e621:tag types ()
Tags can be typed. There are currently seven types of tag as ordered on all posts: artist, character, copyright, species, general, meta, and lore. (There is also an eighth type, called "invalid", but it's currently not in use.)
To change a tag type, go to the tag index, search for the tag you want to change, click "edit" on the tag's row in the list, and the select the type under the "Category" drop down menu. If you're adding a tag that has never been exist before on e621, or if you have a Privileged or higher account, prefix it with tagtype: when tagging (e.g., artist:john123). Note that lore tags and tags with more than 100 posts can only be changed by mods.
General
This is the default type of tag, hence it why it's mentioned first. If you do not specify a type of tag you want a tag to be when you create it, this is what it will become. General tags are for things that do not fall under other categories (e.g., female, chair, and translation_request).
Artist
Artist tags identify the tag as the artist, like max_blackrabbit or gideon. This doesn't mean the artist of the original copyrighted artwork (for example, you wouldn't use the ken_sugimori tag on a picture of Pikachu drawn by Mellis).
Copyright
A copyright tag is for the program or series a copyrighted character or other element (such as objects) was first featured in, like Renamon in Digimon or Pikachu and Poké Balls in Pokémon. It can also be used for the company that owns a program or series, like Disney owns the copyright to Mickey Mouse and Nintendo owns the Mario Bros series.
Character
A character tag is a tag defining the name of a character, like pinkie_pie_(mlp) or fox_mccloud.
Species
A species tag describes the species of a character or being in the picture like cat, feline or dog, canine.
Meta
Meta (as in metadata) is one of the two newest tag types introduced in March 2020. This type is for the technical side of the post's file, the post itself, or things relating to e6's own handling of a post.
Types of meta tags
- File resolution: hi_res, absurd_res, superabsurd_res, low_res, and thumbnail. Resolution meta tags are added automatically by the site, since it can read resolution metadata.
- Written, drawn, painted, or typed text.
- Text done in specific languages, including "real" or natural languages (e.g. english_text, japanese_text) and constructed languages (e.g. esperanto_text and fictional languages including tantalog_text from Lilo & Stitch).
- Poorly written English text (usually deliberate): engrish.
- Translation related tags: translation_request, partially_translated, translation_check, translated, hard_translated, translated_description.
- File aspect ratio: e.g. 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 1:1, widescreen, wallpaper, 4k.
- Animation length: short_playtime for under 30 seconds, and long_playtime for at least 30 seconds.
- Years in which the post itself was made: e.g. 2020.
- Types of media that artwork are made in, which (with the exception of mixed_media) are suffixed with _(artwork): e.g. digital_media_(artwork), 3d_(artwork), photography_(artwork), traditional_media_(artwork), pencil_(artwork).
- Animation and transitions: animated, animated_png (also media format-based), pixel_animation, 3d_animation, slideshow, frame_by_frame, loop.
- Audiovisual media formats: flash and webm.
- Flash posts with clickable or keyboard-compatible elements: interactive.
- comic for the paneled form of communication media. This also includes manga, doujinshi, and 4koma.
- Request tags for when users require assistance from others to provide further information (tagme, character_request, source_request, and the aforementioned translation_request) or if they want a censored post to have its censorship removed (uncensor_request).
- Posts with incorrect or improper metadata in the sidebar: bad_metadata.
- Posts that are missing a sample version of an image or whose sample image is broken: missing_sample.
- How colors, color palettes, and contrasts are used in a post: e.g. restricted_palette, monochrome, greyscale, black_and_white, sepia, dark_theme, light_theme, blue_theme, blue_and_white, colorful, spot_color, high_contrast, color_contrast.
- Images that are suitable for user avatars: icon.
- Portrait tags featuring a single character's likeness: headshot_portrait, bust_portrait, half-length_portrait, three-quarter_portrait, full-length_portrait.
- Posts edited by someone other than the artist: edit, cropped, censored, uncensored, nude_edit, color_edit.
- Obviously doctored images: shopped, photo_manipulation, photomorph.
- Shading, lines, and detail: detailed, colored, flat_colors, guide_lines, line_art, lineless_art, partially_colored, shaded, cel_shaded, sketch, colored_sketch, unfinished.
- Audio (or lack thereof) in Flash and WebM posts: sound and no_sound.
- Stories tied to posts: story, story_in_description, story_at_source.
- Post with sources that contain a different version of said post: alternate_version_at_source, better_version_at_source, smaller_version_at_source.
- Posts with technical visual flaws, intentional or unintentional: compression_artifacts and aliasing.
- Posts with at least 150 tags: tag_panic.
- Watermarks: watermark, distracting_watermark, 3rd_party_watermark.
- An artist's signature.
- A web link or URL.
Lore
Lore is the other new tag type introduced in March 2020. This is for providing and correcting specific outside information (not covered by copyright or character) when tag what you see otherwise cannot provide such. These tags are all suffixed _(lore), and only admins can introduce new lore tags. Read more at e621:lore tags.