Clarification on Primary Tags vs Other Tags in Dynatrace

[Selvam]

Hi Team,

I’m trying to get a better understanding of tagging in Dynatrace, specifically around how and when different types of tags can be applied.

I have a few questions:

1. Is there any official documentation or reference that clearly explains primary tags versus other tag types in Dynatrace?
2. After installing OneAgent, which types of tags can still be applied or modified? Are there any tags that must be defined before installation and cannot be changed later?
3. Do any tagging changes require a restart to take effect?
   • If yes, is the restart required at the host level or just at the process/service level?

I’d appreciate if someone could share best practices or real-world guidance on how tagging should ideally be managed, especially in dynamic environments.

Thanks in advance!

Selvam.

[sujit_k_singh]

Hi @Selvam 

Tagging in Dynatrace can be confusing initially because there isn’t really a strict “primary vs secondary” taxonomy in the classic sense.

Primary tags” vs other tag types- 

There isn’t an official concept of “primary tags” in traditional Dynatrace tagging.

• Manually applied tags
• Automatically applied tags (rule-based)
• Environment / OneAgent-level tags (via config or env variables) 
  These are the main tagging mechanisms documented Define and apply tags — Dynatrace Docs

So now

In the new platform (Grail-based), primary tags are a specific concept — they're host-level tags set via oneagentctl that automatically propagate to all child entities (processes, containers, disks, network interfaces). Primary Grail fields and tags enrichment through OneAgent — Dynatrace Docs

What Requires a Restart?

Host Group change → Requires OneAgent restart (oneagentctl --restart)
Host tags/properties via oneagentctl → No restart needed
Auto-tags / Manual tags → No restart (server-side)
Environment variable-based tags → Process restart needed

For best practice Best practices and recommendations for tagging — Dynatrace Docs

Thanks,

Sujit