Google Fonts

Tagging process

🐝 Since 2024, you can find different typographic categories on Google Fonts , making it easier to sort fonts and allowing users to refine their search. A new step has therefore been added to the font onboarding process, managed by the font onboarders, involving the use of a specially designed tool (*GF Tagger*, written by Marc Foley ✌️) to facilitate the addition of tags.

Background reading:

• start→ [Libre Fonts Culture](./culture)
• nerd→ [Project Prioritization](./prioritization)

Table of contents

• How do Tags work?
• The process
• Collection-Wide Tagging

How do Tags work?

Users can now select tags from various filter categories, which are grouped into main sections:

• Feeling
• Appearance
• Calligraphy
• Serif
• Sans Serif
• Technology
• Seasonal

The chosen categories and the number of fonts matching these criteria are displayed at the top of the selection panel.

Google Fonts homepage (March 2025)

The process

Tagging a new font takes place when the pull request (PR) for that font is ready in the Google Fonts repository, similar to designer profile submissions. Typically, each font receives between 2 and 6 tags, ensuring a variety of tag types. Each font should have at least one or two tags related to appearance or feeling, along with a tag for structural elements such as serifs.

After selecting a tag (e.g., Cute), a percentage value must be assigned to rank the font relative to others in the same category. GF Tagger provides a list of fonts associated with each tag, allowing for accurate comparison and value assignment.

How to define tags for a new font?

1. Open GF Tagger, and keep the font visible to reference its design.
2. In Add Family, add the name of the new font family you are tagging.
3. Select a tag that best describes the font and assign a value next to the font family name. Once added, the tag will appear in the History section. Repeat this step for each necessary tag.
   

GF Tagger (March 2025)

1. In GF Tagger, click on Open PR, delete all previous entries, and paste the new data. The updated CSV data is automatically copied to your clipboard.
   

CSV file to update

1. Commit your changes and open a pull request. Make sure to include relevant details for the reviewer, such as the corresponding font PR, an image of the font, and any other useful information.
   

PR to open on the GF repo

Collection-Wide Tagging

Onboarders may be asked to add and populate a new tag category. This involves reviewing each family to determine if it fits the new category and creating a tag if applicable.

How to Create and Populate a New Category?

1. In Add Tag, enter the new tag name, which should include both the category and subcategory, starting with a / (e.g., /Expressive/Funky), then click the Add button.

2. Click Edit > Insert Placeholder Tags. A placeholder tag will appear for each family in the collection.

3. Review each placeholder tag and either delete irrelevant ones or assign a percentage score.

To speed up the process, use the up/down arrow keys to navigate between tags or press “!/@” to blur inactive tags (Zen mode). Press “Esc” to exit Zen mode.

1. Once tagging is complete, remove placeholder tags by clicking Edit > Remove Placeholder Tags.

2. Open a PR as described in Step 4 of the previous section.

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