# How to not put tags of a topic in alphabetical order

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-not-put-tags-of-a-topic-in-alphabetical-order/253071
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 27, 2023, 8:33am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-not-put-tags-of-a-topic-in-alphabetical-order/253071 "2023-01-27T08:33:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Jagster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jagster/32/192154_2.png) [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2023, 8:33am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-not-put-tags-of-a-topic-in-alphabetical-order/253071/1 "2023-01-27T08:33:39Z")

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I use tags instead categories on my forum. I would like to keep them in the order I want and get some logic there in the meaning _not a list but a sentence_. That is not any real issue, because tags are ment to click or act as a category when doing searches.

But mine are in alphabetical order, here in Meta those aren’t. Of couse (is it _of course_?) icons change that behaviour, but how do you guys get #pr-welcome before other tags?

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### Author: ![merefield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/merefield/32/176214_2.png) [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2023, 9:25am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-not-put-tags-of-a-topic-in-alphabetical-order/253071/2 "2023-01-27T09:25:12Z")

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You must have changed something 😉 because tags by default order by popularity:

![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/b/e/4/be4011cbf8ebd10977654a6498726294a0c8bc68.png)

(which is why #pr-welcome appears first - ie not enough PRs! 😅 )

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### Author: ![Jagster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jagster/32/192154_2.png) [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2023, 10:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-not-put-tags-of-a-topic-in-alphabetical-order/253071/3 "2023-01-27T10:06:41Z")

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I see. It is not like given order but popularity.

Well, I have to try how that works for me. I’ve totally forgotten that setting.

Thanks!

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### Author: ![Jagster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jagster/32/192154_2.png) [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2023, 10:55am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-not-put-tags-of-a-topic-in-alphabetical-order/253071/4 "2023-01-27T10:55:26Z")

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Actually I can’t win here 😉 Listing tags alphabetically changes order at `/tags` too.

When I’m tagging topics context is important and we westies read from left to right and we see list of tags as a sentence with some meaning.

But `/tags` is a directory and there we expect alphabetical order, because popularity in long directories is too abctract and tells what everyone else has done, not what an user is looking for — again, the context is missing.

I don’t expect that the team start code drag&drop system or ”using order”, because benefits aren’t in balance with workload. So, I live with that and because UX of `/tags` is way more important than theoretically aspects of how tags are listed in topics I keep listing tags alphabetically instead of popularity.

Well, I’ve learned some new things today. Minor ones, but new. So, time is not wasted 😉

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### Author: ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/system/32/443519_2.png) [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2023, 10:55am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-not-put-tags-of-a-topic-in-alphabetical-order/253071/5 "2023-02-26T10:55:45Z")

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