# Help With +tags versus just tags

**URL:** <https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/help-with-tags-versus-just-tags/6503>\
**Category:** Help\
**Tags:** yaml, dbt\_project-yml\
**Created:** [January 31, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/help-with-tags-versus-just-tags/6503 "2023-01-31T22:35:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![robin.sarac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/robin.sarac/32/1788_2.png) [@robin.sarac](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/robin.sarac)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/help-with-tags-versus-just-tags/6503/1 "2023-01-31T22:35:44Z")

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Hi there! I’m sorry for the super basic question but I can’t seem to find a clear answer. After some reading, I’ve come to learn that tags are inherited. So, if I set a tag on a source, my models will inherit that tag. Makes good sense! What I can’t seem to get clarity on is where to use +tags versus just tags when configuring tags.

I thought it might be related to graph operators, but the leading plus selects upstream but the tags are being inherited downstream.

I would appreciate any help you could offer clarifying +tags versus tags and where to use one or the other.

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**Author:** ![joellabes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/joellabes/32/3980_2.png) [@joellabes](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/joellabes)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/help-with-tags-versus-just-tags/6503/2 "2023-02-01T02:40:48Z")

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Hey @robin.sarac,

I assume you’re talking about your `dbt_project.yml` file? The `+` prefix makes it possible to differentiate between resource paths and their configs:

> **[Using the + prefix | dbt Developer Hub](https://docs.getdbt.com/reference/resource-configs/plus-prefix)**
>
> The + prefix is a dbt syntax feature, introduced in dbt v0.17.0, which helps disambiguate between resource paths and configs in dbt\_project.yml files.

If you were talking about node selection, then you’re correct that `dbt run -s +tag:my_tag` would run nodes tagged `my_tag` and their upstream parents.

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**Author:** ![robin.sarac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/robin.sarac/32/1788_2.png) [@robin.sarac](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/robin.sarac)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/help-with-tags-versus-just-tags/6503/3 "2023-02-01T15:57:33Z")

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Gosh, thank you, @joellabes ! I really appreciate the thorough answer. I feel much better proceeding…I’m a details person. 🙂 Thank you once again!

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/getdbt/original/1X/a7a7ca1fe379aaf90952b0e13118a817babcd14f.png) [@system](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/help-with-tags-versus-just-tags/6503/4 "2023-02-08T15:58:03Z")

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