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# Single Select or Tags: Which Field Type Should You Use?
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/single-select-or-tags-field/
- Published: 2026-09-17T22:29:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T22:29:07.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

Choosing between a **single select or tags field** comes down to one question: can a record have more than one of these values at the same time? If yes, use tags. If no, use single select.

## Why the wrong choice causes problems later

Field types are easy to change early and painful to change once thousands of records exist.

- A status field that turns out to need two values at once
- Tags used for status, so records end up both active and inactive
- Filters that behave unexpectedly because the type was wrong
- Boards that cannot be built, since a card must sit in one column

## Comparing the two

| Aspect                | Single select                         | Tags                                    |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Values per record** | Exactly one                           | Several at once                         |
| **Typical use**       | Status, phase, priority               | Attributes, categories, characteristics |
| **Drives a Kanban**   | Yes                                   | No                                      |
| **Example**           | Active, inactive, temporarily blocked | Recurring, international                |

## How to configure it in Jestor

1. Add a column in **Jestor** and search for the field type you need.
2. For a single select, add the values and edit each one's name and colour.
3. Mark the field mandatory where a record cannot exist without it — a supplier always has a status.
4. Enable log metrics on the field to track time in each phase and movement between stages.
5. For tags, add the attributes a record may carry several of.

## Why choose Jestor for data structure?

**Jestor** lets you enable timing metrics directly on a single-select field, which is what makes **SLA** tracking per phase work later without any extra configuration.

Colours set on the field values carry through to boards and charts, so a status shown in red on a table appears red everywhere else.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can a record have two tags?

Yes, that is the point of a tag field.

### Should status be mandatory?

Usually yes, since a record rarely makes sense without one. See [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

### What are log metrics on a field?

They track time in each phase and movement between stages.

## Video Tutorial: Step by Step

Check out other practical tutorials on the Jestor YouTube channel.

## Get to know Jestor

With **Jestor**, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way — all without code and powered by **AI**. Discover Jestor at [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.