diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a406995..b92d51a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ Use a project token for email operations. Use a team token for management operat
 
 ```elixir
 client = Lettermint.email(System.fetch_env!("LETTERMINT_PROJECT_TOKEN"))
+alias Lettermint.MessageTag
 
 {:ok, message} = Lettermint.Email.send(client, %{
   from: "Example <sender@example.com>",
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@ client = Lettermint.email(System.fetch_env!("LETTERMINT_PROJECT_TOKEN"))
   subject: "Hello",
   text: "Hello from Elixir",
   metadata: %{order_id: "123"},
-  tags: [%{name: "type", value: "receipt"}],
+  tag: "legacy-tag",
+  tags: [MessageTag.new!("type", "receipt")],
   settings: %{tls: "enforced"}
 }, idempotency_key: "receipt-123")
 
@@ -45,6 +47,9 @@ message.message_id
 message.status
 ```
 
+The legacy `tag` field remains available. `MessageTag.new!/2` validates typed
+name/value tags before the request is sent.
+
 All API calls return `{:ok, result}` or `{:error, %Lettermint.Error{}}`. Invalid local arguments raise `ArgumentError`. JSON responses use generated structs. Raw message source, HTML, and text remain unchanged strings. Ping returns a trimmed string.
 
 ### Using the Pipe Operator
@@ -58,6 +63,7 @@ client
 |> Email.to(["recipient@example.com"])
 |> Email.subject("Hello")
 |> Email.text("Hello from Elixir")
+|> Email.tags([Lettermint.MessageTag.new!("campaign", "welcome")])
 |> Email.send(idempotency_key: "hello-123")
 ```
 
diff --git a/lib/lettermint/email_builder.ex b/lib/lettermint/email_builder.ex
index 5a466e7..df98822 100644
--- a/lib/lettermint/email_builder.ex
+++ b/lib/lettermint/email_builder.ex
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ defmodule Lettermint.EmailBuilder do
         :html,
         :text,
         :route,
-        :tag,
-        :tags,
         :headers,
         :metadata,
         :settings,
@@ -34,6 +32,39 @@ defmodule Lettermint.EmailBuilder do
     end
   end
 
+  @doc "Set the legacy single tag."
+  @spec tag(t(), String.t() | nil) :: t()
+  def tag(%__MODULE__{} = builder, value) do
+    if not is_nil(value) and length(Map.get(builder.payload, :tags, [])) >= 20,
+      do: raise(ArgumentError, "A legacy tag and no more than 19 message tags are permitted")
+
+    %{builder | payload: Map.put(builder.payload, :tag, value)}
+  end
+
+  @doc "Set typed reusable name/value tags. Maps remain supported."
+  @spec tags(t(), [Lettermint.MessageTag.t() | map()]) :: t()
+  def tags(%__MODULE__{} = builder, tags) when is_list(tags) do
+    maximum = if is_nil(Map.get(builder.payload, :tag)), do: 20, else: 19
+
+    if length(tags) > maximum,
+      do: raise(ArgumentError, "No more than #{maximum} message tags are permitted")
+
+    normalized =
+      Enum.map(tags, fn
+        %Lettermint.MessageTag{} = tag -> Lettermint.MessageTag.new!(tag.name, tag.value)
+        %{name: name, value: value} -> Lettermint.MessageTag.new!(name, value)
+        %{"name" => name, "value" => value} -> Lettermint.MessageTag.new!(name, value)
+        _ -> raise ArgumentError, "Message tags must contain a name and value"
+      end)
+
+    names = Enum.map(normalized, & &1.name)
+
+    if length(names) != length(Enum.uniq(names)),
+      do: raise(ArgumentError, "Message tag names must be unique and case-sensitive")
+
+    %{builder | payload: Map.put(builder.payload, :tags, normalized)}
+  end
+
   @doc "Send the email. Request options include an idempotency key."
   def send(%__MODULE__{client: client, payload: payload}, opts \\ []),
     do: Lettermint.Email.send(client, payload, opts)
diff --git a/lib/lettermint/message_tag.ex b/lib/lettermint/message_tag.ex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c6673a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/lettermint/message_tag.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+defmodule Lettermint.MessageTag do
+  @moduledoc "A reusable exact-match message tag."
+  @enforce_keys [:name, :value]
+  defstruct [:name, :value, extra: %{}]
+
+  @type t :: %__MODULE__{name: String.t(), value: String.t(), extra: map()}
+
+  @spec new!(String.t(), String.t()) :: t()
+  def new!(name, value) when is_binary(name) and is_binary(value) do
+    unless Regex.match?(~r/\A[A-Za-z0-9_-]{1,32}\z/, name),
+      do: raise(ArgumentError, "Message tag names must match ^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{1,32}$")
+
+    if String.starts_with?(String.downcase(name), "__lettermint"),
+      do: raise(ArgumentError, "Message tag names must not start with __lettermint")
+
+    unless Regex.match?(~r/\A[A-Za-z0-9_-]{1,64}\z/, value),
+      do: raise(ArgumentError, "Message tag values must match ^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{1,64}$")
+
+    %__MODULE__{name: name, value: value}
+  end
+
+  def new!(_, _), do: raise(ArgumentError, "Message tag names and values must be strings")
+
+  @doc false
+  def __schema__, do: [{"name", :name, :string}, {"value", :value, :string}]
+end
diff --git a/test/client_test.exs b/test/client_test.exs
index 522e435..e59f590 100644
--- a/test/client_test.exs
+++ b/test/client_test.exs
@@ -49,6 +49,29 @@ defmodule Lettermint.ClientTest do
            ]
   end
 
+  test "typed message tags are validated and serialized" do
+    alias Lettermint.{EmailBuilder, MessageTag}
+
+    builder =
+      client()
+      |> EmailBuilder.new()
+      |> EmailBuilder.tags([
+        MessageTag.new!("campaign", "welcome"),
+        %{name: "customer", value: "new"}
+      ])
+
+    assert EmailBuilder.to_map(builder)["tags"] == [
+             %{"name" => "campaign", "value" => "welcome"},
+             %{"name" => "customer", "value" => "new"}
+           ]
+
+    assert_raise ArgumentError, fn -> MessageTag.new!("__LETTERMINT_internal", "value") end
+
+    assert_raise ArgumentError, fn ->
+      EmailBuilder.tags(builder, [MessageTag.new!("same", "one"), MessageTag.new!("same", "two")])
+    end
+  end
+
   test "optional unset and explicit null are distinct" do
     assert Model.to_map(%Models.SendMailRequest{subject: "test", text: nil}) == %{
              "subject" => "test",