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Groups vs. tags

Both group contacts together. They’re for different jobs, and the fastest way to keep your account tidy is to know which is which.

The short version

Section titled “The short version”
  • Group = a list you’ll send something to.
  • Tag = a fact you’ll want to remember or filter on.

Side by side

Section titled “Side by side”
Groups Tags
How you create one Deliberately, on the Groups page By typing it on a contact
Typical number A handful Dozens
Export emails Yes No
Mail merge & mailing labels Yes No
Mailchimp / PrayerLetters sync Yes No
Bulk task or interaction Yes, by group Via search results
Searchable Yes Yes
Shows on contact profile As a tick list As removable chips

The deciding feature is the middle block: groups are wired into the sending features. Tags aren’t.

Examples

Section titled “Examples”

Should be a group:

  • Email newsletter
  • Paper newsletter
  • Christmas card list
  • Board of directors
  • Monthly supporters (if you mail them separately)

Should be a tag:

  • “met at the 2025 conference”
  • “prefers phone”
  • “matches gifts through employer”
  • “thank you sent”
  • “loves cheese”

Could be either — decide by whether you’ll mail them as a set:

  • “Major donors” — a group if you write to them together; a tag if you just want to spot them in lists.
  • “Alumni” — same test.

Using them together

Section titled “Using them together”

They compose well. A common pattern:

  1. Tag people with facts as you learn them — “monthly giver”, “prefers paper”.
  2. Run an advanced search combining tags — everyone tagged “prefers paper” in your state.
  3. Tick the results and With Selected… → Add to group to build the mailing list.

The tags describe reality; the group is the working list you derive from it.