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What are tags and how to add a tag

Calendar icon marking the date this article was publishedMay 12, 2026
Clock icon marking how long this article takes to read5 min read

What is a Tag?

A tag is a custom label applied manually to a prospect or message thread. Unlike automated statuses, tags are custom identifiers used to group specific sets of prospects (e.g., "Conference Leads" or "Urgent Follow-up") within your inbox.

The Value of Tags

Tags allow you to create custom workflows on top of standard system automation. While the system automatically tracks statuses like "Replied" or "Booked," tags let you manually mark high-priority leads, organize specific event lists, or assign ownership in shared accounts.

Step 1: Navigate to the 'Messages' tab.

Home screen with Messages highlighted in the side navigation, beside the list of today's high impact tasks and the details of the selected one

Step 2: Click the prospect you want to add a tag to.

Messages screen with the first conversation in the list highlighted, showing the prospect, their company and the pending reply status

Step 3: Click the three dots (...) menu on the specific prospect card.

Conversation header with the overflow menu button highlighted, to the right of the resume sequence and profile buttons

Step 4: Select 'Edit tags'.

Conversation overflow menu open with edit tags highlighted, alongside resume sequence, mark as unread, change status, mark as done, archive and share

Step 5: Type your custom label in the 'Search or add your own' field and select it from the dropdown; Spear will create the tag and you can then click

Add tags to prospect dialog with the tag picker highlighted and the chosen tag listed underneath, above the cancel and save buttons

'Save tags'

Step 6 (optional): You can add more than one at the same time!

Conversation with the add tags dialog open and two chosen tags highlighted, ready to be saved onto the prospect

This is where they'll appear once you save them (highlight in yellow box)

Conversation list showing the newly added tag highlighted under the prospect, with a confirmation that the tags were updated

Best Practices

  • Account Ownership: In multi-user accounts, use tags to separate prospects by Account Executive (e.g., "AE: Ryan", "AE: Sandra") to ensure clear ownership of responses.
  • Event Management: Tag prospects who showed interest in specific events (e.g., Black Hat London) to run targeted follow-ups later.
  • High-Priority Segmentation: Use tags to mark high-potential conversations that need manual nurturing before a meeting is set.

Related Articles

Ready to put this knowledge into action? Now that you understand the specific signals that define a prospect's potential, read our comprehensive guide on What is an indicator?  to see exactly how indicators fit into the automated process of finding your ideal audience.

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