---
title: "system.tag.addTag"
description: "Adds a new tag in Ignition."
---

# system.tag.addTag

> Adds a new tag in Ignition.

This function is used in **Python Scripting**.

## Description
Adds a new tag in Ignition. You can add OPC, memory, expression, query, folder, and UDT instance tags. You can't add Client Tags, because those can vary from project to project.

## Client Permission Restrictions
[Permission Type](projects\project-properties\project-properties.md#client---permissions): Tag Editing

Client access to this scripting function is blocked to users that do not meet the role/zone requirements for the above permission type. This function is unaffected when run in the Gateway scope.

## Syntax

:::tip
This function accepts [keyword arguments](scripting\python-scripting\user-defined-functions.md#keyword-arguments).
:::

`system.tag.addTag(parentPath, name, tagType, dataType, accessRights, enabled, value, attributes, parameters, overrides, alarmList, alarmConfig)`

### Parameters

| Type | Parameter | Description |
|---|---|---|
| String | `parentPath` | The folder to add the tag to. Leave blank for the root folder. |
| String | `name` | The name of the tag. |
| String | `tagType` | The type of tag to create. Possible values are OPC, MEMORY, EXPRESSION, QUERY, Folder, and UDT_INST. |
| String | `dataType` | The data type of the tag. Not used for UDT instances or folders. Possible basic values are Int1, Int2, Int4, Int8, Float4, Float8, Boolean, String, DataSet, and DateTime.Possible array values are Int4Array, Int8Array, Float8Array, BooleanArray, StringArray, DateTimeArray. |
| String | `accessRights` | The access rights for a tag. Possible values are Read_Only, Read_Write, and Custom. |
| boolean | `enabled` | If true, the tag will be enabled. |
| Object | `value` | The value of the tag. Used for memory tags. |
| PyDictionary | `attributes` | [The tag's configuration attributes](tags\understanding-tags\tag-properties.md). |
| PyDictionary | `parameters` | The parameters for a UDT instance tag. |
| PyDictionary | `overrides` | All of the overrides for a UDT instance tag. |
| String | `alarmList` | List of legacy alarms for the tag. The legacy alarm system was retired in 7.6.0, so the alarmConfig parameter should be utilized on newer versions. |
| PyDictionary | `alarmConfig` | The [alarm configuration](tags\understanding-tags\tag-properties.md#alarming-properties) for the tag. See [editAlarmConfig](system-tag-editAlarmConfig.md) for details on how to use this parameter. |

### Returns
Nothing

### Scope
All

:::note
If called in the Gateway scope, a tag provider must be specified.
:::

#### Associated attributes:
Complete list of the acceptable [Tag Properties](tags\understanding-tags\tag-properties.md) and [alarmConfig](tags\understanding-tags\tag-properties.md#alarming-properties).

## Code Examples
```python title="Example #1 - Add OPC tag"
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="TagOPC", tagType="OPC", dataType="Int2",attributes={"OPCServer":"Ignition OPC-UA Server", "OPCItemPath":"[MLX]N7:0"})
```

```python title="Example #2 - Add OPC tag with two alarms"
system.tag.addTag(  parentPath='',
                    name="TagOPCAlarm",
                    tagType="OPC",
                    dataType="Int2",
                    attributes={"OPCServer":"Ignition OPC-UA Server",
                                "OPCItemPath":"[MLX]N7:0"},
                    alarmConfig={   "Alarm":[
                                            ["name", "Value", "Alarm"],
                                            ["setpointA","Value", 1.0],
                                            ["CustomEmailSubject","Value","My Subject"]
                                            ],
                                    "Alarm2":[
                                            ["name", "Value", "Alarm2"],
                                            ["parameterName", "Value", "newValue"],
                                            ["enabled", "Expression", "1=2"],
                                            ["CustomEmailMessage","Value","My Message"]
                                            ]
                                }
                    )
```

```python title="Example #3 - Add Folder"
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="Folder", tagType="Folder")
```

```python title="Example #4 - Add Memory tag"
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="TagMemory", tagType="MEMORY", dataType="Int2", value=25)
```

```python title="Example #5 - Add Memory tag with an Alarm using the alarmList parameter"
alert = "myAlert;Medium_High;0.0;50.0;0;;;2.0;SEC$"
  
system.tag.addTag(parentPath = '', name = "TagMemory", tagType = "MEMORY", dataType = "Int2", value = 25, alarmList = alert)
```

```python title="Example #6 - Add Expression tag"
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="TagExpression", tagType="EXPRESSION", dataType="Int2", attributes={"Expression":"{[~]Tag1} * 20.5"})
```

```python title="Example #7 - Add Query tag"
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="TagQuery", tagType="QUERY", dataType="DateTime", attributes={"Expression":"SELECT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP", "SQLBindingDatasource":"MySQL"})
```

```python title="Example #8 - Add Memory tag to a provider other than the default tag provider"  
system.tag.addTag(parentPath="[ProviderName]Folder", name="TagMemoryProvider", tagType="MEMORY", dataType="Int2", value=42) 
```

```python title="Example #9 - Add UDT instance tag"
# Before running this script, there must be a UDT named 'Motor'
# that has a string parameter 'DeviceName' and an integer parameter
# 'MotorNumber'.
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="TagUDT", tagType="UDT_INST", attributes={"UDTParentType":"Motor"}, parameters={"DeviceName":"CLX", "MotorNumber":1}) 
```

```python title="Example #10 - Add UDT instance tag and override multiple parameters on status tag"
# Before running this script, there must be a UDT named 'SecondUDT'
# that has a string parameter 'DeviceName', an integer parameter
# 'MotorNumber', and a tag named "STATUS".
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="TagUDTParameters", tagType="UDT_INST", attributes={"UDTParentType":"SecondUDT"}, parameters={"DeviceName":"CLX", "MotorNumber":2}, overrides={"STATUS":{"ScanClass":"Default Historical", "Enabled":"false"}})
```

```python title="Example #11 - Add UDT instance tag and override the scan class of a tag inside of another UDT"
# Before running this script, there must be a UDT named 'ThirdUDT'.
# ThirdUDT must contain a UDT 'SecondUDT',
# which has a string parameter 'DeviceName', an integer parameter
# 'MotorNumber' and a tag named "STATUS".
# Note the nested SecondUDT has the name 'Child_Instance' in the ThirdUDT.
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="TagUDTScanClass", tagType="UDT_INST", attributes={"UDTParentType":"ThirdUDT"}, parameters={"Motor/DeviceName":"CLX", "Motor/MotorNumber":1}, overrides={"Child_Instance/STATUS":{"ScanClass":"Default Historical"}})
```

```python title="Example #12 - Create a memory tag with a type of DataSet, and pass in a dataset as the initial value of the newly created tag"
# create an intial dataset to pass the tag
initData=system.dataset.fromCSV('"#NAMES"\n"Col 1"\n"#TYPES"\n"I"\n"#ROWS","1"\n"0"\n')
 
# create the tag
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', value=initData, name="TagMemoryDataset", tagType="MEMORY", dataType="DataSet")
```

```python title="Example #13"
# Example: Add an Array type Memory tag to the default tag provider
  
# create a dataset
dataset = system.dataset.toDataSet(["values"], [[1],[2],[3]])
  
# create the tag
system.tag.addTag(parentPath='', name="TagMemoryArray", tagType="MEMORY", dataType="Int4Array", value=dataset)
```