchical Tags

Create tag hierarchies using forward slashes:

#programming/languages/python
#programming/frameworks/react
#work/projects/website-redesign
#personal/health/exercise

Autocompletion

Typing # shows existing tags. In front matter, use Ctrl+Space for tag suggestions.

Tag Explorer

Use the Tag Explorer panel in VS Code’s sidebar to:

• Browse hierarchical tag structure
• Filter by tag names
• Click tags to see all associated notes
• View tag usage counts
• Search for tags (click the search icon or use “Foam: Search Tag” command)

Tags also appear in the [graph-view] with customizable colors.

Tag Search

Search for all occurrences of a tag across your workspace:

1. Use the command palette: “Foam: Search Tag”
2. Or click the search icon next to a tag in the Tag Explorer panel

Results appear in VS Code’s search panel where you can navigate between matches.

Known limitation: this command leverages VS Code’s search capability, so it’s constrained by its use of regular expressions. The search is best-effort and some false search results might show up.

Custom Tag Styling

Customize tag appearance in markdown preview by adding CSS:

1. Create .foam/css/custom-tag-style.css
2. Add CSS targeting .foam-tag class:

   .foam-tag {
     color: #ffffff;
     background-color: #000000;
   }
   

3. Update .vscode/settings.json:

   {
     "markdown.styles": [".foam/css/custom-tag-style.css"]
   }
   

Tags vs Backlinks

Some users prefer [[book]] backlinks instead of #book tags for categorization. Both approaches work - choose what fits your workflow.

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