Tags Reference
Tags connect related content across the site. When used consistently, they help readers discover articles, events, and documentation on topics they care about.
Why tags matter
Tags serve three purposes:
- Discovery — Readers clicking a tag find all related content
- Navigation — The tags page provides a topic-based view of the site
- SEO — Search engines use tags to understand content relationships
Inconsistent tagging—using "FT8" in one article and "ft8" in another—breaks these connections. That's why we need conventions.
Tag format
Standard format
| Rule | Example | Not this |
|---|---|---|
| Lowercase | digital-modes | Digital-Modes |
| Hyphens for spaces | field-day | field day, field_day |
| No special characters | aprs | APRS!, aprs? |
| Singular form (usually) | antenna | antennas |
Exceptions
Proper nouns and official names keep their capitalization:
FT8— Mode name (uppercase)ARRL— Organization acronymPOTA— Parks on the Air program
When in doubt, check what's already in use on the tags page.
Choosing tags
How many tags?
Use 2 to 5 tags per piece of content. Fewer than 2 misses connections; more than 5 dilutes the signal.
Be specific enough to be useful
| Too broad | Better | Why |
|---|---|---|
radio | hf, vhf, sdr | Everything is about radio—not helpful |
antenna | dipole, vertical, portable-antenna | Readers want specific types |
digital | ft8, aprs, winlink | Mode-specific is more actionable |
Reuse existing tags
Before creating a new tag, check the current tags below. If a similar tag exists, use it instead of creating a near-duplicate.
Example: If field-day exists, don't create
fieldday or arrl-field-day. Use the established tag.
Tag relationships
Consider tagging at multiple levels when appropriate:
tags: ["ft8", "digital-modes", "hf"]This article appears in searches for FT8 specifically, digital modes generally, and HF content overall.
Tag categories
Tags generally fall into these categories. Use tags from multiple categories to make content findable from different angles.
Operating modes
| Tag | Use for |
|---|---|
cw | Morse code content |
ssb | Single sideband voice |
fm | FM voice, repeaters |
ft8 | FT8 digital mode |
ft4 | FT4 digital mode |
digital-modes | General digital mode content |
aprs | APRS network, trackers |
winlink | Winlink email |
Bands and frequencies
| Tag | Use for |
|---|---|
hf | High frequency (3–30 MHz) |
vhf | Very high frequency (30–300 MHz) |
uhf | Ultra high frequency (300 MHz–3 GHz) |
microwave | Above 1 GHz |
20-meters | Specific band content |
2-meters | 2-meter band content |
Activities
| Tag | Use for |
|---|---|
field-day | ARRL Field Day, Winter Field Day |
contesting | Contest operating |
dx | DX chasing, propagation |
dxpedition | DXpedition announcements |
pota | Parks on the Air |
sota | Summits on the Air |
emergency-comms | Emergency communications, ARES, RACES |
Equipment and technology
| Tag | Use for |
|---|---|
sdr | Software-defined radio |
antenna | Antenna building, theory |
portable-antenna | Portable/field antennas |
diy | Build projects, homebrew |
hardware | Equipment reviews, modifications |
raspberry-pi | Raspberry Pi projects |
Content type
| Tag | Use for |
|---|---|
beginner | New ham friendly content |
tutorial | Step-by-step guides |
review | Equipment reviews |
monthly-meeting | Regular club meetings |
Current tags
See the Tags page for the complete list of tags currently in use across the site. Before creating a new tag, check if an existing one fits.