Include subfolders and aliases

Before changing the scope

For a one-off task, first choose Actions > Clear Selected Preset if a preset or workflow is selected, then choose Manually in the execution timing menu. With an individual preset selected, changes to Subfolders and Aliases can be saved to that preset instead.

Both switches are off in a fresh one-off setup. A selected preset may restore different settings.

Include files inside subfolders

1. Open View > Inspector > Filters.
2. Under File Selection, turn Subfolders on.
3. Add the folder through Add Files, or let the workspace update if that folder is already added.
4. Wait until file collection finishes and review the contents.

With Subfolders off, Little Tagger collects the immediate children of an added regular folder, but does not open child folders to collect their contents. With it on, it also collects nested contents.

For example, consider this folder:

Project files/
  Notes.txt
  Reference/
    Specification.txt

When you add Project files, Notes.txt can appear with either setting. Specification.txt requires Subfolders to be on. The Reference folder entry is visible only when the file-type filter allows folders.

Turning Subfolders off updates the collected list without undoing any tags already written to nested files. The switch controls traversal from added folders; it does not exclude a nested file that you also added individually.

Show folder entries as well as files

1. Under File Filter, choose is.
2. Choose Any File + Folders to include file and folder entries, or Folder to show only folders.
3. Review the workspace before choosing an action.

The Subfolders switch and File Filter have different jobs. The switch controls whether Little Tagger opens child folders to collect more contents. The filter controls which collected entries are shown and eligible for the action.

Include Finder alias files

1. Open Filters and turn on Aliases under File Selection.
2. Add the folder containing the alias, or wait for that already-added folder's contents to update.
3. Under File Filter, choose is > Aliases to show only alias entries, or an appropriate broader type such as Any File.
4. Select the alias entry and prepare the tagging action.

An alias included as an alias entry is the item being tagged. Enabling Aliases does not follow it to tag the original file, and an alias to a folder does not make Little Tagger collect that original folder's contents.

To tag the original instead, add the original file or folder directly and review those entries. The Aliases switch and the Aliases type filter are separate: the type filter cannot show aliases that were omitted while collecting the folder contents.

What is not expanded

Hidden items inside added folders are skipped during folder traversal. Apps and document packages are kept as single items instead of being opened as ordinary subfolders.

Folder access still applies. Turning on Subfolders or Aliases does not grant access to unavailable locations. See Set up folder and volume access.

When the list is not what you expected