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Tagging is a simple way to create groups of Accounts, Contacts, and Event Types that can then be used for Following and Filtering Streams. If you're trying to imagine when you would use Tags, just think of a sales team, all with different assigned accounts. Rather than following the full stream of events from those accounts, a growth operator can create a set of high-value events with a Tag and each of those salespeople can follow just that tag in their stream. That way a) each one doesn't need to figure out their own Event Types to follow and b) if you want to update the list, it can be done centrally.

Tagging Accounts, Contacts, and Event Types

Getting started with Tags is easy. Just click on Accounts, Contacts, or Event Types and click the Tags tab. From there you can create a Tag and also add Accounts, Contacts, or Event Types to that tag.

Event Type Tags makes it easy for everyone to know what matters

Alternatively, within any Event Type (or Account or Contact) you can simply click the Tags tab and add a Tag directly. (Note: Contacts, Accounts, and Event Types can all be Tagged, but you can't mix them together. A Contact Tag can't include Accounts and an Event Type Tag can't include Contacts.)

Adding Tags is just a click away

Smart Tags

Smart Tags are just like normal tags (they are a way to group Accounts and Contacts), but instead of manually choosing what goes into them, you can set them up programmatically based on specific properties of the Account or Contact.

By default every Variance user gets a pair of Smart Tags: My Accounts and My Contacts. These tags are populated with all the Accounts and Contacts which you are the owner of (whether through a CRM integration, via an `owner` property, or because it was manually set on the Account or Contact. These Smart Tags work just like normal tags in that they can be used for following (more details below).

To find your My Accounts Smart Tag simply navigate to the Account Tags screen and click My Accounts to see the full list.

It's all right there

In addition, you can build smart tags by either going to the properties list and hitting follow or by going to a tags list and hitting Create Tag. That will bring up this window:

Do you need a Static Tag or a Smart Tag?

Here you can name your tag and choose between Static (where you explicitly choose what goes into the tag) and Smart Tag, which is a query based on the properties of the Account, Contact, or Event Type. If you choose Smart Tag you'll see this:

An easy-to-use rule builder

We think we've made it pretty easy to build complex property-based rules for your tag.

Finally, you can use your new Smart Tags anywhere you could use tags before. One very helpful Smart Tag is to use it in streams to exclude users with your domain. Just create a Smart Tag with the rule `email contains yourdomain.com` and then in any stream you don't want to see your users, add that Smart Tag to hidden.

Smart Tags can be used anywhere tags are used

If video is more your speed, here it is: 

Using Tags to Follow, Filter By, and Hide

Once you have some Tags set up, it's easy to apply Tags to Streams, which will allow you to use the groups as Follows, Filter Bys, and Hides. To add a Tag you can either just click the follow button on a tag:

You can Follow a Tag like everything else

You can also add Tags to a Stream directly under the Following, Filter By, and Hidden tabs. It works the same as searching for any other Account, Contact, or Event Type.

Tags work just like everything else in Variance: easy

Use Cases

Tags are a great way to get started with Variance. As a first step, before even building a Stream, we suggest clicking around your application to generate key events (which should start flowing to Variance immediately), and then adding some Event Type Tags that you and the team can use in streams. Some good tags to get started with are:

  • High-Value Events: These are the most important events you want to track.
  • $$$ Events: These are visits to your pricing page, billing modal, etc.
  • Sign Ups: This is an easy one, group any sign up/account create events together to give your whole team/company visibility.
  • Integration Events: Many SaaS products have integration capabilities and this is often a crucial part of ensuring success. It's nice to have these grouped together.

Of course you can also use Tags on Accounts and Event Types. For instance:

  • Key Accounts: Top Accounts for the company
  • Advocates: A set of Contacts that are advocates

That should give you a sense. You can then add Team Streams that work off each one of these Event Type Tags. This is how we do it on our own Variance account. Here's what our Team Streams look like:

Some ideas to get you started on Team Streams

As always, if you have questions or want some help getting started with Variance generally or tagging specifically, just hit us up at [email protected]. We are happy to help.

Last Updated: 
October 28, 2021