A Laymen's Guide to Tagging
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DON'T TAG A PAGE IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TAGGING RULES AND PROCEDURES.


What's a tag, and what are they used for?

Tags are keywords that can be found at the bottom of any page on the wiki, that will allow you to find other pages with similar elements, characters, or settings. You can use the page Tag Search 2.0 to combine multiple tags and find articles tagged (for example) euclid and humanoid, or automaton, keter, and broken-god, or you can click on a tag you see on a page to get a list of all pages tagged with that specific tag. If you're not seeing any, that means a member of the Maintenance and Ancillary Staff Team have yet to tag the article, but will do so eventually.

Due to the use of tags in staff processes, any user who incorrectly applies tags to an article will receive a tagging infraction. The user who applied the tag will receive a PM explaining their mistake, and if a user accumulates three total infractions, a C&D may be applied, and any further infractions will be met with disciplinary action.

The following actions will incur a tagging infraction.

  • Adding or removing a Staff tag that has been applied to an article.
  • Adding a Top Level tag to an article without completely tagging said article.
  • Adding a tag that is not found on the Tech Hub Tag List.
  • Adding a tag to an article that doesn't follow the rules stated in the Tech Hub Tag Page.
  • Removing any valid tags on an article.

What are the different types of tags?

As of the writing of this guide, there are currently 588 tags utilized on the SCP wiki. Due to the large amount, and constant addition of new tags, this guide will not attempt to explain every tag on the wiki, but will attempt to explain what the different tags are and what they are for. If you are looking for a more comprehensive guide which defines every tag, then look at the Tech Hub Tag List (the source of truth are the formal definitions in the Tag List Manifest).

SCP Attribute

Attribute tags are used to denote different aspects of an SCP, such as what it is made of, where it can be found, and what it can do. Only SCP articles can be given these tags, and incorrect application of these tags will warrant a tagging infraction.

(Example)

If an SCP article about a singular live bee that can control reality was posted to the site, then it would be given the following tags:

  • animal — SCP is or exhibits traits of animal life.
  • alive — SCP is alive, meaning it exhibits traits of metabolism, reaction, and reproduction.
  • insect — SCP is or is related to insects.
  • airborne — SCP lives in, moves through, or spreads through the air.
  • ontokinetic — SCP is capable of manipulating reality through anomalous means.

(Note) Attribute tags make up the bulk of tags on the site, and an SCP article must be tagged with all attributes that apply before being considered complete. Application of major tag before this has been done will warrant a tagging infraction.

SCP Object Class Tags

Object Class tags are used to denote the object class of an article. If an article is given the object class safe, euclid, keter, thaumiel, archon, apollyon, explained, or neutralized, it will be given the respective tag. If it is assigned a class other then the tags mentioned previously, then it will be tagged as esoteric-class. Only SCP articles can be given these tags, and incorrect application of these tags will warrant a tagging infraction.

(Example)

Alright, lets give our bee a class. Because it is just a singular bee, then it is likely it can be contained in a normal enclosure, so it will be tagged as:

(Note) If an article has its object class changed throughout an article, then it will be tagged with its final object class. Two different object class tags should never be applied to a single article.



Character / Location Tags

These tags are applied to articles that contain a character, or setting that exists within the Foundation universe. The respective character, or setting must be featured significantly in the article in order to qualify for a tag. These tags can be applied to SCPs, Tales, and GOI Formats.

(Example)

Using our example from earlier, If our bee was researched primarily by Dr. Alto Clef, and the article features a log that takes place in the city of Three Portlands, then it would be given the following tags:

  • doctor-clef — The article features Dr. Alto Clef as a primary focus.
  • three-portlands — The article features the city of Three Portlands.

(Note) There is no limit to the amount of location, or character tags an article can have. However, they must be prominently featured in the article in order to qualify.

Groups of Interest / Canon Tags

These tags are given to articles that exist within a canon listed on the Canon Hub, or contains a prominent GOI. The article must have a significant connection to a canon, or GOI in order to qualify for its respective tag. These can be applied to SCPs, Tales, and GOI Formats.

(Example)

Now, if our singular live bee was also discovered within a MC&D auction house, and the article was set primarily in the Broken Masquerade canon, then it would also be given the tags:

(Note) If the article is a GOI Format that appears on the GOI Formats Hub, then it will be applied with its respective hidden tag. For example, the MC&D GOI Format will be assigned the tags marshall-carter-and-dark and _marshall-carter-and-dark.

