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IT Asset Tagging in NinjaOne: Organize and Manage Devices Efficiently

  • Last Updated October 17, 2025

In NinjaOne, asset tagging helps IT teams organize and manage devices more effectively. Tags let administrators group endpoints by department, location, client, or priority, making it easier to filter and take bulk actions. You can create custom tags to match your organization’s structure and apply them to one or multiple devices. Once applied, tags can be used across NinjaOne for reporting, automation policies, patch management, and monitoring. This ensures teams can quickly locate devices, apply consistent settings, and maintain better visibility across environments.

How to tag IT asset and set permission using Ninjaone

Important Notes:

  • To create and assign tags, a technician’s NinjaOne account must have the appropriate permissions enabled. For guidance on assigning permissions to multiple technicians, see User Roles and Permissions.

On the technician account or role configuration page, go to System and set the access level for Tag Creation and Tag Assignment.

  • Sign in as a System Administrator.
  • Go to Administration → Accounts → Technicians (or Technician Roles to edit a role).
  • Open the technician account or role you want to change.
  • In the editor, expand Permissions and open the System section.
  • Find the tag-related permissions (look for Tag Creation, Tag Assignment).
  • Use each permission’s drop-down to select the access level: View, Create, Update, or Delete.
  • Click Save to apply changes.
  • Verify: sign in as a user with that role and confirm they can only perform the allowed tag actions.

Tag Creation and Tag Assignment dropdowns

How to create a System Tag:

  1. In the left-hand menu, go to Administration > Library > Tags.
  2. Click Create Tag.
  3. In the Create Tag dialog, fill out the following:
    • Name (required): Enter a short, descriptive name. Use a consistent naming format such as Dept-Location-Purpose (e.g., Finance-MNL-HighPriority).
    • Description (optional): Add a brief note describing the tag’s purpose or owner (helpful for audits).
  4. Click Create to save the tag.
  5. Verify the tag creation by confirming it appears in the Tags list. Use the search or filter box if there are many tags.

Create tag button

Assigning a System Tag:

When you assign a tag, the device becomes a target. The Targets column on the Tags management page shows how many devices use that tag.

To assign a tag:

  1. Open the device dashboard from the Devices search page or organization dashboard.
  2. Click Edit → Tags.

Edit dropdown to access Tags button

  1. Select an existing tag from the drop-down, or click Create Tag and then select it after saving. Multiple tags can be added to a device.

Create tag button

  1. Click Update to apply.

The tag will appear at the top of the device dashboard under the device name.

Tags shown at the top of device dashboard

Merging and Deleting Tags:

  1. Go to Administration → Library → Tags and locate the tags you want to combine.
  2. Select the checkbox next to each tag to include it in the merge.
  3. Click Merge above the tag list.
  4. In the Merge modal, choose one of the two merge options (see below).
  5. Click Save to complete the merge. All selected tags will be consolidated according to the option you chose.

Merge selected tags

Merging Options:

When you merge tags in NinjaOne, a modal window will appear with two options for how you want to combine them:

  • Merge into an existing tag — Choose an existing tag from the Merge with drop-down. All selected tags will be consolidated into that existing tag. The chosen tag remains in the Tags list and on any associated device dashboards.
  • Create a new tag — Enter a name for a new tag that will combine all selected tags. After saving, the new tag appears in the Tags list and becomes available across NinjaOne.

Merge Tags modal

Deleting Tags:

  1. On the Tags page, select the checkbox next to each tag you want to delete.
  2. Click Delete above the tag list.
  3. Confirm the deletion in the confirmation dialog. Deleted tags are removed from the Tags list and will no longer appear on device dashboards.

Creating a Custom Asset Tag Field

  1. Log in to NinjaOne and go to Administration from the main menu.

Administration tab from Overview Dashboard

  1. Select Custom Fields: Under Devices, click Device Custom Fields.

Device custom fields tab

  1. Configure Field Settings:
    • Overview – Enter a descriptive Name (e.g., Asset Tag), set Type to Text, and choose whether it is Optional or Required.
    • Inheritance – Define where values can be set (Device, End User, Location, Organization).
    • Permissions & Access – Configure access for Automations, API, and Technicians.
    • Details – Optionally add a description, tooltip, or footer text.

Configure Field Settings

  1. Save: Click Save to create the custom field.

How to Find Tagged Devices in NinjaOne

Filter Search

  1. In the left navigation pane, select Devices.
  2. Click More filters, type tag in the search field, and select Tags.

Under More filters, type tag in the search field, and select Tags

  1. From the Operator dropdown, choose a qualifier:
    •  Contains all selected tags – Devices with all chosen tags.
    • Contains any selected tags – Devices with at least one chosen tag.
    • Contains none of the selected tags – Devices without the chosen tags.
    • Tags present – Devices with any tag.
    • No tags present – Devices with no tags.
  2. From the Tags dropdown, select one or more tag names (may be locked depending on Operator).
  3. Click Apply.

