# Containers and tags

Containers give your notes structure. Tags give them cross-cutting labels. Together they make your knowledge base easy to navigate, for you and your AI.

## What containers are

Containers are folders for your notes. They define where a note lives. A note belongs to one container (or sits in the inbox if unorganized).

Containers can be nested. For example:

Projects

Hjarni

Growth

Engineering

Side projects

Personal

Reading

Recipes

Each container can have its own [AI instructions](https://hjarni.com/docs/ai-instructions), so your AI behaves differently depending on context.

A container can also say what does **not** belong in it, for example "no meeting notes, those live in Inbox." Your AI reads it and files those notes elsewhere.

![The Work folder open in Hjarni, with its description, an AI instructions panel, two sub-folders (Meetings and Projects) and one tagged note.](https://hjarni.com/docs/folder.png)

A folder page: its description, the AI instructions that apply here, its sub-folders and its notes.

## What tags are

Tags are labels that cut across containers. A note can have multiple tags regardless of which container it lives in.

Use tags for themes, statuses, or categories that span your whole knowledge base:

chatgpt seo meeting idea research draft recipe

## When to use each

### Use containers when

- Notes belong to a project or area
- You want a folder tree structure
- You need different AI instructions per area
- You want to share a section with a team

### Use tags when

- A label applies across multiple containers
- You want to filter notes by topic or status
- You need a note to have multiple categories
- You're tracking a theme (e.g., "research", "idea")

The simple distinction: **containers = structure**, **tags = cross-cutting labels**.

## Best practices

### Prefer the most specific relevant container

Put a note about Hjarni SEO in *Projects > Hjarni > Growth*, not just *Projects*. The more specific the placement, the better the context for your AI.

### Reuse tags before inventing new ones

Check your existing tags before creating a new one. Five well-used tags are more valuable than fifty rarely-used ones.

### Avoid near-duplicate tags

Don't create both "meeting" and "meetings". Pick one and stick with it. You can merge duplicate tags from the tag page.

## How AI uses containers and tags

When your AI creates or organizes notes, it reads your containers and tags:

- It places new notes in the most relevant container based on content
- It reuses existing tags rather than inventing new ones
- It reads [container-level instructions](https://hjarni.com/docs/ai-instructions) to follow your conventions
- It can filter searches by container or tag to narrow results

Common questions

## FAQ

**Should I organize by folders or tags?**

Use both. Containers for structure (projects, areas), tags for cross-cutting themes (status, type). A note about an SEO idea for Hjarni goes in the Hjarni > Growth container and gets tagged "seo" and "idea".

**Can notes have multiple tags?**

Yes, unlimited. A note can have as many tags as you need.

**Can AI create tags?**

Yes. Your AI assistant can create new tags and assign them to notes. You can guide this behavior with AI instructions.

Questions about organization?

Email [evert@hjarni.com](mailto:evert@hjarni.com)