How to Apply and Manage Tags in Bulk

Overview

Tags are key-value pairs attached to data points that enable filtering, dashboard auto-population, and bulk operations. Tags do not grant access — each point’s own permissions control that. On a small system you can tag points one at a time. On a deployment with hundreds or thousands of points, you need bulk methods.

Method 1: Bulk Data Point Edit (UI)

The fastest way to bulk-tag from the Mango by Radix IoT interface:

1. Navigate to Data integration → Bulk data point edit. The page is superadmin-only
2. In the point browser on the left, choose how to find the points — Lists (watch lists), Devices, Sources (data sources) or Tags — and pick the ones you want
3. Use Show filters on the table to narrow the list further, for example by an existing tag value
4. Select points using the checkboxes, or Select all (matching filters) to take every point the current filter returns rather than only the visible page
5. Click Edit, open the Tags tab, add or change tags, then click Save. A tag you add lands on every selected point; tags you leave alone keep each point’s own value

Method 2: Data Source JSON Export/Import

For complex tag changes or when you need a spreadsheet-based review process:

1. Navigate to Data integration → Data sources
2. Select the data source, open the ellipses (…) menu, and choose Export with points
3. Edit tags in the exported JSON (or convert to CSV for review)
4. Import the modified file back into Mango

This method gives you full control and an audit trail (save the file before and after). It's the best approach when you need to review tag changes before applying them.

Method 3: REST API

For programmatic tag management, use the REST API. REST updates require server login credentials and are best reserved for admins or automation scripts — not casual UI users.

# 1. List the points on a data source (this endpoint takes an RQL query)
GET /rest/latest/data-points?dataSourceXid=DS_BLDG_A

# 2. Read the point you intend to change
GET /rest/latest/data-points/DP_BLDG_A_AHU1_SAT

# 3. Send that same object back, with tags modified
PUT /rest/latest/data-points/DP_BLDG_A_AHU1_SAT
{
  "xid": "DP_BLDG_A_AHU1_SAT",
  "name": "Supply Air Temperature",
  "dataSourceXid": "DS_BLDG_A",
  "dataType": "NUMERIC",
  "pointLocator": { ... unchanged ... },
  "tags": {
    "site": "Building-A",
    "deviceType": "RTU",
    "floor": "2"
  }
}

Updating Many Points in One Call

Do not loop single PUTs — Mango has a bulk endpoint for this:

POST /rest/latest/data-points/bulk
{
  "action": "UPDATE",
  "requests": [
    { "xid": "DP_BLDG_A_AHU1_SAT", "body": { ... full point, new tags ... } },
    { "xid": "DP_BLDG_A_AHU1_RAT", "body": { ... full point, new tags ... } }
  ]
}

Each entry in requests takes an xid, an optional action, and a body; the top-level action and body act as defaults for every entry. The call is asynchronous — it returns a temporary resource, and you poll GET /rest/latest/data-points/bulk/{id} for progress and per-point results. See the REST API documentation for authentication and pagination details.

Tag Naming Conventions

Establish conventions before you start tagging:

Common Bulk Tagging Scenarios

Tag All Points on a New Data Source

After creating a data source with many points, filter by that data source in Bulk data point edit and apply site, building, and device-type tags in one operation.

Rapid Device Duplication via Export/Reimport

To duplicate a fully tagged device quickly: export the device's data source and points as JSON, remove or replace the XIDs in the exported file, change each point’s deviceName (e.g., RTU-01 to RTU-02) and any device-specific tag values such as deviceID, then reimport. device is not a stored tag — Mango derives it from Device name — so editing a device tag in the JSON changes nothing. All tags, logging settings, and point configurations carry over to the new device.

Retag After Restructuring

If you change your tagging convention (e.g., from location to site), export all points as JSON, find-and-replace the tag key, and re-import. Always back up before bulk changes.

Add a New Tag Dimension

Adding a new tag like criticality=high to selected points: filter by the relevant data sources, select the critical points, and bulk-add the tag.

Verifying Tag Changes

• After bulk tagging, go to a dashboard that filters by the new tag and confirm the expected points appear
• Use Bulk data point edit filtered by the new tag to verify the count matches expectations
• Check for typos — site=Biulding-A won't match filters looking for Building-A

Troubleshooting

Summary

Bulk tag management keeps large deployments organized. Use Bulk data point edit for quick UI-based tagging, JSON export/import for reviewed batch changes, and the REST API bulk endpoint for scripted automation. Establish naming conventions early and verify tags after every bulk operation.