---
sourceDocument: Australia IT Operations Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-operations-management

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    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia IT Operations Management

ft:clusterId :

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workflow :

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---

# Tag-based mapping criteria examples for service families

# Tag-based mapping criteria examples for service families {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Australia
* 
* Updated March 12, 2026
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read

When preparing to map application services based on tags, create tag categories that contain tags with similar use. Define a tag-based service family and the tags you want to use for mapping. In addition to tag categories, you
can also define tag values to narrow the criteria for the service candidates created by Service Mapping. Use these examples for guidance.
For detailed information about defining service families in tag-based mapping, see [Prepare for mapping application services based on tags](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/h4g~6_1dWxqjrhSGpyRcnw "Analyze, review, and define tags in your organization for successful mapping.").  
Note:  
Starting with Service Mapping Plus version 1.16.3, take advantage of the Tag-based Service Mapping workspace to efficiently map you application services. For more information, see [Tag-based mapping in the Service Mapping Workspace](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ZL88Jp2mePWf5bGep0uMVg "The Tag-based service mapping dashboard offers an intuitive way to manage tag-based services. Use the widgets, data visualizations, and list navigation to review and update your services, or create new tag-based services in a few steps. The dashboard enhances the Service Mapping Workspace, offering an efficient and user-friendly interface for organizing and optimizing your service mappings.") and [Tag-based discovery for the Service Mapping Workspace](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/EGigh9pZPA19h72W~R_YNg "If your organization uses tags for asset management, you can use the Service Mapping workspace to manage these tags and create tag-based application services."). {#examples-tag-based-criteria-service-families__table_zbx_gvs_djb__entry__5}

| Definitions for service family | Category | Key | Value (optional) | Result |
|-|-|-|-|-|
| Example 1: one tag category, no values | Environment | Env | Not defined | Service Mapping creates a service candidate for each tag value for the Env key. Each service candidate contains only CIs with the same value for the Env key. |
| Example 2: one tag category, one value | Environment | Env | Production | Service Mapping creates the service candidate containing only CIs that have the Env tag key with the Production tag value. |
| Example 3: one tag category, two values | Environment | Env | Staging,Production | Service Mapping creates two service candidates: One containing CIs that have the Production tag value; another containing CIs that have the Staging tag value. |
| Example 4: two tag categories, no values | Environment Application | Env App | Not defined | Service Mapping creates a service candidate for each combination of tag values for all defined tag keys. |
| Example 5: two tag categories, two values for each category | Environment Application | Env App | Production,Staging HR,Finance | Service Mapping creates four service candidates: production::hr, production::finance, staging::hr, staging::finance. |
[Table 1. Examples of defining tag-based mapping criteria for service families]

{#examples-tag-based-criteria-service-families__table_zbx_gvs_djb}