How to use AI tagging

Managing hundreds or thousands of product images is easier when every file has descriptive, searchable tags. PixelFiddler’s AI tagging feature analyzes the content of your photos and adds relevant tags automatically — so you can find the right image in seconds instead of scrolling through endless folders.

What AI tagging does

When you run AI tagging on an image, PixelFiddler sends the file to a vision model that examines the photo and returns a set of descriptive keywords. These keywords are saved as tags on the file and become instantly searchable.

For example, a photo of a red cocktail dress on a mannequin might receive tags like:

red-dress, cocktail-dress, mannequin, studio-lighting, white-background

A lifestyle shot of a leather handbag on a park bench could be tagged:

leather-bag, handbag, outdoor-scene, park, natural-light

Tags describe what the AI sees in the image — products, colors, materials, backgrounds, scenes, and more. You do not need to configure anything or train a model. It works out of the box.

Tag a single image

To generate tags for one image:

1. Open your storage and navigate to the file you want to tag
2. Click the file to open the preview panel
3. Click the “Generate Tags” button in the preview panel

PixelFiddler will analyze the image and display the generated tags within a few seconds. The tags appear in the file’s details section immediately after processing.

Tip

Start with a single image to see the kind of tags the AI generates for your product photos. This helps you understand what to expect before running tags on your full catalog.

Tag multiple images

To tag multiple images, open each file individually and use the Generate Tags button in the preview panel. This approach lets you review and curate the generated tags for each image as you go.

Note

There is no batch TAG button in the toolbar. Tag images one at a time through the preview panel. Each tagging operation uses tokens from your plan. See the token cost section below for details.

View tags on a file

To see the tags assigned to any file:

1. Click the file to open the preview panel
2. Scroll to the Tags section in the file details

Each tag is displayed as a label. Both AI-generated tags and any custom tags you have added manually appear in the same list.

Edit tags

AI tagging gives you a solid starting point, but you are always in control. You can add your own tags or remove any that are not useful.

Add a custom tag

1. Open the file’s preview panel
2. In the Tags section, type your new tag into the input field
3. Press Enter to add it

Custom tags work exactly like AI-generated tags — they are fully searchable and appear alongside the rest.

Remove a tag

1. Open the file’s preview panel
2. In the Tags section, click the remove icon next to the tag you want to delete

The tag is removed immediately. This works for both AI-generated and manually added tags.

Tip

Use custom tags for information the AI cannot see, such as your internal SKU category, seasonal collection name, or campaign identifier. For example: summer-2026, hero-banner, clearance.

Search by tags

Once your images are tagged, you can find them quickly using tag-based search:

1. Open the search bar in your storage file browser
2. Switch the search mode to “Tags”
3. Type the tag name you are looking for

PixelFiddler returns all files that match the tag. This is especially powerful when your images are spread across multiple folders — tag search works across your entire storage.

For example, searching for white-background instantly shows every product photo shot on a white backdrop, regardless of which folder it lives in.

Token cost

AI tagging uses tokens from your PixelFiddler plan. Each image you tag consumes a small number of tokens, whether you tag it individually or as part of a batch.

Key things to know about token usage:

• One image = one token charge, regardless of file size or number of tags generated
• Tokens are deducted when the tagging process starts
• You can check your current token balance in your account settings
• If you run out of tokens, tagging requests will not be processed until your balance is replenished

Caution

Re-running AI tagging on an image that already has tags will consume tokens again. The new tags replace the previous AI-generated set. Only re-tag images when you have a specific reason, such as after significantly editing the photo.

When to use AI tagging

AI tagging is most valuable in these situations:

After a bulk upload of new product photos

You have just uploaded 200 photos from your latest product shoot. Instead of manually naming and organizing every file, open each image and click Generate Tags to make them searchable. Your team can then find any image by searching for what is in the photo.

During a seasonal catalog refresh

When preparing for a new season, tag your updated catalog so your team can quickly filter by product type, color, or scene. Searching for outdoor-scene or winter-coat becomes effortless.

When onboarding an existing image library

If you are moving an existing library of product images into PixelFiddler, AI tagging helps you retroactively organize files that were never properly categorized. Tag your images through the preview panel to make years of accumulated photos instantly searchable.

Next steps

Now that your images are tagged and searchable, explore these related features:

Search and filter your files

Auto-tagging rules

Batch processing