Labels are tags used to categorize and find files across both Company Library and My Library. Labels appear in a dedicated Labels section in the sidebar. Selecting a Label shows only the files that carry it. Labels apply to files only - folders cannot be labeled.
Aligned supports two types of labels:
Custom Labels - created by Admins, applied by anyone who can edit the file. Available on all plans.
AI Content Labels - generated automatically by Aligned's AI from a fixed list of 24 categories, marked with a sparkles icon (✨). Available on Enterprise plan only.
Prerequisites
For Custom Labels
Plan: Available on all plans.
Role: Any user can apply Labels to files they are allowed to edit. Only Admins can create, rename, or delete Labels.
For AI Content Labels
Plan: Enterprise.
Role: Admins and Owners control the account-level toggle and can remove any AI label on any file. Users and Managers can remove AI labels from their own files only when the "Everyone can upload and edit files in the library" toggle is ON.
AI labels cannot be added manually by anyone.
How to add or remove a Label on a file
Click the file checkbox.
Click the "Add Label" button or from the bulk row.
Select one or more Labels, or remove Labels by clicking the × next to each.
The change saves automatically.
This flow applies to Custom Labels only. AI Labels cannot be added manually - see the AI Content Labels section below for how removal works.
How to apply a Label to multiple files at once
Select the files you want to label by clicking their checkboxes.
Use the bulk Label action.
Choose the Label.
The Label is applied to all selected files.
If the selection includes both files and folders, the Label is applied to the files only.
How to filter by Label from the sidebar
In the sidebar, open the Labels section.
Click the Label you want to filter by.
The Library view updates to show only files that carry that Label, across both Company Library and My Library, based on your access.
To clear the filter, click the Label again or select another root in the sidebar.
Both Custom Labels and AI Labels work the same way in the sidebar. AI Labels appear with a sparkles icon (✨).
Combining Labels with search and filters
Labels can be combined with search. Running a search while a Label is selected searches within that Label.
Inside search results, Labels are also available as a filter alongside Content type, Owner, and User Groups.
How to create a new Label (Admins)
In the sidebar, open the Labels section.
Click + New Label.
Enter a Label name.
Save to create.
The new Label is immediately available for all users to apply to files across Company Library and My Library. There is no limit on the number of Labels an account can have.
This applies to Custom Labels only. AI Label categories are fixed by the system and cannot be created.
How to rename a Label (Admins)
In the sidebar, open the Labels section.
Open the Label's actions menu.
Click Rename.
Update the name and save.
The new name appears everywhere the Label is used - in the sidebar, on files, and inside filters.
This applies to Custom Labels only. AI Labels cannot be renamed.
How to delete a Label (Admins)
In the sidebar, open the Labels section.
Open the Label's actions menu.
Click Delete.
Confirm the deletion.
The Label is removed from every file that carries it. The files themselves stay in place, with all their other Labels intact. Only the deleted Label tag is removed. Deletion cannot be undone.
This applies to Custom Labels only. AI Labels cannot be deleted.
AI Content Labels
AI Content Labels are tags automatically generated by Aligned's AI on every supported file in the Library. The AI picks one label per file from a fixed list of 24 categories. Generate Labels can take time before they show up. AI Labels are marked with a sparkles icon (✨) so they're easy to tell apart from Custom Labels.
AI Labels live alongside Custom Labels in the sidebar, file drawer, and search filters. They can only be removed - never added manually - and the 24 categories cannot be renamed, edited, or deleted by anyone.
How to turn AI Content Labels on or off (Admins)
AI Content Labels are turned on by default for every Enterprise account. Admins and Owners can turn the feature off at the account level at any time.
Click your avatar and go to Account Settings.
Open the Content Management System section.
Find the AI Content Labeling toggle.
Click the toggle to turn it ON or OFF.
When the toggle is ON, AI Labels appear in the sidebar, file drawer, Manage Labels drawer, and search filters. When the toggle is OFF, no new uploads receive AI Labels. Existing AI Labels stay on the files they're already applied to and remain visible everywhere.
How to remove an AI Label from a file
Open the file's drawer.
In the Labels section, find the AI Label chip (marked with the sparkles icon ✨).
Click the × on the chip.
The Label is removed from the file and no longer counted in any filter.
Removal is permanent - there's no restore option, and the AI won't re-apply the same Label to the same file. To get a fresh AI classification, replace the file in the Library → the AI re-runs on the new file.
How to find files using AI Labels
Open the Content Library.
In the left sidebar, scroll to the AI Labels category.
Click any AI Label to filter the library to files with that Label.
