Metadata, Tags, and Labels can be used to annotate your files, trigger pipelines and more without changing the actual data in your files. Metadata, Tags, and Labels can also be searched. You can add metadata, tags, and labels in multiple places in the product.
Although metadata, tags, and labels seem to be very similar, they are actually designed to be used in very different ways.
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You can manage metadata, tags, and labels in the Attribute Management page. For information on how to do this, see this topic.
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You can add, edit, and delete metadata, tags, and labels in different places in the product. For step-by-step details on how to do this, see this topic.
Comparing Metadata, Tags, and Labels
Although metadata, tags, and labels are all used to annotate (or "decorate") files, they are actually designed to be used in very different ways. The table below provides a summary.
Item | Label | Metadata | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|
Format | Key:Value (Array) | Key:Value Pair | String |
Generates a New Version of File When Changed or Added? | No | Yes | Yes |
More than One Value Allowed? | Yes. Because a label is an array, one field can store several values. | No, there is one value per key. | No, there is one value. |
Maximum size | Label Name (Key): 128 characters | Metadata Value: | Tag Value: |
Additional Notes | Stored in the Database and not the S3 Object. Not archived with the product | Stored as part of the S3 Object in the S3 Bucket. | Stored as part of the S3 Object in the S3 Bucket. |
Metadata
Metadata is part of the S3 object, and generates a new file each time it is added or deleted. Metadata is also limited to 2KB of data per tag; this is an S3 limitation. Metadata is stored as key:value pair and is limited to one key per value. Consider using metadata if you want to annotate the file with fairly simple information that could be tracked, where the limitation to one key:value pair might be an asset. Unlike tags, metadata can be used to store values that are longer than 128 characters.
To learn how to add, edit, and delete metadata, see these topics
Tags
Tags are also part of the S3 object, and generates a new file each time it is added or deleted from the file. You can include up to 128 characters per tag. Consider using a tag to store data such as the name of a test event.
To learn how to add and delete tags, see these topics
Labels
Consider using a label for temporary annotations or if you need to annotate more complex information. A label is stored as an array and is stored in the database and therefore, does not generate a new version of the file if they are changed. A caveat; labels are not archived with the product, so if you need something more permanent, or that can be tracked, consider using metadata or tag instead. While the label key is limited to 128 characters, the value can be up to 1 GB in size. You can have an unlimited number of labels per file.
To learn how to add, edit, and delete labels, see these topics
Updated about a month ago