Getting Started with Labels and Info Fields

Drive Toolbox lets you organize your files with custom metadata — labels (tags) and info fields (key-value pairs). These sit on top of Google Drive's built-in folders and stars, giving you additional dimensions for organizing, browsing, and filtering your files.

Personal vs. Shared

Drive Toolbox offers two metadata systems:

	Personal	Shared
Who can see it?	Only you	Anyone with Drive Toolbox who can view the file
Who can edit it?	Only you	Anyone with Drive Toolbox who can edit the file
Works on view-only files?	Yes	No (edit access required)
Storage limit	Unlimited	~30 items per file
Where stored	Your local database	Google Drive custom properties
Syncs across devices	Yes, via Sync to Drive	Automatically (stored on the file)

Choose Personal when you want private organization that works on any file — even view-only files. Choose Shared when your team needs to see and use the same metadata.

Both systems are visible only within Drive Toolbox — they do not appear in Google's interface.

Learn more: Personal Filing System | Shared Filing System

Labels

Labels are simple tags you attach to files. A file can have multiple labels.

Adding Labels

1. Select files in the file table (checkboxes or right-click)
2. Click Apply Labels (personal) or Apply Shared Labels (shared) in the selection toolbar
3. Type new label names (press Enter after each) or select from existing labels
4. Click Apply

Using Labels

Once files are labeled, you can:

• Filter: Type label:"urgent" or shared-label:equals:"approved" in the filter bar
• Browse: Open the Viewpoints Panel → Labels tab to see all your labels as expandable groups
• Click to filter: Click a label group in Viewpoints to instantly filter the file table to that label
• Click a label chip: In the file table's Label column, click a label to filter by it

Info Fields

Info fields are typed key-value pairs. Unlike labels (which are just names), info fields have a name, a data type, and a value. Supported types: Text, Number, Date, Yes/No.

Typed fields are useful for filtering. A Date-typed "Due Date" field lets you use info:has:"Due Date":matching:before:2026-12-31 to find files due before a deadline. A Number-typed "Priority" field lets you filter with info:has:Priority:matching:gt:3.

Creating Info Fields

Personal info fields: Go to Settings → Personal Info Fields. Click Add Field, enter a name, select a type, and save.

Shared info fields: Go to Settings → Shared Info Fields. Create a Field Group first (e.g., "Approvals", "Projects"), then add fields to the group. Field groups keep related fields organized.

Adding Info Values to Files

1. Select files
2. Click Apply Personal Info or Apply Shared Info in the selection toolbar
3. Select a field from the dropdown
4. Enter a value
5. Click Apply

You can also expand any file row in the file table (click the down-caret on the right) to view and edit its metadata inline.

Filtering by Metadata

What	Filter Syntax
Personal label	label:"project-alpha"
Shared label	shared-label:equals:"approved"
Personal info field	info:has:"Project Code":matching:eq:ALPHA-123
Personal info date	info:has:"Due Date":matching:before:2026-12-31
Shared info field	shared-info:has:Approvals:Status:matching:eq:Approved
Any file with a field	info:has:"Priority"

See the Filter Language Reference for complete syntax.

Tips

• Start simple — begin with a few labels to categorize files, then add info fields when you need structured data
• Be consistent — pick a naming convention (lowercase-with-hyphens or PascalCase) and stick with it
• Mind the limit — shared metadata is limited to ~30 items per file; use personal metadata for heavier tagging
• Use the Viewpoints Panel — it is the best way to browse and discover files by metadata

Learn More

• Personal Filing System — Private metadata in depth
• Shared Filing System — Collaborative metadata for teams
• Standard Tools — Star, move, and folder colors
• Using Metadata — Browse, filter, and report on your metadata