Smart Tagging Strategies in Content Catalog | Content Catalog Knowledge Base

An effective tagging system allows users to quickly classify content and find similar content. In this article, we share our favorite strategies for tagging in Content Catalog.

What are you working on today? A simple question that when answered can tell you how to tag your content. The answer to this question often reveals how someone understands what they are doing and thus how they might search for something. In other words, what is the best way to categorize the content they are looking for?

Example - Suzie is an architect at a large AE firm and answers the question like this: I am working on Egress stairs for the 5th street hotel project in the Berlin, Germany.

You can see the context that Suzie connects to her work.

Egress – Use Classification of the intended use of the content
Stairs – Category of Content already captured by Content Catalog
5th Street Hotel – Project Name that she would remember content from for future projects
Hotel – Market Sector of the kind of project the content is good for
Berlin, Germany – Location that can be important for regulations or even measurement

So we might then tag content based on the bolden text above to help Suzie find content. Suzie can also tag content in Content Catalog herself to help crowdsource this process.

Align Tags with Your Business Strategy

Have tags align with your team’s BIM content strategies. This could be as simple as what kinds of projects or places that content is used for so that you can grab what you need based on what you are working on.

For example, a sink could be used for a Residential or Commercial project and in a Kitchen or a Bathroom. Tagging by project type or place can give context to how the content is used and allows users to find content based on what they are working on (for example, a tag such as “Residential Kitchen Sink”).

Tag by Market Sector

You might also want to consider tagging content by Market Sector. This can help users find content relevant to the work they are doing by just knowing the kind of project they are working on. This is great for people who are new to the work or the profession in general.

Aviation
Education
Interiors
Healthcare
Hospitality
Residential
Retail...

Tag by Use / Space Type

You might also want to consider tagging content by how the content is used. In the example above Suzie mentions the stairs she is working on are used specifically for Egress. Some other Use classifications by Market Sector are:

Aviation Baggage People movers Gate seating Vehicles/Aircraft Gate connectors Facades Vertical transportation Bathrooms ADA content Ticket counters Standard sheets Standard Details Site content	Education Reception Restrooms Signage Classrooms Gym Offices Labs Cafeteria Kitchens Playground Site Components Lighting Facades	Interiors Lounge/Lobby Reception Restrooms Signage Partitions Finish materials Wall Panels Office Fronts Office seating Cafe/kitchens Lighting
Healthcare Reception Restrooms Signage Medical Equipment Offices Cafeteria Kitchen Security Lighting Vertical Transportation Nurses Station Patient Rooms Surgical Rooms	Hospitality Unit Keys Groups Unit Bath Groups Reception Restrooms Signage Classrooms Gym Pool Snack bar Back of House Site Components Lighting Facades	Residential Unit Groups Bathroom Groups Kitchen Groups ADA content Facades/exterior walls Parking layouts Vertical transportation Standard sheets Standard Details Site content

Tag by Division

You might also want to consider tagging content by Division Number & Name as this is an industry standard than many people use to communicate.

Division 01 — General Requirement
Division 02 — Site Works
Division 03 — Concrete
Division 04 — Masonry
Division 05 — Metals
Division 06 — Wood and Plastics
Division 07 — Thermal and Moisture Protection
Division 08 — Doors and Windows
Division 09 — Finishes
Division 10 — Specialties
Division 11 — Equipment
Division 12 — Furnishings
Division 13 — Special Construction
Division 14 — Conveying Systems
Division 15 — Mechanical/Plumbing
Division 16 — Electrical

Tag by Locale or Code Compliance

You might also want to consider tagging content by where the content is used if there are regulatory applications that make the content specifically used for that purpose.

IBC 20xx (International Building Code)
NEC 20xx (National Electrical Code)
OSHA Approved (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

Tag by Construction Type / Material

You might also want to consider tagging content by Construction Type or Material. Engineers will typically use a single system of materials like the common ones below.

Concrete
Steel
Wood

Tag by Alternate Names

You might also want to consider tagging content by Alternate or common names. You say sofa but I say couch. Different people may know content by similar or alternate names. So, anyone can add these as they find what they are looking for or request it be added.

Couch
Seating
Sofa
Chair
Lounge

Tag by Project

You might also want to consider tagging content by project. Users often think about what content they want to add based on what content they may have added to a specific project they worked on before. Therefore, tagging by project name makes it easier to find this content when working on a similar project.

Hopefully, we’ve inspired you to implement a tagging strategy that will make it even easier for your team to access content in Content Catalog. But don’t forget, you don’t need to have all your tags nailed down right away. Take it slow and revise as you go.