The Complete Guide to Tagging Images in WordPress (Step-by-Step)

Organizing images in WordPress can become unwieldy without the proper tools. The default media library provides limited options for arranging your images.

But implementing an image tagging system allows for smarter organization and better content strategy.

This guide will demonstrate step-by-step how to tag WordPress images using the WordPress Media Tagger plugin. Follow along to create an organized, searchable media library.

Why Proper Image Tagging Matters

Before we dive in, let‘s discuss why tagging images in WordPress is so important:

• 73% of content marketers say relevant images are "very effective" for their marketing campaigns [Hubspot]. Tagging makes images more discoverable.

• Site visitors are far more likely to engage with pages featuring images [Buffer]. Tagging surfaces better images for your content.

• The average WordPress site has 312 images [Builtvisible]. Tags allow better scaling.

Let‘s look at how the WordPress Media Tagger plugin can help manage your growing media library.

Install the WordPress Media Tagger Plugin

The first step is installing and activating the tagging plugin:

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
2. Search for "WordPress Media Tagger" and install the plugin.
   • This plugin has over 10,000 active installs and averages 4.8 out of 5 stars.
3. Activate the plugin.

Once activated, you‘ll immediately have more options for tagging your images across your WordPress site.

Now let‘s look at managing these tags.

Step 1: Create New Image Tags

Start adding tags that describe and categorize your images. This will make them far easier to surface in relevant content down the road.

Here‘s how to add new image tags:

1. Go to Media > Media Tags
2. Fill in the Name and Slug for your tag.
   • (E.g. Nature Photography, landscape-photography).
3. Add a Description.
4. Click Add New Tag when done.

Be sure to create all relevant tags you‘ll need to properly organize your media library before moving onto the next step.

Step 2: Assign Tags to Existing Images

Now it‘s time to put those tags to use!

Go through your media library and tag existing images:

1. Open the detail view for any image:
   
2. In the sidebar click Add Media Tags.
3. Start typing existing tag names or add new ones.
4. Click Update/Save to apply changes.

Repeat the process for each image you want tagged. This might feel tedious with a large media library, but upfront organization will pay dividends.

You can also save time by editing images in bulk to assign the same tags to multiple files at once.

Step 3: Search and Discover Tagged Images

Now that your images are tagged, you can put those tags to use finding relevant media for your content.

The plugin adds a Media Tags menu to the sidebar for browsing by tag:

Even better is the visual Terms View which displays tags in a grid. Simply click any tag bubble to filter the library:

Now inserting images into new posts becomes much faster with this visually searchable system.

Properly tagging images in WordPress does require some investment. But in terms of better content and improved productivity, it pays for itself many times over.

Hopefully this guide provided a complete overview of implementing an image tagging system with WordPress Media Tagger. Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions!