1. Plan Your Tag Strategy Before Importing Guests
Decide what you need to segment:
VIP / GA / Staff / Press / Backstage / Sponsors / Plus-OnesKeep tags short, consistent, and unambiguous
(e.g., “VIP”, not “Very Important People”, “V.I.P” etc.)If you have multiple entrances or sessions, create tags for these too
(e.g., “Main Entrance”, “Breakout A”, “Afterparty”).
Why it matters: Clean tag structure → fast filtering and accurate reporting.
See Qflow’s article: What are guest group tags?
2. Put Tags in Your CSV Before Importing
Add a column like Group ID or Tags in your spreadsheet.
Pre-tagging reduces manual work during check-in.
For guests belonging to multiple groups, keep a clean delimiter system (usually comma-separated).
Example: VIP, Afterparty
Refer to Qflow’s guide on importing guest data, including how to map group ID tags. See Qflow’s article: Getting Started: Creating a check-in event with guest data.
3. Use Tags to Guide Staff Operations
On the check-in devices, enable filters so staff only see the groups relevant to their job.
Example:
VIP entrance only sees VIP + Press
General entrance sees everyone except VIP
Session scanners see only guests eligible for that session
Result: Faster check-in, fewer mistakes.
For how to filter by tag in the Qflow check-in app, see Session Qflow for events check-in mode. Qflow for events Session check-in mode
4. Use Session/Scan-Point Tags for Multi-Area Events
If your event has:
Multiple rooms
Workshops
Breakout sessions
Zoned access
Multiple days
…create separate session/scan-point tags.
Benefits:
Track where each guest scans in
Prevent wrong-area entry
Generate session attendance reports instantly
Qflow’s documentation for creating these tags: Creating event session and/or scan point tags.
5. Automate Extra Tagging During Scans
In the Qflow check-in app settings:
Turn on “Add tags when scanned”
Select specific tags to automatically apply when a barcode is scanned.
Great for:
Tracking entry headcount through gates or restricted zones.
Applying a security clearance label during wrist-banding.
The Qflow Help Centre explains how to add a tag to a guest’s barcode scan in the check-in app.
6. Keep Tagging Minimal but Effective
Avoid creating too many tags.
Aim for meaningful categories only.
Too many tags = potential filtering confusion for check-in staff.
7. Use Tags for Accurate Reporting
After the event, tags let you instantly generate:
How many attendees arrived based on each or groups of ID tags.
How many attended each session
Which groups arrived early/late
For how to analyse tagged attendees, refer to Attendee analysis: Add group ID tags together and generate more in-depth attendee statistics.
8. Standardise Tag Names Across All Events
If your organisation runs events often:
Use the same tag set every time
Document the naming system (e.g., “VIP”, not “Vip” or “vip-level1”)
This makes future imports and staff training easier.
Qflow Tag Trees - Plan Your Hierarchy Beforehand
Map out your categories on paper or a spreadsheet first.
Example:
Merchandise
└─ T-Shirts
├─ Color
├─ Red
└─ Blue
└─ Size
├─ S
├─ M
└─ L
Decide which levels are meaningful for filtering or reporting - don’t overcomplicate with unnecessary levels.
Keep Names Consistent
Use standardised naming conventions for tags to avoid duplicates (e.g., “Red” vs “red”).
Avoid special characters that may complicate exports or filters.
3. Use Logical Parent-Child Relationships
Only create child tags that make sense under the parent.
Example of poor structure:
Merchandise└─ M Size
Better:
Merchandise → Size → M
4. Limit Depth Where Possible
Too many levels can make tagging tedious and reporting confusing.
3–4 levels are usually sufficient for most events.
5. Assign Tags at the Leaf Level
Apply tags as specifically as possible (leaf nodes), rather than only at the root.
This ensures accurate filtering (e.g., “T-Shirt → Blue → M” rather than just “Merchandise”).
6. Test Your Tree
Before mass tagging, apply tags to a few profiles to make sure filters, reports, and exports behave as expected.
7. Document the Structure
Keep a reference for your team, especially if multiple people handle tagging.
Reduces errors and ensures consistency.
9. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Duplicating Tags
Creating multiple branches for the same concept (e.g., “Red” under two different paths) can break filtering logic.
Overcomplicating the Tree
Adding too many levels or unnecessary subcategories slows check-in and reporting.
Not Updating Hierarchy
If your tree doesn’t match the actual event offerings, tags lose their usefulness.
Using Tags Inconsistently
Make sure all staff follow the same tagging rules, or analytics will be inaccurate.