Flickr was tagging photos before tagging was cool. We’ve always believed that a good tag does more than just labeling a photo, it connects that photo to the right audience. If you want your photos to actually be found, tagging is the highest value thing you do when uploading them to Flickr.
The Basics
Think of tags as the keywords that tell Flickr (and anyone searching it) what’s actually in your photo. Someone hunting for “bokeh” or “dogs” finds your work because you tagged for it. Tags add meaning to your photos, which means better search results, better discoverability, and more people coming across your work who might not have otherwise.
Want a visual walkthrough? This quick video covers how to add tags step by step.
Quick tip: After typing a tag, hit the enter key, not the blue “Done” button. Enter locks the tag in; done just closes the modal.
Tags do a lot of silent work behind the scenes at Flickr by helping:
- Drive engagement
- Get your work featured on our daily Explore page and our monthly Explore takeovers
- Populate the Trending tags page
- Surface groups and communities that match your interests
- Determine eligibility for contests and challenges, like our current World Photography Day contest.
- And so much more!
Best practices
Mix general and specific. A broad tag like “dogs” puts you in a big pool of searches. A specific one like “pug” or “pittie,” gets you in front of the people specifically looking for that breed. Bonus: Flickr’s search will often suggest related tags once you start typing, so the more accurate tags you use, the more of these helpful suggestions you’ll see.
Tag your location. Continent, country, city, even the specific venue or trailhead, location tags are some of the most useful ones you can add. People browsing Flickr are often looking for a specific place, whether that’s research for a future trip or just curiosity about somewhere they’ve never been. Make their journey a little easier by providing some location specific and your audience will come to you.
Read the fine print for contests and groups. If you’re submitting to a contest, Explore takeover, or group challenge, tagging requirements usually aren’t optional meaning that missing the required tag could result in your photo not being considered at all.
Skip the following:
- Generic filler tags like “photo” or “image”, they don’t help anyone find anything
- Spam or excessive tagging can actually hurt discoverability rather than help it
- Avoid popular tags that have nothing to do with your photo and keep it relevant
For more information on tagging, check out:
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