diff --git a/backend/app/api/tags.py b/backend/app/api/tags.py
index 64f16bf..e18d94d 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/tags.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/tags.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from ..services.tag_service import (
     TagService,
     TagValidationError,
 )
+from ..utils.tag_prefix import parse_kind_prefix
 
 tags_bp = Blueprint("tags", __name__, url_prefix="/api")
 
@@ -105,13 +106,39 @@ async def directory():
 
 @tags_bp.route("/tags", methods=["POST"])
 async def create_tag():
+    """Create a tag. Two input shapes accepted:
+      1. Explicit: {name, kind, fandom_id?} — caller already split, kind wins.
+      2. IR-suffix: {name} where name = "kind:Name" (e.g. "artist:Eric").
+         The server runs parse_kind_prefix(name) to derive kind; the colon
+         and prefix are stripped from the stored tag name. If no recognized
+         prefix is present, the kind defaults to `general`.
+    Explicit kind ALWAYS wins (backward-compat for existing callers).
+    """
     body = await request.get_json()
-    if not body or "name" not in body or "kind" not in body:
-        return jsonify({"error": "name and kind required"}), 400
+    if not body or "name" not in body:
+        return jsonify({"error": "name required"}), 400
     name = body["name"]
-    kind = _coerce_kind(body["kind"])
-    if kind is None:
-        return jsonify({"error": f"invalid kind {body['kind']!r}"}), 400
+    explicit_kind_raw = body.get("kind")
+
+    if explicit_kind_raw is not None:
+        # Caller provided kind — honor it; don't re-parse.
+        kind = _coerce_kind(explicit_kind_raw)
+        if kind is None:
+            return jsonify({"error": f"invalid kind {explicit_kind_raw!r}"}), 400
+    else:
+        # IR-style: parse "kind:Name" from the raw name.
+        parsed_kind, parsed_name = parse_kind_prefix(name)
+        if parsed_kind is not None:
+            name = parsed_name
+            kind = _coerce_kind(parsed_kind)
+            # parse_kind_prefix only returns kinds from KNOWN_KINDS which
+            # are all valid TagKind members, so _coerce_kind can't return
+            # None here — but defensive.
+            if kind is None:
+                return jsonify({"error": f"invalid kind {parsed_kind!r}"}), 400
+        else:
+            kind = TagKind.general
+
     fandom_id = body.get("fandom_id")
 
     async with get_session() as session:
diff --git a/tests/test_api_tags.py b/tests/test_api_tags.py
index 39b45a9..4f86b86 100644
--- a/tests/test_api_tags.py
+++ b/tests/test_api_tags.py
@@ -55,6 +55,52 @@ async def test_create_character_with_bad_fandom_id(client):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_create_tag_missing_required(client):
-    resp = await client.post("/api/tags", json={"name": "Bob"})
+async def test_create_tag_missing_name_400(client):
+    """name is still required; only `kind` became optional."""
+    resp = await client.post("/api/tags", json={})
     assert resp.status_code == 400
+    resp = await client.post("/api/tags", json={"kind": "artist"})
+    assert resp.status_code == 400
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_create_tag_name_only_defaults_to_general(client):
+    """IR-style: name without kind and without `kind:` prefix → general."""
+    resp = await client.post("/api/tags", json={"name": "sunset"})
+    assert resp.status_code == 201
+    body = await resp.get_json()
+    assert body["name"] == "sunset"
+    assert body["kind"] == "general"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_create_tag_with_kind_prefix(client):
+    """IR-style: `name="artist:Eric"` without explicit kind → parsed as artist."""
+    resp = await client.post("/api/tags", json={"name": "artist:Eric"})
+    assert resp.status_code == 201
+    body = await resp.get_json()
+    assert body["name"] == "Eric"
+    assert body["kind"] == "artist"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_explicit_kind_overrides_prefix_parsing(client):
+    """If caller passes explicit kind, don't re-parse the name —
+    colon and prefix stay literal."""
+    resp = await client.post(
+        "/api/tags", json={"name": "artist:Eric", "kind": "general"}
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 201
+    body = await resp.get_json()
+    assert body["name"] == "artist:Eric"
+    assert body["kind"] == "general"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_unknown_prefix_kept_literal(client):
+    """`http:example` — `http` not in KNOWN_KINDS → kind=general, literal name."""
+    resp = await client.post("/api/tags", json={"name": "http://example.com"})
+    assert resp.status_code == 201
+    body = await resp.get_json()
+    assert body["name"] == "http://example.com"
+    assert body["kind"] == "general"