nextcloud / nextcloud/server

[Bug]: System tags context menu option missing in some shared nested folders

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0. Needs triage 32-feedback bug feature: files feature: tags
Dominant language
PHP
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Description

Steps to reproduce
  1. Install Nextcloud 32.0.3 with systemtags 1.22.0
  2. Create a deeply nested folder structure in a shared folder (e.g., shared/folder1/folder2/folder3/folder4/target_folder)
  3. Share the parent folder with a group that has tag assignment permissions
  4. As a user in that group, right-click on target_folder
  5. Observe that "Tags" option is missing from context menu
  6. Right-click on a sibling folder at a different level - "Tags" option appears
Expected behavior

The "Tags" option should appear in the context menu for all folders where the user has permission to assign tags.

Actual behavior

The "Tags" option appears in some folders but not in others, even when:

  • All folders have identical permissions (31 = full permissions)
  • All folders are on the same storage
  • The user has tag assignment permissions (member of authorized group)
  • The parent hierarchy has correct permissions

Importantly: The WebDAV API works correctly - tags can be added via:

curl -X PUT "http://localhost/remote.php/dav/systemtags-relations/files/{fileid}/{tagid}"
# Returns HTTP 201 (success)

This confirms it's a frontend/UI bug, not a permissions issue.

Server configuration

Operating system: Ubuntu Server (Snap installation)

Web server: Apache (Snap)

Database: MySQL (Snap)

PHP version: 8.x (Snap)

Nextcloud version: 32.0.3

Updated from an older Nextcloud/ownCloud or fresh install: Fresh snap install

Where did you install Nextcloud from: Snap

Signing status:

No errors have been found.

List of activated apps:

- systemtags: 1.22.0
- workflowengine: 2.14.0
- files_external: 1.24.0
Client configuration

Browser: Multiple (Firefox, Chrome)

Operating system: Multiple (Windows, macOS)

Logs

No relevant errors in nextcloud.log related to systemtags.

Additional info
  • Tags are configured as "public" with group restrictions (oc_systemtag_group)
  • The affected folders have storage=1 (primary storage, not external)
  • Path length doesn't seem to be the issue (tested with paths of various lengths)
  • All parent folders in hierarchy have permissions=31
  • maintenance:repair --include-expensive does not fix the issue
  • files:scan does not fix the issue

Workaround: Users can add tags via the side panel ("Details" → "Tags") or by tagging a parent folder where the option does appear.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the nested shared-folder case and compare the context-menu behavior with the Details → Tags side panel and the documented WebDAV systemtags-relations endpoint. Trace the frontend path that decides whether the Tags option is shown for target and sibling folders. Done means the option appears for every folder where the user can assign tags, while the existing WebDAV behavior remains intact.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
php
Domain
frontend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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