> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.themeupstudio.com/crimson/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.themeupstudio.com/crimson/homepage/tag-sections.md).
# Tag Sections
**Home Tag Sections** are automatic, tag-based content blocks that appear on the Crimson homepage.
Instead of manually building homepage sections, you simply provide a **list of tag slugs**, and Crimson will:
1. Read your tag slug list from theme settings
2. Fetch those tags
3. Render **one “Tag Section” per tag**
4. Show **up to 4 posts** for each tag
5. Use the **same layout style** across all Tag Sections (you choose the layout once)
This is the feature that makes Crimson feel like a true “magazine homepage” where each topic/category becomes a repeatable shelf.
Home Tag Section
### What a Home Tag Section contains
Each Tag Section typically includes:
* A section header (the tag name/title)
* Up to **4 post cards** from that tag
* A consistent layout style (set once via theme settings)
{% hint style="warning" %}
If a tag has fewer than 4 published posts, Crimson will show fewer cards and the section may look shorter. That’s normal behavior.
{% endhint %}
***
### Custom Settings
Go to: **Settings → Design & branding → Homepage** *group*\
(Labels may vary slightly by Ghost version)
#### 1) Tag slugs to show on home
Tag slugs to show on home setting
**Purpose:** Controls **which Tag Sections appear** on the homepage, and in **what order**.
**Type**: Text field (comma-separated list)
**What to enter**: Enter **tag slugs** (not tag names), separated by commas.
**Example: `news,design,opinion`**
#### Empty value behavior
If this field is empty:
* **No Home Tag Sections will be shown**
* No “in-between” injected blocks will appear (because the tag section list is not running)
#### Important notes (read this carefully)
**A) Use slugs only (not display names)**
* Tag name: `Cloud Security`
* Tag slug: `cloud-security`
**B) Order matters**
Crimson displays Tag Sections in the **exact order** you provide.
Example: `guides,news,opinion`
…will render:
1. Guides section
2. News section
3. Opinion section
**C) Avoid spaces (best practice)**
Depending on how the theme parses the list, spaces can cause mistakes.
If you already added spaces and the wrong tags show, remove spaces, save again, and hard refresh.
***
#### 2) Home tag section layout
**Purpose:**
Controls the **visual layout** used for **every Tag Section** on the homepage.
This is a global choice:
* You select **one layout**
* Crimson applies it to **all tag sections**
**Option A) One row with 4 post cards (1|1|1|1)**
Live demo:
1|1|1|1 (Single Row) Layout
**What it looks like:**
* 4 equal cards in a single row (responsive grid)
**Best for:**
* Balanced browsing
* “Category shelf” style discovery
* Sites where all posts in a tag are equally important
***
**Option B) Two columns with 4 post cards (1|3) — *****default***
1|3 (Default) Layout
**What it looks like:**
* 1 prominent “hero” card
* 3 smaller supporting cards
**Best for:**
* Most magazine/blog use cases
* Highlighting one key story per tag/topic
* A strong editorial look without manual curation
***
**Option C) Two rows with 4 post cards (2|2)**
2|2 Layout
**What it looks like:**
* 2 cards per row
* Total 4 cards with consistent sizing
**Best for:**
* Image-forward sites
* More breathing room between cards
* Consistent card sizes across the section
***
#### Content behavior across all layouts
No matter which layout you choose:
* Each Tag Section shows **up to 4 posts**
* Posts are pulled from that tag’s published posts
* If fewer than 4 posts exist, fewer cards show
***
### Automatic “in-between sections” behavior
When **Home Tag Sections are enabled** (meaning `tag_slugs_to_show_on_home` has values), Crimson automatically injects additional blocks at specific positions in the tag-section flow.
These blocks don’t require extra toggles in the settings — they appear based on the Tag Section index.
#### Inserted blocks and positions
**After the 1st Tag Section**
✅ **Editor’s Choice** block is inserted
* This is the same Editor’s Choice section driven by internal tag `#editors-choice`.
* If no posts are tagged, Editor’s Choice remains hidden (as documented).
***
**At the 2nd Tag Section position**
✅ **Categories** block is inserted
* This is the “Top Categories” block that shows tag cards (commonly top 4 tags by post count).
***
**At the 4th Tag Section position**
✅ **Subscribe form** may be inserted — only if Members is enabled
* This subscribe form only appears if Ghost Members is enabled on your site.
* If you have fewer than 4 tag sections, you may never reach this insertion point.
***
### Best practices
#### 1) Choose tags with enough posts
For best appearance:
* Each tag should have at least **4 published posts**
* Otherwise sections will look short/empty
#### 2) Keep the number of sections reasonable
Recommended:
* **5 to 8** tag sections
Why:
* Better readability
* Better performance (less content rendered at once)
* Less “endless scroll” fatigue
#### 3) Put your most important tag first
Because order matters, decide what visitors should see first.
#### 4) Avoid whitespace in the slug list
Use: `news,design,opinion`
Not: `news, design, opinion`
#### 5) Curate your taxonomy
If you want Top Categories to feel meaningful:
* avoid creating too many one-off tags
* consolidate similar tags
* keep a clean set of “core” categories
***
### Troubleshooting
Nothing shows up
Check:
1. `tag_slugs_to_show_on_home` is **not empty**
2. Each slug **exists** and matches exactly
A section title shows but cards look empty/short
Most likely:
* the tag has fewer than **4 published posts**
Fix:
* publish more posts under that tag, or
* remove that tag from the homepage list until it has enough content
Wrong tags are showing
Common causes:
* You used **tag names** instead of slugs
* There are **spaces after commas**
Fix:
1. Replace names with slugs (copy from Ghost tag screen)
2. Remove spaces: `news,design,opinion`
3. Save settings and hard refresh your homepage