Use keyboard shortcuts and the menu bar
Add Finder selections, navigate the app, and use Favorites without confusing selection with execution.
Last updated: 2026-09-11
Quick answer
Select files in Finder and use Finder > Services > Add to Little Tagger, or its configured shortcut, normally Command-Shift-E. Inside Little Tagger, use the menu shortcuts below. Favorites commands can run their saved setup according to its timing, so review the target files and timing before using them.
Add Finder selections with the shortcut
Video walkthrough coming soon. Follow the steps below.
Send selected files from Finder
- Open Little Tagger and set the intended setup to Manually when you need to review files before tagging.
- In Finder, select the files or folders to add.
- Choose Finder > Services > Add to Little Tagger, or press its configured shortcut, normally Command-Shift-E.
- Review the files in Little Tagger's workspace.
This is a file-context macOS Service. It is not a promise that the shortcut captures arbitrary selections from every app. Automatic preset or workflow timing can run after files are added.
Enable or change the Finder Service shortcut
Open System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Services. Find Add to Little Tagger and enable it. Use the shortcut field there to assign a non-conflicting combination. Apple documents Services settings and keyboard shortcut changes.
Test the Services menu with a file selected in Finder first. If the menu works but the keys do not, check the assigned combination and conflicts. Little Tagger does not provide a separate global-hotkey editor in its General settings.
Common app shortcuts
These shortcuts apply when Little Tagger is active. Command is ⌘, Option is ⌥, and Shift is ⇧. In a text field, normal text-editing behavior may take precedence.
| Action | Shortcut | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Add Files... | ⌘O | Open the file picker. |
| Execute | ⌘Return | Run the current action, honoring execution timing. |
| Filter Files | ⌘F | Focus the workspace filename search. |
| Enter Tags | ⌘T | Focus tag entry in the Tags inspector. |
| AI Tag Suggestions | ⌘G | Open/request suggestion generation for workspace files. |
| Clear Selected Files | Delete | Remove selected workspace entries, not original files. |
| Clear All Files | ⌘⇧Delete | Clear the workspace, not the files on disk. |
| Clear Selected Preset | Escape | Clear the preset or workflow selection when the main workspace handles the command. |
| List View / Grid View | ⌘⇧L / ⌘⇧G | Change workspace presentation. |
| Settings... | ⌘, | Open app settings. |
More Actions shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Clear Filename Filter | ⌘⌥Delete |
| Clear Tags | ⌘⌥T |
| File Type Filter | ⌘⌥F |
| Execution Options | ⌘⌥E |
| Manage Presets... | ⌘⌥L |
| Manage Tags... | ⌘⌥, |
| Import Tags | ⌘⌥I |
| Close Window | ⌘⇧W |
Clear Tags clears prepared tag selection; it does not remove file tags by itself. With a saved preset selected, it also changes that preset's selected tags. Clear Filename Filter clears the workspace search, not every condition in the Filters inspector.
Use Favorites carefully
Star a preset or workflow to add it to Favorites. The first ten receive the shortcuts shown beside them: ⌘1 through ⌘9, then ⌘0. Check the current assignment after adding or removing Favorites.
The small Little Tagger status icon in the macOS menu bar has its own menu. Choose a favorite there to set the selection, or Open Little Tagger to return to the window. This does not itself fetch the current Finder selection. The app's Favorites menu and the status-icon menu should not be treated as interchangeable run commands.
When a shortcut does nothing
Check which app and control has focus, whether a dialog is open, and whether the menu command is enabled. Try the named menu command rather than repeating the keys. For Favorites, check the item currently assigned to that number. For missing files or an unexpected run, use Fix presets or workflows that do not run or Fix missing files or tags that did not change.