Staff Process / Major Tags

These are tags that are utilized by staff in order to facilitate work on the SCP wiki. This category also includes tags that are only applied to articles that have been fully tagged and authorized by a member of the tagging sub team.

THESE TAGS MAY BE APPLIED BY NON STAFF

However, incorrect application or removal of these tags will warrant a tagging infraction.

  • fragment — A page that is designed to be imported onto a single page.
  • _image — An article containing an image that needs to be checked for license compliance.
  • _licensebox — Used to mark an article that is utilizing a licensebox.
  • co-authored — Used to mark an article that was written by multiple users.

THESE TAGS ARE TO ONLY BE APPLIED TO FULLY TAGGED ARTICLES

The application of these tags to articles that have not been completely tagged and/or their removal from pages that have been completely tagged will result in a tagging infraction.

  • scp — The article is an SCP.
  • goi-format — The article is a GOI Format.
  • tale — The article is a Tale.
  • joke — The article is a Joke SCP, or Tale.
  • explained — The article is an Explained SCP.
  • 001-proposal — The article is a 001 Proposal.
  • creepypasta — The article is a Creepypasta.
  • supplement — The article is a page which requires context from their parent page to understand.
  • site — The article is a Site Dossier.
  • author — The article is an Author page.
  • artwork — The article is an Art Hub.
  • essay — Articles that contain useful information on specific topics that may be helpful to authors.

THESE TAGS ARE TO ONLY BE APPLIED BY STAFF

The application or removal of these tags by non staff will result in a tagging infraction.

  • contest — Articles that are created for the purpose of community contests.
  • required — Guides that are part of the required reading for joining the SCP Wiki.
  • redirect — Pages which redirect the user to a different page.
  • featured — Reserved by staff for designating Featured Articles and Featured Tales.
  • prize-feature — Reserved by staff for designating articles featured by the winner of a site contest.
  • reviewers-spotlight — Reserved by staff for designating articles featured by a forum reviewer.
  • event-featured — Reserved by staff for designating articles featured on special event days such as International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
  • metadata — Reserved by staff for designating pages with structured meta information about articles.
  • archived — Pages which have been archived due to having been superseded, obsoleted, or inactivity.
  • in-rewrite — This is a temporary tag that indicates the article is currently being rewritten.
  • deletion-range — This is a temporary tag that indicates the article is currently being voted on for deletion.
  • deletable — This is a temporary tag that indicates the article has been voted on for deletion but not yet deleted.
  • _cc — This tag indicates that all images on the page in question are compliant with current licensing policy.
  • admin — Admin pages, as the name suggest, have some sort of official significance.
  • _theme-temp — Temporary tag used for marking old theme locations while they were moved from the component category to the theme category.
  • crosslink — This is a temporary tag that indicates the Wikiwalk Sub team of MAST is currently proposing revisions on the page, which should be seen in the comments.
  • guide — These pages are writing guides, helpful hints, or other pages intended to assist authors contributing to the site.
  • news — news pages contain news about the SCP Foundation ranging from new artwork by fans to recently posted successful articles and everything in between.

How do I tag a page?

You don't have to, and it is recommended you don't unless you have a firm understanding of the tagging rules and procedures. Members of the tagging sub-team will tag any article that is created, so if you see an article without tags, it is best to leave it blank. If you would like help by tagging your own articles, please familiarize yourself with the tagging rules stated in this guide, read the Comprehensive Tag Guide, and the Tech Hub Tag List thoroughly, and then contact a member of MAST with your suggestions. If they give you the go-ahead, feel free to apply them to the article.

I have an idea for a tag!

If you would like to propose a new tag to bee added to the Tech Hub Tag List, then you will need to gather a collection of articles that would meet the criteria for the new tag, and then propose the addition to either the Tag Proposal Forum. A member of the Technical Team will look over the proposal and either approve, or deny the request. The following are the requirements for adding a new tag.

GOI Tag: The proposal must include 5 articles by 3 authors that feature the GOI as a primary focus. It is recommended that proposals have 10 articles by 5 authors.

Character Tag: The proposal must include 5 articles by 3 authors that feature the GOI as a primary focus. It is recommended that proposals have 10 articles by 5 authors.

Attribute Tag: Attribute tags have a higher expectation of applicable articles in order to be considered. The tag must cover a minimum of 15 articles, and it must also be distinct enough to the point where another existing tag, or combination of tags would not cover the articles in question.

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