PLS-4A: Understanding Tags and Tag Categories
Last updated: October 7, 2026
Overview
Tags are labels that categorize students, rooms, and applications throughout Housing.Cloud. This article teaches you what tags are, where they live, how tag categories organize them, and how to create your first tags and categories.
Duration: 15 minutes
What you'll learn: Tag types (profile, application, inventory, task), tag categories (exclusive vs non-exclusive), tag visibility (public vs private), and how to create tags and categories.
What Are Tags?
Tags are customizable labels that categorize and organize data. Think of them as color-coded sticky notes you attach to students, applications, rooms, or tasks.
Tags serve three purposes:
Organization: Group students by cohort, preference, or characteristic
Filtering: Quickly find specific populations
Automation: Drive workflows, matching rules, and access control
Example: A student named Sarah has these tags on her profile: "Class of 2028," "Pre-Med," "Athlete - Soccer." Her housing application has additional tags: "Early Move-In Approved," "Roommate Request: Emily Davis." These tags help you filter, report, and match Sarah appropriately.
Understanding Profile Tags vs Application Tags
Before diving into tag types, it's critical to understand the difference between profile tags and application tags - this affects how you design your tag strategy.
Profile Tags: Persistent Characteristics
Purpose: Biographical and demographic data that defines who the student IS, not what they prefer for a specific housing cycle.
When to use profile tags:
Characteristics that persist across multiple housing cycles
Demographic data that comes from SIS (class year, gender, residency status)
Permanent designations (athlete, honors program, international student)
Data used for cycle/phase access control
How they update: Profile tags stay current - they update when SIS data changes or when manually edited.
Application Tags: Contextual Snapshots
Purpose: Preferences and circumstances specific to a single housing application/cycle.
When to use application tags:
Preferences that might change cycle-to-cycle ("First Choice: East Hall" for Fall, "First Choice: West Hall" for Spring)
Cycle-specific requests ("Roommate Request: Sarah," "Early Move-In Requested")
Time-based status ("Application Submitted: 3/15/2025," "Priority Review")
Data used for roommate matching and reporting (preferences captured via forms)
How they update: Application tags are frozen snapshots from submission time. They never update, even if the student's profile changes.
Rule of Thumb: If the information defines WHO the student is and might be used for access control → use profile tags. If it's a preference or circumstance for THIS housing cycle only → use application tags.
Tag Types: Where Tags Live
Tags can be applied to four different entity types. Each tag is created with specific "applicability" that determines where it can be used.
Profile/Application Tags
Applied to: Student profiles and housing applications
Profile tags are permanent characteristics tied to the student as a person, not to a specific housing application. These persist across all cycles and update when the student's information changes:
Class of 2028 (updates as student progresses)
Transfer Student
Student-Athlete
International Student
Honors Program
Gender Identity
Application tags are contextual to a specific housing application and frozen at submission time. These are snapshots that represent preferences or circumstances for that particular cycle:
First Choice: East Hall (specific to Fall 2025 app, might be different for Spring 2026)
Prefers Single Room
Early Move-In Requested
Roommate Request: Sarah Johnson
Application Submitted: 3/15/2025
Critical Difference: Application tags are frozen snapshots tied to a specific housing application. They represent preferences and circumstances for that cycle only ("First Choice: East Hall" for Fall 2025 might be different for Spring 2026). Profile tags are persistent characteristics that update when student information changes via SIS sync or manual edits.
For access control: Housing cycles and room selection phases only check profile tags when determining eligibility. Application tags won't affect who can access cycles or phases. Use profile tags (or profile field mapping) for access control.
Inventory Tags
Applied to: Buildings, suites, rooms, and beds
Examples:
ADA Accessible
Air Conditioned
Honors Housing
Substance-Free
First-Year Only
Renovated 2024
Where you see them: Inventory sections, occupancy reports, student room selection interface
Task Tags
Applied to: Maintenance requests and work orders
Examples:
Plumbing
Electrical
HVAC
Urgent
Routine
Where you see them: Tasks section, task routing and assignment
Multi-Applicability Tags: When creating a tag, you can select multiple applicability types. A tag can apply to Profiles/Applications AND Inventory simultaneously if needed, though most tags work best with a single applicability type.
Tag Categories: Organizing Your Tags
Every tag belongs to exactly one category. Categories organize related tags and control whether students can have multiple tags from that category.
Example categories:
Sleep Schedule: Early Riser, Night Owl, Flexible
Study Habits: Quiet Study, Study Music OK, Group Study Preferred
Class Year: First-Year, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Graduate
Gender Identity: Male, Female, Non-Binary, Prefer Not to Answer
Exclusive vs Non-Exclusive Categories
Exclusive Category: A student can only have ONE tag from this category at a time.
When to use: Categories where multiple selections don't make sense
Examples:
Class Year (you can't be both First-Year AND Senior)
Gender Identity (one selection only)
Sleep Schedule (you're either Early Riser OR Night Owl, not both)
What happens: When you assign a new tag from an exclusive category, any existing tag from that category is automatically removed.
Non-Exclusive Category: A student can have MULTIPLE tags from this category.
When to use: Categories where multiple selections are valid
Examples:
Interests (can be "Outdoor Enthusiast" AND "Music Lover")
Study Habits (can prefer "Quiet Study" AND "Group Study" depending on context)
Housing Priority (can be "Athlete" AND "Honors Program" AND "International Student")
Data Integrity: Exclusive categories prevent tagging errors. If "Class Year" is exclusive, the system won't let you accidentally tag someone as both "First-Year" and "Senior."
