How to add tags to CSV bulk scheduled posts – Vista Social

Plan

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You can add tags (formerly post labels) to your posts directly in your bulk scheduling CSV file. Add a publication_tags column, enter your tags, and every imported post arrives already tagged. No need to tag each post by hand after scheduling.

What this does

Applies one or more tags to each post in your CSV during import
Matches tag names to your existing tags, and creates a new tag if the name doesn't exist yet
Keeps tags editable on each post before you schedule
Saves tags on scheduled posts, drafts, and ideas

Example uses:

Tag a month of content by campaign, like Fall launch or Black Friday
Group posts by content pillar, like Fitness and Wellness
Mark evergreen content so you can report on it later with reports by tag

How to set up the publication_tags column

Open your bulk scheduling CSV. If you're starting from scratch, click Download sample in the Import a CSV file window. The sample already includes a publication_tags column.
Add a column with the header publication_tags. Like other optional columns, it can go in any position after the four required columns (message, type, link, time).
In each row, type the tag you want applied to that post.
To apply more than one tag, separate them with three pipe characters: |||
Save the file as a CSV.

Example:

How to import your tagged CSV

Go to Create → Bulk publishing.
Under Import a CSV file, click Import from CSV.
In the left panel, select the profiles you want to publish to.
Click Upload CSV file and choose where to upload from: Upload from computer, Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. You can also drag and drop the file into the upload area.
Your posts appear in a list with their Message, Media, and Scheduled time. Tags aren't shown in this list view.
To check or change tags on a post, click the post to open Edit bulk post. Your tags appear in the tags field below the attached media. Remove a tag by clicking the x next to it, or add more from the dropdown, then click Save changes.
Select the posts you want to schedule, or click Select all, then click Next.
In the Bulk schedule window, click Schedule. To send the posts for approval instead, click Assign.

Note

Tags are applied per post. Each post can have its own set of tags, and you can edit them individually before scheduling.

publication_tags vs. the tags column

The CSV has two columns with similar names that do different things:

publication_tags: adds Vista Social tags, the same tags you use to organize your calendar and filter reports
tags: adds platform tags to YouTube and Tumblr posts only

Important

To tag posts in Vista Social, use publication_tags. Putting your Vista Social tags in the tags column won't tag your posts.

Important notes

Use exactly three pipe characters (|||) between tags.
If a tag name in your CSV doesn't match an existing tag, a new tag with that name is created.
If a tag can't be applied, the post is still imported, just without tags.

Best practices

Match tag names to your existing tags exactly to avoid creating near-duplicates like Wellness and Wellness tips. If duplicates slip through, you can merge them in Settings → Tags.
For carousels and multi-media posts, add the same publication_tags value to every row of the post, just like the caption and time.
Open one or two posts in Edit bulk post before scheduling to confirm your tags came through.
Plan tags around how you want to report. Campaign and content pillar tags make it easy to compare performance later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I add more than one tag to a post in my CSV?

A: Yes. Separate each tag with |||, for example Campaign|||Evergreen.

Q: Do I need to create my tags in Vista Social before uploading?

A: No. If a tag doesn't exist yet, it's created automatically during import.

Q: Why don't I see my tags in the list of imported posts?

A: The import list only shows the message, media, and scheduled time. Click any post to open Edit bulk post and see its tags.

Q: Can I change tags after importing?

A: Yes. Edit them on each post before scheduling, or update them later from your calendar. To retag many posts at once, see How to bulk tag posts.

Q: What's the difference between the publication_tags and tags columns?

A: publication_tags adds Vista Social tags to any post. tags only adds platform tags to YouTube and Tumblr posts.

Need help?

Reach out to our support team, and we are happy to help.

How to create and manage tags

Bulk Publishing