Ever look at your call logs and think, “What am I actually learning from this?” You’re not alone. If you use Aircall to manage your phone support or sales calls, you’ve probably seen the “call tags” feature. Used right, tags can tell you why people call, what your team is spending time on, and where things get stuck. Used wrong, they're just another checkbox nobody actually looks at.
This guide is for anyone who wants to cut through the noise, set up custom call tags in Aircall, and get data that’s actually useful. Whether you’re in support, sales, or just the person who has to run reports every month, this is for you.
Why Custom Call Tags Matter (and What to Avoid)
Let’s get something out of the way: default tags rarely fit your business. “General Inquiry” and “Support” don’t tell you much. Custom tags let you track what actually matters — your products, your processes, and your customers’ pain points.
What works: - Short, clear tags tied to real business questions (“Refund Request”, “Demo Scheduled”, “Bug Report”) - Tags that help you answer: “What’s eating up our team’s time?” or “Where are customers getting stuck?”
What doesn’t: - Too many tags. No one will use them, or they’ll use them wrong. - Vague tags (“Miscellaneous”, “Other”, “Handled”) - Tags nobody actually applies, because they’re buried in a menu or unclear.
Bottom line: If you want analytics you can trust, keep your tags simple, specific, and limited to what you’ll actually use.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Call Flows
Before you jump into Aircall and start making tags, slow down. Figure out what you really need to track.
Ask yourself: - What are the top 5-10 reasons people call us? - What do I wish I could filter in our call reports? - What do I never want to see as a tag?
Pro tip: Ask your team. They know what comes up over and over — and what’s just noise.
Don’t: Try to tag every possible scenario. You can always tweak later.
Step 2: Map Out the Tags You Actually Need
Now, with that info, draft a short list of tags. You’re aiming for 5-20, tops. Any more and you’ll have a tagging graveyard.
Good tags are: - One or two words (“Order Issue”, “Pricing Question”, “Escalation”) - Obvious to anyone on your team - Mutually exclusive, if possible
Bad tags are: - Jargon only one department understands - Too broad (“Support”) - Too granular (“Asked about iPhone 13 Pro Max Blue 256GB” — nobody will keep this up)
If you’re not sure, test your list with your team for a week. Adjust based on what’s confusing or never gets used.
Step 3: Set Up Custom Call Tags in Aircall
Here’s how you actually create those tags in Aircall. You’ll need admin access.
- Log into your Aircall dashboard.
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Use the web app, not the phone app — the phone app doesn’t let you manage tags.
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Go to the ‘Tags’ section.
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Usually under Settings > Tags. If you don’t see it, you may not have the right permissions.
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Click ‘Add Tag’.
- Name your tag. Keep it short and clear.
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Optionally, add a description — but don’t count on your team reading this every time.
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Set tag visibility and assignment.
- Decide if this tag is available to everyone, or just certain teams.
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For big orgs: Assign tags only to the teams who need them. Less clutter, fewer mistakes.
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Save your changes.
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The new tag shows up immediately in the call tagging list.
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(Optional) Organize tags.
- Aircall lets you reorder tags. Put the most-used at the top.
- You can also delete or edit tags later (but be careful with deleting if you want to keep historical data consistent).
Pro tip: Don’t try to set up a hundred tags because “someone might need it one day.” Start with a core set and add only if you see a consistent, real need.
Step 4: Train Your Team (and Actually Use the Tags)
No fancy system matters if nobody uses it. Make sure everyone knows: - What each tag means - When to use them (and when not to) - Where tagging happens (usually after each call in the Aircall app)
Ways to keep it simple: - Post your tag list somewhere obvious (Google Doc, company wiki, etc.) - Run a 10-minute walk-through at your next team meeting - Encourage your team to flag confusing calls so you can improve the tags
Watch for: - People always picking “Other” (means your tags need work) - Calls going untagged (remind the team, or consider making tagging mandatory if Aircall allows)
Step 5: Analyze Your Data — Without Getting Lost
Once you’ve got a few weeks of tagged calls, head to Aircall’s analytics and filter by your new tags. Look for: - Trends (“Why are refund calls up this month?”) - Outliers (a team or agent always tags “Other”? Check in) - Opportunities (if “Demo Scheduled” is rare, maybe your pitch needs work)
Don’t: Obsess over the data. Use it to spot patterns, not to micromanage every call.
Pro tip: Export your data regularly. Aircall’s built-in reports are decent, but if you want to slice and dice further, pull the CSV into Google Sheets or Excel. That’s usually faster (and cheaper) than buying another analytics tool.
What to Ignore (or Be Skeptical About)
- “AI auto-tagging” features: Maybe in the future, but right now, most auto-tagging is unreliable. Don’t trust it for anything important without regular spot-checks.
- Complex tag hierarchies: If you need a tree diagram to explain your tags, you’re overcomplicating things.
- Tagging every call: Not every inbound call deserves a tag. Focus on the ones that matter — customer calls, not spam or internal check-ins.
How to Keep Your Call Tags Useful Over Time
- Review tags every quarter. Kill off the ones nobody uses.
- Update names if people are confused. Clarity beats tradition.
- Keep the list short. If a tag’s not used in a month, ask why.
- Solicit real feedback. Your team will tell you what’s working (if you ask them honestly).
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
You don’t need a PhD in data science to get value out of custom call tags. Start small, focus on what actually helps you answer business questions, and tweak as you go. The goal isn’t perfect data — it’s useful data. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Now, go cut through the noise and make your Aircall analytics actually work for you.