# Browsing OPC Browser Tags **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [January 13, 2025, 10:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/browsing-opc-browser-tags/100825 "2025-01-13T22:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NP209](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/np209/32/80704_2.png) [@NP209](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/NP209)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 10:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/browsing-opc-browser-tags/100825/1 "2025-01-13T22:50:19Z")
Does anyone have an tips for finding tags when you are unfamiliar with where the tag might be located in the OPC Browser? I have a handful of machines with no documentation that we are looking to figure out throughput, quality, efficiency, etc. But just this one machine has thousands of tags. Are there any tricks to filtering them? My plan is to reach out the manufacture but I was hoping I might be missing something. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/9/9/9926de6b7a42be9d8a4fbfc896216d1dc655b03c.png) ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 11:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/browsing-opc-browser-tags/100825/2 "2025-01-13T23:12:57Z")
> [@NP209](#): > > reach out the manufacture Oy! Just from that screenshot, it looks like the manufacturer didn't organize tags into any UDTs or arrays. Not only will it always be difficult to find what you need, but communications performance will suck, too. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![NP209](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/np209/32/80704_2.png) [@NP209](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/NP209)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/browsing-opc-browser-tags/100825/3 "2025-01-13T23:16:06Z")
Hey I appreciate your input. I kind of figured that was going to be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Transistor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/transistor/32/3380_2.png) [@Transistor](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Transistor)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 11:25pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/browsing-opc-browser-tags/100825/4 "2025-01-13T23:25:16Z")
If you can, it might help to check if the information you want to gather is available on the machine HMI. If so, you may be able to narrow down your search to the HMI tags. If you have access to the HMI source code then you should be able to examine the display component properties and find out which tag they're monitoring. Make a list and then find them in your browser. Failing that you may have to dig into the PLC code. ---
**Author:** ![Programmatic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/programmatic/32/70979_2.png) [@Programmatic](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Programmatic)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/browsing-opc-browser-tags/100825/5 "2025-01-14T14:00:54Z")
If you feel like scripting a search function, you could use system.tag.browse() to search through the tag providers and give it input tag names with or without the wildcard '\*'. Kind of only helpful if you already have a rough idea of what the tag name is or would have in it. We use something similar as a search tool for the end user to search through all of the tag providers. > **[system.tag.browse | Ignition User Manual](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.1/appendix/scripting-functions/system-tag/system-tag-browse)** > > Returns a list of nodes found at the specified path. You can have the script print the results or add them to an array for you to get the path to the tags you need. The find/replace tool might help too since it can search through tag providers, but that might only give you results if there is a UDT type for it. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/9/1/9105692cb8eeba92c1291a03312892268802d67f.png) ---
**Author:** ![lrose](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/lrose/32/62724_2.png) [@lrose](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/lrose)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/browsing-opc-browser-tags/100825/6 "2025-01-14T14:37:11Z")
> [@Programmatic](#): > > If you feel like scripting a search function, you could use system.tag.browse() They're asking about searching for tags in the device, not Ignition Tags. `system.tag.browse()` will not work for that. ---
**Author:** ![Programmatic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/programmatic/32/70979_2.png) [@Programmatic](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Programmatic)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/browsing-opc-browser-tags/100825/7 "2025-01-14T14:41:01Z")
You're right, I missed that when I was reading through the post. Thanks for the correction.