Best Practices for Tagging

We want your tagging experience to be easy and rewarding. If your images DO NOT have Tags, they will NOT show up in the CafePress Marketplace. Check out the tips below to see how you can show up on the Marketplace.

1. Enter Tags (keywords) that are specific and descriptive to your design. Think like a buyer, and use Tags that a buyer would use to find your images.
   
   
2. Use the Marketplace Stats to refine your tagging strategy and test your Tags for popularity.
   
   
   1. Enter one word at a time into the Tag field and check the stats (see example below).
   2. Select those Tags that are most popular. [Example below.]
   
   
   Your Tags:
   • These Image Tags have been searched 5 times today
   • These Image Tags were searched 1 times yesterday
   
   
3. Every Tag you add can dilute your ranking, so choose wisely. Do not over tag your images with Tags that are not as relevant. Follow Best Practice #1, "think like a buyer" and use Tags that a buyer would use to find your images.
   
   
4. Think about Search's narrowing feature, which allows users to drill down from the main category to sub-topics to find what they are looking for.
   
   For example: Dogs -> Pets -> Breeds -> Terrier If you have all these Tags in your image, you will show up in every category for this search.
   
   
5. Do NOT use irrelevant Tags to get your designs to show up. This is Tag Spam or Inappropriate Tagging.
   
   

Do: Enter Tags or keywords that are specific and descriptive.
Do: Enter synonyms. For example, use both "funny" and "humorous" for best results.
Do: Enter multiple words/or a phrase for a Tag to make sense. For example, enter "Garden State" for your New Jersey image.
Do: Enter variations of words with different cores. For example, use both "mice" and "mouse", "fairy" and "fairies".
Do: Be creative in your Tags. For example, to accompany a "Bush" image, use "Pro-Bush", "Dubya", "W".
Do: Enter Pro-Topic and Anti-Topic content. For example, enter "meat free" or "anti meat" for your vegetarian image.
Do: Remember to use important words from your product names and descriptions as Tags.
Don't: Enter Tags or keywords that have nothing to do with your design. This could cause your designs and products to appear in inappropriate search results and make it harder for people to find your designs and products. This is Tag Spam or Inappropriate Tagging.
Don't: Enter plurals and all verb tenses such as cats/cats and run/running. There's no need as our system is set up to reduce words to their core.
Don't: Enter the same word multiple times. This will not get your image to come up higher in search. The system will only recognize each word once.

Answering these questions can help you create a complete and effective set of Tags:

1. What is the Subject of your design?

   This will usually be a noun that describes something in the image.
   For example: dog, flower, baby

2. What is the Theme, Topic, or Concept of your design?

   These describe more abstract ideas and feelings.
   For example: passion, freedom, solitude, humor

3. What are the dominant Colors, Shapes, and Patterns in your design?
   
   For example: red, blue, bright, stripes, circle

4. How was the design originally created?
   
   For example: photograph, painting, illustration, collage, drawing

5. What Text is in the design?

   This can be words, phrases, or sayings that appear in your design.
   For example: Vote For Peace

For more information about Tags, check out the Tags FAQ.