Import and refresh Finder tags
Bring Finder tags into Little Tagger and refresh the library when your tags change.
Last updated: 2026-09-11
Quick answer
Choose Actions > Import Tags. If a folder picker appears, use the preselected Finder tag database location and click Import. To scan tags used in your approved folders instead, open Manage Tags > Locations > Rescan. These actions update the tag library; they do not add files to the workspace.
Import Finder tags
Video walkthrough coming soon. Follow the steps below.
Import Finder tags
- In Little Tagger, choose Actions > Import Tags. The toolbar Import Tags button does the same job.
- If Little Tagger requests access, review the folder selected in Choose the tag database root. The picker starts at the location Little Tagger expects for Finder's tag database.
- Click Import and wait for the operation to finish.
- Choose Actions > Manage Tags..., open General, and use Filter Tags to find an imported tag. Clear the text and color filters to browse the full library.
When saved access is still valid, a later import can run without showing the folder picker again. The completion message reports the import result; it is not a count of files that were tagged.
Choose the right kind of refresh
| Action | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Import Tags | Read Finder's tag database into Little Tagger. |
| Locations > Rescan | Discover tags on files in folders and volumes you have granted access to. |
| Add Files (+) | Put files into the workspace for a tagging task. |
To rescan, open Actions > Manage Tags... > Locations, check the listed locations, and click Rescan. Reconnect any unavailable volume first. See Set up folder and volume access to add or restore a location.
A tag can be known to the library even when Little Tagger has not found a file using it in its accessible locations.
Import without replacing your library
The normal Import Tags command refreshes by adding or updating imported tag records. It is not a clean-slate rebuild. Imported information, including a matching tag's color, may be refreshed.
For the import controls inside tag management, open Locations and look for Tag Import on the right. Leave Overwrite off and click Import.... If the right panel is showing scan-result details, switch to another tab and return to Locations.
Understand Overwrite before using it
Use Overwrite only when you deliberately want to rebuild the library from that import, not to repair a missing file or a temporary access error. Record any group assignments and preset selections you need before proceeding.
To perform that rebuild, open Manage Tags > Locations, turn on Overwrite under Tag Import, then click Import.... After completion, review the library, groups, and presets before applying them to files. Turn Overwrite off again before any ordinary refresh in that session.
Replacing the library is different from using Delete on a tag. It does not itself run the delete-tag operation across your original files.
When an import does not look right
The folder picker cannot find the database
Cancel rather than selecting an unrelated folder. Retry Import Tags and check the folder the app requests. For tags on your own files, grant the containing location and use Rescan. Contact support if the database import continues to fail; do not edit Finder's database manually.
A tag appears to be missing
In General, clear Filter Tags and the color filter. Then rescan the location where the tagged file lives. A disconnected volume or an unapproved location is outside the current scan.
A count differs from Finder
Library entries, scanned file usage, and Finder's own tag display are different views of the data. Check Find tagged files and understand usage counts before treating a count difference as data loss.