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What the difference between keywords and tags, conceptually?

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  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by curls

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I can add both keywords and tags to a bookmark.

What's the difference conceptually? Also in use, how are they best used differently?

thanks!

I can add both keywords and tags to a bookmark. What's the difference conceptually? Also in use, how are they best used differently? thanks!

All Replies (7)

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https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/categorizing-bookmarks-make-them-easy-to-find

Specifically see using tags.

Tags can be applied to many bookmarks and any bookmark can have multiple Tags.

A bookmark can have one Keyword and a Keyword can only be applied to one bookmark.

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the edmeister

Thanks you!

That link to bookmarks helps, give me a bunch of ideas I hadn't noticed. i also had never used the awesome bar effect. I assume it's automatically part of FF and I don't have to install anything. That was very helpful!

So I'm still puzzled. The link talks about bookmark tags. And gives a bunch of ways to work at finding things that have been tagged.

What about keywords? Is there anyplace that describes what their purpose it? How to use them most effectively? What they are good for vs. tagging? I'm missing the concept of keywords, and therefore their intended use.

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I'm confused by the bookmark behavior.

When I do cntrl-D it says "page bookmarked" -- when I haven't saved it yet. It does seem to really be bookmarked into the default area of "bookmarks menu" (into I think unsorted bookmarks). I dont' want the bookmark added until or unless I've filled out the box. However wait a moment and box disppears and it seems to have created a bookmark.

Then cntrl-D again and it lets me "edit this bookmark". But if I click the "remove bookmark" button, it doesn't appear to remove it. Well, tested it again, and seems to be removed, and goes back to saying "page bookmarked" then disappearing the box as it creates a bookmark.

What am i missing in how this works? I want to open the option to create a bookmark, then have it create only after I click done.

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curls said

the edmeister ... What about keywords? Is there anyplace that describes what their purpose it? How to use them most effectively? What they are good for vs. tagging? I'm missing the concept of keywords, and therefore their intended use.

Overall the term "keywords" can be a bit confusing, as that term is used in 3 different manners in Firefox.

  1. Bookmarks keywords
  2. Search engine keywords
  3. keyword.URL which was used in the Location bar until Firefox 23 when it was removed

I don't use 'keywords' as they have always confused me, so I don't think I can provide a logical explanation - other than to say it's like "shorthand" for retrieving a bookmark or using a search engine. Yeah, that's dates me - I am an old man who's been around since that last year of the first half of the last century.

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curls said

I'm confused by the bookmark behavior. When I do cntrl-D it says "page bookmarked" -- when I haven't saved it yet.

Oh, it is saved unless you click Cancel. That new bookmark is saved to the Unsorted Bookmarks folder unless you select a different folder.

You're using an older version of Firefox. { Ctrl + D } works a little differently as of the latest Firefox 47 version.

As I recall with Firefox 46 and earlier, the user has to click the Done button to get rid of that "Page Bookmarked" 'door-hanger' dialog or click elsewhere. With Firefox 47 it disappears automatically after 3 seconds - but that new bookmark is saved.

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You can use a keyword with additional parameters added to this keyword to do a query (search) or modify a specific link via a %s parameter.

You can use "Add a Keyword for this Search…" in the context menu of a search field on a web page to create a bookmark with a keyword. You can double-click the search field in "Options/Preferences > Search" (Change Search Settings) to modify a keyword for this search engine.

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cor-el said

You can use a keyword with additional parameters added to this keyword to do a query (search) or modify a specific link via a %s parameter. You can use "Add a Keyword for this Search…" in the context menu of a search field on a web page to create a bookmark with a keyword. You can double-click the search field in "Options/Preferences > Search" (Change Search Settings) to modify a keyword for this search engine.

Aaah, is that what the point of keywords are. Now that seems useful, if I ever remember to set it up and use it. Off the top, I can think of a few places where that'd be nice.

Also it makes sense as keyword as shorthand for a bookmark. Could come in handy if used wisely for pulling up important bookmarks... It's like having a nickname for an address.

I'll leave the question open a little longer in case someone has another way to explain or add concept. But thank you so much for the answers!!