Combine filters by clicking additional Labels (Custom or AI) - multi-select is supported.
AI Labels also appear in the Content Label filter on the search results page, and in Advanced Search by Label name. All 24 AI Label categories appear in the sidebar even if no files are currently tagged with them.
How to reorder the AI Labels category in the Manage Labels drawer
Open the Content Library.
Click Manage Labels to open the drawer.
Reorder the AI Labels category to reposition it among other categories.
Within the AI Labels category, move individual Labels to reorder them.
AI Labels and Custom Labels stay in separate categories - they cannot be mixed.
Limitations
Labels apply to files only. Folders cannot be labeled.
Multi-selecting a mix of files and folders and applying a Label applies the Label to files only.
Only Admins can create, rename, or delete Labels. Any user can apply or remove a Label on a file they can edit.
Labels have a name only. Color, icon, and other styling options are not supported.
AI Labels cannot be added manually anywhere - not from the file drawer, not from the Add Label dropdown, not from any bulk action.
AI Labels cannot be edited, renamed, or deleted. The 24 categories are fixed by the system.
AI Label removal is permanent. There is no restore option.
Some file formats are not supported by AI labeling. Files in those formats receive no AI Label, no placeholder, and no message.
AI Labels are not shown in the library file table rows (list or grid view) - only in the file drawer, sidebar, Manage Labels drawer, and search.
AI labeling is asynchronous and can take time after upload. There is in-progress indicator.
One AI Label per file. Custom Labels remain multi-select.
FAQ
Can I label a folder?
Can I label a folder?
No. Labels apply to files only.
Do Labels work across Company Library and My Library?
Do Labels work across Company Library and My Library?
Yes. Labels appear in a single sidebar section and filter files across both roots, based on your access.
Where did my Content Areas go?
Where did my Content Areas go?
Every Content Area you used is now a Label. Every file that was tagged with a Content Area now carries that Content Area as a Label.
What happens when I delete a Label?
What happens when I delete a Label?
The Label is removed from every file that carries it. The files themselves are not affected - they remain in place with all their other Labels. Deletion cannot be undone, so if you want the Label back you will need to create it again and re-apply it. This applies to Custom Labels only - AI Labels cannot be deleted.
Can I change a Label's color or icon?
Can I change a Label's color or icon?
No. Labels have a name only. Renaming is the only edit available, and only on Custom Labels.
What's the difference between a Custom Label and an AI Content Label?
What's the difference between a Custom Label and an AI Content Label?
Custom Labels are tags your Admins create and your team applies. AI Content Labels are tags Aligned's AI assigns automatically from a fixed list of 24 categories. AI Labels are marked with a sparkles icon (✨) so you can tell them apart.
Can a file have both Custom Labels and AI Labels at the same time?
Can a file have both Custom Labels and AI Labels at the same time?
Yes. A single file can carry any number of Custom Labels and one AI Label at the same time.
How long does it take for AI Labels to appear on a new file?
How long does it take for AI Labels to appear on a new file?
AI labeling runs asynchronously in the background after upload, and it can take time before the Label appears. There's a in-progress indicator - the Label appears automatically once it's ready, or doesn't appear at all if the file couldn't be classified.
Why don't some files have an AI Label?
Why don't some files have an AI Label?
Files without AI Labels fall into one of 2 cases: the file format isn't supported by AI labeling, or the AI couldn't confidently match the file to any of the 24 categories. In all two cases, no Label, placeholder, or message is shown.
Can I add an AI Label to a file manually?
Can I add an AI Label to a file manually?
No. AI Labels can only be assigned by the AI. If a file is missing an AI Label or has the wrong one, you can remove the existing AI Label and add a Custom Label that matches your needs.
I removed an AI Label by accident. Can I get it back?
I removed an AI Label by accident. Can I get it back?
AI Label removal is permanent. There's no restore option, and the AI won't automatically re-apply the same Label to the same file. To re-apply the same category, replace the file in the Library - the AI re-runs the classification on the new file.
What happens to AI Labels if my account downgrades from Enterprise?
What happens to AI Labels if my account downgrades from Enterprise?
Existing AI Labels stay on files and remain visible. The account-level toggle is disabled, and clicking it shows a toast saying the feature is only available for Enterprise accounts. New uploads stop receiving AI Labels until the account is upgraded again. Custom Labels are not affected.
Will AI Labels be applied to files that were already in my library?
Will AI Labels be applied to files that were already in my library?
Yes. When AI Content Labels go live, a one-time migration surfaces AI Labels for files already classified by the AI in the background. Existing files in supported formats appear with their AI Labels on day one - no action needed from your team.