# Metadata Tags

Metadata tags are temporary storage devices. They will be cleared when a server restarts, and aren't saved into a database, which means they are perfect for short-term, you don't even have to worry about deleting them if you don't want to!

However, these do have some limitations:

* They are limited to a single value: you cannot set a metadata tag to a list or more than one object.
* Metadata tags are required to be attached to an entity (players included) or a block. You cannot set a tag without linking an object, like you would with a variable.
* You cannot add, subtract, or otherwise manipulate metadata tags outside of setting or deleting them: `add 1 to (player's metadata tag "count)` will not work; you'll need to `set (player's metadata tag "count) to (player's metadata tag "count) + 1`.

Syntax: `%holder%'s metadata tag %string%` or `metadata tag %string% of %holder%`

{% hint style="warning" %}
Metadata tags are a little hard for Skript to work with without the use of parentheses, so you should always place a metadata tag between parentheses.

See the [Parentheses page](/syntask/optimisations/parentheses.md) to learn how parentheses can make your code faster and easier to read and run.
{% endhint %}

Examples:

{% code overflow="wrap" lineNumbers="true" %}

```python
set (player's metadata tag "term:1") to 34
set (player's metadata tag "term:2") to 82
broadcast "%(player's metadata tag "term:1") + (player's metadata tag "term:2")%"
```

{% endcode %}

{% code overflow="wrap" lineNumbers="true" %}

```python
set (event-entity's metadata tag "location") to event-location
```

{% endcode %}


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