Correcting an Incorrect Tag

Introduction

You may find that a tag has been entered incorrectly or that it no longer reflects the cataloging method used.

In Artshell, tags cannot be renamed directly. To correct a tag, you must replace it: locate all the elements associated with it, apply the new tag, and remove the incorrect one.

This guide shows you how to perform the task quickly and on a large scale, so you don't have to do it manually for each piece of content.

Why doesn't Artshell allow you to rename a tag directly?

In Artshell, tags do not exist as independent elements; instead, they are created automatically when assigned to content. For this reason, there is no "rename" function. To change a tag, you must assign a new one to the relevant elements and remove the previous one.

If you have questions about how tags work, read the article on this topic: Organizing Content: Tags and Lists

When Might It Be Useful to Correct a Tag?

It may be necessary to correct a tag in various situations.

For example:

You've imported many Contacts a tag that's spelled incorrectly, such as VIPP instead of VIP;
You've used multiple variations of the same tag, such as Collector, Collectors or Collector;
Do you want to make a category clearer, for example by replacing Important with Top Collector;
You've created duplicate tags with minor differences, such as Newsletter, newsletter or Newsletter;

This step is particularly important when an incorrect tag has been applied to many items, because it can make searches less accurate, create confusion when managing the archive, and result in incomplete results when you filter content.

Before You Begin

Before proceeding, it is important to remember that tags are independent for each section of Artshell. A tag created in the Contacts is different from a tag with the same name in the Artworks, Artists, or Events sections.

Example

If you use the "VIP " tag in Contacts Artworks, these are two separate tags. Correcting the one in Contacts will Contacts automatically change the one used in Artworks.

So, before we begin:

Identify the incorrect tag you want to correct;
Choose the correct tag you want to use instead;
Identify the section where the tag is located, for example Artworks, Contacts, Artists, or Events.

How to Replace an Incorrect Tag

Correcting a tag involves three simple steps.

1. Identify the elements associated with the incorrect tag

Go to the relevant section (for example Contacts, Artworks, Artists, or Events) and use the search bar to find the tag you want to correct.

Artshell will display all the elements associated with that tag.

2. Apply the new tag

Select all the items found, and in the panel Manage When you see it appear on the right, click Add tag. If the panel doesn't appear (for example, because your screen is too small), click the icon top right.
Click + Create tag.
Enter the tag you want to create in the space provided, then click " Create Tag." Click " Cancel " to go back.
Click the "Add " button in the lower-right corner to apply the tag you created to the Contacts .

At this stage, the elements will temporarily have both tags.

3. Remove the incorrect tag

After verifying that the new tag has been assigned correctly, remove the incorrect tag from those same items. To do this:

Use the search bar to find the incorrect tag you want to remove.
Select all the items found, and in the panel Manage When you see it appear on the right, click Remove tag. If the panel doesn't appear (for example, because your screen is too small), click the icon top right.
Select the incorrect tag from the list or search for it using the search bar, then click " Remove."

Once the tag has been removed from all items in the section, it will no longer appear among the available tags.

Just to be sure, you can perform one last search using the old, incorrect tag: if no results are returned, it means the replacement was completed successfully.

If the tag appears in multiple sections

If the same error also appears in other sections—for example, in both the Artworks and Events, you’ll need to repeat the procedure separately in each section.

How to Avoid Mistakes in the Future

Proper organization of tags makes the database easier to search and reduces the need for subsequent corrections.

Before you start cataloging content, we recommend that you establish a naming convention to use consistently over time. For example, decide in advance:

whether to use Italian or English;
whether to write the tags in the singular or plural;
how to handle uppercase and lowercase letters;
How to specify recurring years, events, or categories.

In the article " Organizing Content: Tags and Lists," you'll find more tips on how to organize tags.

If you use the Bulk Import feature to Contacts and Artworks, always check the tags in the Excel file before proceeding with the import.

A pre-import check allows you to easily identify typos, unwanted spaces, duplicates, or tags with the same meaning but written differently. Correcting an Excel file takes just a few minutes; correcting hundreds of items that have already been imported can take much longer.

Conclusions

Keeping your tags consistent is essential for properly organizing your archive and making searches, filters, lists, and segmentations more effective.

When you find an incorrect tag, we recommend that you correct it as soon as possible, especially if it has been assigned to a large number of items. This will keep the database organized and make it easier to manage content over time.