Tag Visibility: Public vs Private
Public Tags
Who can see: Both admins and students
Where students see them:
Their own profile in the student portal
Potential roommates' profiles in the Roommate Finder
Existing roommates' tags (if configured)
When to use public tags:
Sleep Schedule preferences
Study Habits preferences
Interests and hobbies
Major/academic program
Any information that helps students find compatible roommates
Private Tags (Admin-Only)
Who can see: Admins only (students never see these)
When to use private tags:
Sensitive information (Disability Accommodation, Counseling Services)
Administrative workflows (Priority Review, Late Fee Waived)
Internal tracking (Data Import Batch 2024-08, Manual Override)
Financial information (Payment Plan, Financial Hold)
Privacy Consideration: Always use private tags for sensitive or confidential information. Public tags should only contain information you're comfortable with students seeing about themselves and potential roommates. When in doubt, make it private.
Creating Tag Categories
Step 1: Navigate to Setup → Tags → Tag Categories
Step 2: Click "New Category"
Step 3: Configure the category:
Category Name: Descriptive name (only visible to admins, not students)
Color: Choose a color to visually differentiate the category
Exclusive Tags: Check this box if students should only have one tag from this category at a time
Step 4: Click "Create"
Example: Creating "Sleep Schedule" category
Category Name: Sleep Schedule
Color: Blue
Exclusive Tags: ✓ (checked - students can only be Early Riser OR Night Owl, not both)
Category Names Are Admin-Only: Students never see category names. They only see individual tag names. Choose category names that help YOU organize tags in the admin portal.
Creating Individual Tags
Step 1: Navigate to Setup → Tags
Step 2: Click "New Tag"
Step 3: Configure the tag:
Tag Name: Descriptive name (this is what students and admins see)
Tag Color: Choose a color (helps with visual identification)
Tag Category: Assign to a category (required)
Tag Visibility: Public (students can see) or Private (admin-only)
Applicability: Select where this tag can be used:
☐ Profiles/Applications
☐ Inventory
☐ Task
Step 4: Click "Create"
Example: Creating "Early Riser" tag
Tag Name: Early Riser
Color: Yellow
Category: Sleep Schedule
Visibility: Public (students should see this in Roommate Finder)
Applicability: ☑ Profiles/Applications
Viewing and Managing Tags
Once created, tags appear in the tag list at Setup → Tags with these details:
Status: Active or Deprecated
Visibility: Public or Private
Applicability: Where the tag can be applied
Category: The tag's assigned category
Creation Date: When the tag was created
Management Options: Edit, archive, or delete
Editing Tags
Click the edit icon next to a tag to modify its name, color, category, visibility, or applicability. Click "Save" to apply changes.
Archiving Tags (Deprecating)
Click the grey X icon to deprecate a tag. Deprecated tags:
Remain on entities where they're already assigned
Cannot be assigned to new entities
Can be reactivated by clicking the grey checkmark icon
When to Archive vs Delete: Archive tags that are no longer needed but exist on historical records. Delete tags only if they were created in error and have never been assigned. Deleted tags cannot be restored.
Deleting Tags
Click the red X icon to permanently delete a tag. Deletion is only allowed if the tag has never been assigned to any entity. Once deleted, tags cannot be restored.
Real-World Tag Strategy Example
Here's a complete tag structure for a typical institution:
Category: Class Year (Exclusive, Private)
First-Year
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Graduate
Category: Gender Identity (Exclusive, Private)
Male
Female
Non-Binary
Prefer Not to Answer
Category: Sleep Schedule (Exclusive, Public)
Early Riser
Night Owl
Flexible
Category: Study Habits (Non-Exclusive, Public)
Quiet Study
Study Music OK
Group Study Preferred
Category: Housing Priority (Non-Exclusive, Private)
Athlete
Honors Program
International Student
Accessibility Needs
Transfer Student
Category: Room Features (Non-Exclusive, Inventory)
ADA Accessible
Air Conditioned
Private Bathroom
Kitchenette
Why This Structure Works: Exclusive categories prevent data errors. Public matching tags help students find roommates. Private administrative tags track internal workflows. Inventory tags control room visibility and matching.
Common Questions
Can I change a category from exclusive to non-exclusive after creation?
Yes, but be cautious. If you convert an exclusive category to non-exclusive, students who previously had one tag can now accumulate multiple tags from that category. Plan your exclusivity settings carefully during initial creation.
Can I change a tag's category after creation?
Yes, you can reassign a tag to a different category. However, this can affect exclusivity rules. If you move a tag from a non-exclusive to an exclusive category, students with multiple tags from the new category will lose tags automatically.
What happens if I delete a tag category?
You can only delete a tag category if it has no tags assigned to it. First, delete or reassign all tags in the category, then delete the empty category.
Should I make matching tags public or private?
If you want students to see tags in the Roommate Finder (Sleep Schedule, Study Habits, Interests), make them public. If tags are for administrative purposes only (Priority Review, Financial Hold), make them private.
What's Next
You've learned what tags are, how categories organize them, and how to create both. Next, you'll learn how to apply these tags to students, applications, and inventory.
Continue to: 📄 PLS-4B: Applying Tags: Manual, Bulk, Forms, and Profile Fields