---
title: Tags & Batch Operations
description: Organize mods with flexible tags instead of rigid categories. Filter, batch-update, and exclude with precision.
---

## Tags vs. Categories

Most launchers let you put a mod in one category. Polymerium uses **tags** — a mod can have as many tags as you want.

For example, Sodium might have:

```
performance  core  QoL  stability-watch
```

This lets you filter and operate on mods from multiple angles:

- "Show me all performance mods"
- "Update everything except stability-watch mods"
- "Disable all QoL mods for testing"

## Adding Tags

1. Select an instance and go to the **Setup** tab.
2. Each mod in the list has a tag field.
3. Type tags separated by commas or spaces. Tags are freeform — use whatever makes sense to you.

Tags are stored per-instance, per-package. The same mod can have different tags in different instances.

## Filtering by Tag

Use the tag filter in the mod list to narrow down what's visible. You can stack multiple tag filters to find exactly what you need.

## Batch Updates

When new mod versions are available:

1. Open the **Bulk Update** dialog.
2. Polymerium shows all mods with available updates.
3. Review each update and check/uncheck.
4. **Exclude by tag** — e.g. exclude all mods tagged `stability-watch` from the update batch.

This gives you fine-grained control over mass updates without losing the convenience of "update all."

## Using Tags in Deployment Rules

Tags aren't just for organization — they integrate with the [deployment rules engine](/docs/advanced/rules). You can create rules like:

- Skip all mods tagged `server-only` when deploying
- Redirect all mods tagged `datapack` to a custom path
- Normalize filenames for mods tagged `legacy-name`

See [Deployment Rules →](/docs/advanced/rules) for the full rule syntax.