Benefits of NinjaOne for IT Asset Tagging

  • Unified Asset Visibility: View and track all devices—iOS, Windows, macOS, servers, and networks—from a single console with real-time inventory for easier deployment, monitoring, and reporting.
  • Flexible & Custom Tagging: Use NinjaOne’s IT asset tagging software to create custom tags (e.g., location, department, cost center) for easier categorization, filtering, and management.
  • Workflow Automation: Tags can be used to organize devices, automate routine tasks, and trigger specific actions (e.g., patching or alerts), helping reduce manual effort and improve consistency.

Best Practices for Using NinjaOne for IT Asset Tagging

NinjaOne’s IT asset tagging software helps IT teams organize, track, and automate asset management. Follow these IT asset tagging best practices for consistency and efficiency.

Establish Clear Standards: Use consistent tag formats and naming conventions to prevent duplicates.

Tag with Purpose: Apply tags that add operational value—by site, department, owner, or priority—and avoid over-tagging.

Control Tag Management: Limit tag creation to admins or managers. Configure technician permissions under System > Roles > Tag Creation/Assignment.

Integrate Tags into Workflows: Use tags to group devices for patching, monitoring, or software deployment, and to generate focused reports or alerts.

 

FAQ

Step 1: Create a Custom Tag

  1. Sign in to your NinjaOne account.
  2. In the left-hand menu, click Administration.
  3. Go to Library → Tags.
  4. Click Create Tag.
  5. In the dialog box, enter a Tag Name (required) and an optional Description to clarify its purpose.
  6. Click Create to save the tag.
    1. The new tag will now appear in the list under Administration → Library → Tags.

Step 2: Assign the Tag to Assets

  1. In the left-hand menu, click Devices.
  2. Locate the device(s) you want to tag. You can use the search bar or filters to narrow down the list.
  3. Select the checkbox next to each device you want to tag.
  4. At the top of the table, click Manage Tags.
  5. In the pop-up window, select one or more tags from the list, or create a new one directly.
  6. Click Save (or Apply) to assign the selected tags.
    1. The tags will now appear on the device details page and can be used for filtering, reporting, or automation policies.

Yes, you can use asset tags in NinjaOne to group devices by department, location, or function. Tags make it easy to filter, report, and automate across those groups.

IT asset tagging improves reporting and analytics in NinjaOne by enabling accurate filtering, and grouping making reports more organized and actionable.

Yes, in NinjaOne you can use tags to trigger automation or apply policies, ensuring scripts, updates, or settings target only the tagged devices.

Tags help IT teams manage large or distributed environments by enabling quick grouping, filtering, and targeting of devices, making oversight and actions more efficient.

Yes, NinjaOne allows bulk-assigning or editing of asset tags, making it easy to manage multiple devices at once.

Asset tagging supports compliance and audits by providing clear device categorization, traceability, and easier reporting for verification and accountability.

A well-planned tagging strategy ensures your NinjaOne environment stays organized, scalable, and easy to manage across teams and clients. Use the following best practices when creating and maintaining tags:

  1. Use a Consistent Naming Convention

Establish a clear and uniform format for all tags to make filtering and automation easier.

  • Example formats:
    • Dept-Finance, Dept-IT
    • Loc-NYC, Loc-MNL
    • Type-Laptop, Type-Server
      Consider using prefixes (e.g., Dept-, Loc-, Type-) to quickly identify the tag’s category at a glance.
  1. Keep Tags Simple and Descriptive

Tags should be short but meaningful. Avoid overly complex or redundant names. For instance, use Finance-Laptop instead of Finance-Department-User-Laptop. Clear naming helps with filtering, automation, and reporting.

  1. Combine Tags for Better Context

You can assign multiple tags to a single asset to capture different attributes, such as department, location, and function.

    • Example: A device could have Dept-Finance, Loc-NYC, and Priority-High.
      This makes it easier to run targeted reports or apply specific policies to multiple device groups.
  1. Document Your Tagging Structure

Create a shared reference (e.g., in a wiki or internal documentation) outlining your tag categories, naming rules, and examples. This ensures all administrators follow the same conventions and prevents duplication or confusion.

  1. Review and Maintain Tags Regularly

Schedule periodic reviews (e.g., quarterly) to remove outdated or unused tags. Consistent maintenance keeps your tagging system accurate and ensures reports and automations remain relevant.

  1. Align Tags with Business and IT Processes

Design your tags to support your organization’s operational needs — for example, aligning tags with reporting requirements, SLA tiers, or compliance tracking. This ensures your tagging system provides real value across management tasks.

Yes, asset tags in NinjaOne integrate with monitoring, patching, and software deployment, allowing targeted actions and streamlined management.