--- title: Understanding Tags description: Tags are labels that define the way a certain information should be processed. In CAT tools generally, tags are used to mark parts of a text that have different formatting i.e. different fonts, differ --- [Skip to content](https://guides.matecat.com/tag#main-content) [![matecat-logos\_Tavola disegno 1 copia (1)](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/matecat-logos_Tavola%20disegno%201%20copia%20(1).png?width=200&height=40&name=matecat-logos_Tavola%20disegno%201%20copia%20(1).png)](https://www.matecat.com/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Contact us](https://guides.matecat.com/kb-tickets/new) [Contact us](https://guides.matecat.com/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) How can we help you today? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [User guide](https://guides.matecat.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [Tags](https://guides.matecat.com/tags?hsLang=en) # Understanding Tags ### What are tags? Tags are labels that define how specific information should be processed. In Matecat, they help preserve formatting and other structural elements from the source file in the translated file. They can represent elements such as formatting, links, placeholders, and other information that must be retained in the translation. Tags are displayed in the source and target segments and can be managed directly in the **Translation Editor**. Here you can find more information about how to manage tags. Here you can find some examples of how a formatted text is displayed within Matecat: ###### Ex.1 Matecat is a free and open-source CAT tool (Computer-aided translation), that is a collaborative working platform for translators and project managers. In Matecat UI you will see: ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-42-9135-PM.png?width=670&height=83&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-42-9135-PM.png) ###### Ex.2 **Matecat** is a free and open source **CAT tool** (Computer-aided translation), which is a collaborative working platform for translators and **project managers**. In Matecat UI you will see: ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-42-6643-PM.png?width=670&height=106&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-42-6643-PM.png) In this example, tags 1, 2 and 3 correspond to text in bold. ###### Ex.3 Matecat is a free and open source CAT tool (Computer-aided translation), that is a collaborative working platform for translators and **project managers** In Matecat UI you will see: ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-42-4125-PM.png?width=670&height=105&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-42-4125-PM.png) In this example, tag 1 corresponds to underlined text, while tag 2 corresponds to text in bold. The ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-42-1865-PM.png?width=23&height=24&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-42-1865-PM.png) represents an opening tag whereas the![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-43-1700-PM.png?width=32&height=27&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-43-1700-PM.png)represents a closing tag. For each opening tag, you should have a matching closing tag. If Matecat detects tag issues in the job, it shows a warning icon. [Here](https://guides.matecat.com/fixing-tags?hsLang=en) you can read more about how to handle tag issues. ### Managing Tags Tags are displayed in the source and target segments and can be managed directly in the **Translation Editor**. Depending on the action you want to perform, you can use the **Tags** menu or interact directly with the tags in the segment. You can insert missing tags, remove existing tags, and [expand or collapse paired tags in XLIFF 2.0 files](https://guides.matecat.com/tag#expand-and-collapse). ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-44-6911-PM.png?width=670&height=195&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-44-6911-PM.png) ### **Insert a missing tag** In Matecat, you can add or insert a missing formatting tag into your target segment by placing your cursor where the tag belongs, typing \< or pressing Alt + t, and selecting the correct tag from the menu. ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-43-3794-PM.png?width=670&height=332&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-43-3794-PM.png) Alternatively, you can click a tag in the source segment and drag and drop it directly into the target segment. You can also copy tags from the source to the target using the **Tags** menu: ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-45-9380-PM.png?width=670&height=217&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-45-9380-PM.png) ### **Remove a tag** You can remove an existing tag directly from the target segment by selecting it and deleting it. To remove all tags from the target segment, use the **Tags** menu: ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-45-2720-PM.png?width=670&height=168&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-45-2720-PM.png) Only remove a tag when it is not required to preserve the formatting or structure of the target file. Removing a required tag may result in a[tag issue](https://guides.matecat.com/fixing-tags?hsLang=en) that needs to be fixed before the file can be downloaded. ### **Expand and collapse \ tags** For **XLIFF 2.0 \ tags**, you can expand or collapse tags from the **Tags** menu. When a \ tag is **collapsed**, the text contained between its opening and closing tags is hidden. This reduces visual clutter and makes segments with complex formatting easier to read. Collapsed tags: ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-44-0799-PM.png?width=670&height=182&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-44-0799-PM.png) Expanded tags: ![](https://guides.matecat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-46-6082-PM.png?width=670&height=193&name=undefined-Nov-06-2026-02-21-46-6082-PM.png) You can **expand** the tag again whenever you need to view its contents. **Note:** The expand/collapse option is available for tag types that have both an opening and a closing tag and contain text that can be displayed or hidden. - [Getting Started](https://guides.matecat.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Matecat overview](https://guides.matecat.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#matecat-overview) - [Data security](https://guides.matecat.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#data-security) - [Workflow](https://guides.matecat.com/workflow?hsLang=en) - [Machine Translation](https://guides.matecat.com/machine-translation?hsLang=en) - [Language assets](https://guides.matecat.com/language-assets?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Translation Memories](https://guides.matecat.com/language-assets?hsLang=en#translation-memories) - [Termbase](https://guides.matecat.com/language-assets?hsLang=en#termbase) - [Project Analysis](https://guides.matecat.com/project-analysis?hsLang=en) - [Editor](https://guides.matecat.com/editor?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Revision](https://guides.matecat.com/editor?hsLang=en#revision) - [Settings](https://guides.matecat.com/editor?hsLang=en#settings) - [Workspace](https://guides.matecat.com/workspace?hsLang=en) - [Tags](https://guides.matecat.com/tags?hsLang=en) - [Working faster](https://guides.matecat.com/working-faster?hsLang=en) - [Quality check tools](https://guides.matecat.com/quality-check-tools?hsLang=en) - [Advanced Features](https://guides.matecat.com/advanced-features?hsLang=en) - [Matecat utilities](https://guides.matecat.com/matecat-utilities?hsLang=en) - [Google integration](https://guides.matecat.com/google-integration?hsLang=en) - [Contact us](https://guides.matecat.com/contact-us?hsLang=en) [![Chill listening crop-3](https://guides.matecat.com/hubfs/logo_matecat_small-1.svg "Chill listening crop-3")](https://www.matecat.com) The Matecat support team is available Monday/Friday from 9:00 to 19:00 CET. 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