How can I create a tag for [X]?

Question

I have an idea for a new tag that is so mind-blowingly important and brilliant that every passing second without it fills me with unfathomable, suicidal sorrow.

What can I do to add this wellspring of knowledge and happiness to our site's repository so as to make life slightly more bearable for the community?

Answer 1

How to "add" a tag to Stack Exchange sites:

1. First, make sure you understand what tags are for. A tag implies that there is a community of experts interested specifically in that topic, who will actively monitor that tag, or use it for filtering or highlighting questions on the site. If you aren't 100% sure that your proposed tag fits this description, it's probably not a good candidate for tagging.

2. Carefully check our existing tags and make sure that your desired tag is not already covered by a synonym or an umbrella term (i.e. a more general, widely-applicable tag which could apply to all of the same questions). Sites that have been around for many years (Seasoned Advice started in July 2010) generally already have a tag for almost every useful category, and a new tag would suggest a new tool, technique or innovation in the field.

3. Understand Atwood's First Law of Tagodynamics: Tags cannot be created or destroyed, only added/removed from questions or renamed. In other words, the global tag list is the outcome of tagging questions, not a prerequisite. The one and only requirement for a tag to show up is for at least one question to have that tag. If there are no questions on which to place your tag, then the tag cannot be created, period.

4. If you have just stumbled upon a question to which your proposed tag would apply, then suggest an edit. If you own the question, leave a comment on the question (once!) requesting that the tag be added. Do not expect an instant response, or any response; community members may not agree with the tag suggestion, which is why the privilege is restricted to established contributors.

5. Be patient. Keep in mind that your comment or suggested edit may be ignored or removed and that this is not intended as a personal insult; we simply want to keep the tag system clean and as easy as possible to navigate.

6. Keep using the new tag. Low-frequency tags are automatically removed. If you really want your tag to stay alive, help keep it active. Ask good, on-topic questions on the subject; it helps you and helps the community.