Office Settings & Configuration

How to Share Custom OneNote Tags with Team Members

Olivia Miller Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to know how to share or synchronize custom tags created in a shared OneNote notebook so that other team members can view and use them.

How to Share Custom OneNote Tags with Other Team Members

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collaborating on a shared notebook and trying to standardize task tracking or document categorization using custom tags.
Observed behavior: Custom tags are only visible on the creator's local device and profile. Other users accessing the shared notebook continue to see only the default OneNote tag set.

Before you start

Verify that you are actively connected to the shared notebook and understand that OneNote handles default tags and custom tags differently at the system level.

Solution 1Recommended

Establish a Standardized Team Tagging Convention

Since OneNote does not natively sync custom tags, teams must manually align their tag settings or use shared visual and text cues.

Custom tags in OneNote are saved directly to your local user profile rather than within the shared notebook file itself. Because of this architectural limitation, any new tag you create will not appear in the tag menu for your colleagues.

To work around this limitation, you will need to implement a manual standardization process for your team.

Document your custom tags

Create a dedicated 'Read Me' or 'Tag Legend' page in the shared notebook. List the exact names, icons, and highlight colors of the custom tags you want the team to use.

Manually recreate tags

Have each team member go to Home > Find Tags > Customize Tags in their local OneNote app, and manually recreate the tags exactly as documented on the legend page.

Use text-based pseudo-tags

As a simpler alternative, agree on specific text strings (such as #ActionItem or [Urgent]) that team members can type directly. These can be easily found by all users using the standard Ctrl+F search function.

Establish a Standardized Team Tagging Convention

Submit a Feature Request: Because there is currently no built-in way to sync custom tags, consider submitting this request through the official Microsoft OneNote feedback portal so developers can prioritize it in future updates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where are custom OneNote tags stored on my computer?

Custom tags are saved locally in your user profile on the specific device you used to create them (often within the preferences.dat file for desktop versions of OneNote), rather than in the notebook file itself.

Can I export and import my custom tags to another computer?

No, Microsoft OneNote does not currently offer a built-in export or import feature for custom tags. You must manually recreate them on any new device or computer.

Why do my team members only see default tags when opening our shared notebook?

Because custom tag configurations are tied to your local software installation and are not embedded in the .one notebook files. When your team members open the notebook, their software loads only the default tags available on their local machines.

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