Find tagged files and understand usage counts
See where a tag is used and understand what the numbers do and do not include.
Last updated: 2026-09-11
Quick answer
In Actions > Manage Tags... > General, select one tag and wait for its usage scan. Read Usage and Where Used in the right-hand panel. Click a listed file to reveal it in Finder, or use Show more.... File counts describe accessible scanned locations, not every file everywhere.
Find a tagged file from the tag library
Video walkthrough coming soon. Follow the steps below.
Inspect one tag
- Open Actions > Manage Tags... > General.
- Find a tag with Filter Tags and select it. Leave other tags unchecked to show its details.
- Wait while Files shows Scanning.
- Read the Usage and Where Used sections on the right.
For a broader overview, choose Comfortable above the tag list. This displays columns including Files, Presets, Last Used, and Created. Use Compact for a simpler list.
Read the usage values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Files | Matching file items found through the accessible locations used for the scan. |
| Presets | Saved presets that reference the tag in their selected tag set. It is not a count of times those presets ran. |
| Recent / Last Used | Information retained in Little Tagger's recent-tag records, not a complete history of Finder activity. |
| Created | The library record's creation information, not the date the tag was first applied to any file. |
| Not scanned, Scanning, or No locations | A scan state. None of these means zero file usage. |
Never in a recent-use field means there is no retained recent-use record for that tag. Do not use it as proof that the tag has never been used.
Some saved conditions may refer to tag names independently of a preset's selected tag list. Review such conditions before deleting or renaming a tag even when the preset count looks small.
Reveal a matching file
In Where Used, click one of the listed files. Finder opens with that item selected; Little Tagger does not open the document for editing.
When Show more... appears, click it to display more file paths, then select the path you need. Use Back to return to the tag's details. The listed Folders are containing locations for found files; they are not a claim that those folders themselves carry the tag.
Know the scan boundary
Before relying on usage for cleanup, open Locations and check the relevant folders and volumes. Reconnect an external drive before scanning it. Add missing access using Set up folder and volume access.
The workspace is a separate working list. Clearing it does not remove a location from tag management, and selecting workspace files does not narrow the library usage scan.
Refresh stale-looking results
Open Locations, click Rescan, and review any warnings. Return to General, select the tag, and wait for the usage check to finish. Re-selecting a tag can refresh its detail scan.
If Finder shows a tag on a file that does not appear here, check the file's location and access first. A smaller count is not, by itself, evidence that Finder tags were deleted. For persistent differences, contact support with the location type and the message shown, without sharing private file contents.