[Bug Report] Feedback on Tag Sorting Logic in Zotero 8.0.4

reen214
Subject: [Bug Report] Feedback on Tag Sorting Logic in Zotero 8.0.4
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u19682665/neldxq10mf00ovsvvrlz.png

Dear Zotero Development Team,

I am writing to report a potential bug in the tag sorting logic within the Zotero desktop application (Version 8.0.4).

I have confirmed that this issue occurs consistently on both Windows 11 (25H2) and macOS (Ventura). Currently, tags starting with special characters such as brackets or slashes are not being sorted in a standard alphabetical or lexicographical order.

As shown in the attached screenshot, the tag "[D] KCI" is incorrectly placed above "[B] SCOPUS," and the tag "/unread" is positioned at the very bottom. In a standard sorting system, "[B]" should precede "[D]" based on the visible characters.

It appears the current sorting algorithm may be prioritizing certain metadata or internal character codes over the visible text, which causes confusion when managing many tags. I would appreciate it if the team could review this logic to ensure a more intuitive A-Z alphabetical order, including for tags that use brackets or slashes.

Thank you for your continuous efforts to improve Zotero.

Best regards,
An active Zotero user

  • adamsmith
    I'm not seeing this with regular tags. What you're seeing is that colored tags are sorted by their order (recall that they are assigned numbers for tagging by keyboard, so in your example, [D] has a lower number than [B]. Not-colored tags are placed alphabetically after colored tags. This is how regular tags sort in the Zotero interface:
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u2433/tzzd0xrppihsbyns0cwy.png
  • reen214
    Thanks for the explanation! As a new Zotero user of about 1–2 months, I honestly didn't realize that the shortcut numbers (1–9) for colored tags also dictate their sorting order. I assumed those numbers were strictly for quick tagging.

    It feels quite restrictive that the 9-tag limit for colors—tied to the shortcut keys—also forces a specific sorting sequence. In my view, it’s a bit counter-intuitive that we can’t have a simple A-Z alphabetical sort within the colored tags, regardless of their shortcut assignment. I appreciate you clarifying this logic, though it still feels like a significant limitation of the current UI.
  • adamsmith
    How else would you remember the numbers? I think everything else would be quite confusing (I also don't think anyone has complained about this before and numbered tags are >10 years old)
  • reen214
    edited yesterday at 1:23pm
    I appreciate your perspective, and I’m not looking to argue—I’m just sharing my experience as a new user to highlight areas where Zotero could evolve. I understand the current system has its logic, but I believe there's room for more flexibility.

    The forced coupling of 'shortcut numbers' and 'colors' feels restrictive for those who want to color-code more than 9 tags for visual organization without needing a keyboard shortcut for every single one. Also, the lack of a color wheel or custom hex code support is an important accessibility issue; fixed presets can be difficult for users with color vision deficiency to distinguish.

    I believe decoupling colors from shortcuts and allowing for more customization would make Zotero even more inclusive and powerful. It would be great to see these aspects considered for future updates to make the tool even better for everyone.
  • mjthoraval
    You can try emoji tags for colored tags without a shortcut:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/collections_and_tags#emoji_tags

    You can also add any number of tags from shortcuts with the Actions & Tags plugin:
    https://github.com/windingwind/zotero-actions-tags
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