diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ed9ddcf..f1657d9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 drone-datadog
+testenv
diff --git a/.tags b/.tags
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8fa86c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.tags
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+test.tags-file-tag1
+tag2 tag3
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6c71ad2..be44e42 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,20 +9,22 @@ where [environment] is generally something like "prod" or "staging" and [version
 
 When running the program or the docker instance, the following environment variables need to be set:
 
-* dd_api_key = a write-allowed API key created in https://app.datadoghq.com/account/settings#api
-* dd_release_environment = the name of the environment being deployed to
-* dd_release_version = the version fo the code being deployed
+* `dd_api_key` - a write-allowed API key created in https://app.datadoghq.com/account/settings#api
+* `dd_release_environment` - the name of the environment being deployed to
+* `dd_release_version` - the version of the code being deployed
 
-For example:
+Optional parameter:
+* `dd_event_tags` - a list of tags to add to the event
 
+Example usage:
 ```yaml
 pipeline:
-  datadog-staging:
+  datadog-event:
     image: urbint/drone-datadog
     dd_api_key: 1234567890abcdefg1234567890abcde
     dd_release_version: ${DRONE_COMMIT}
-    dd_release_environment: staging
-    when:
-      branch: master
+    dd_release_environment: ${DRONE_DEPLOY_TO=dev}
+    dd_event_tags: [drone, deployment, release-${DRONE_DEPLOY_TO=dev}]
+```
 
-```
\ No newline at end of file
+In addition, a `.tags` file placed at the root of the workspace will be parsed and all 'words' found will be appended to any tags provided in the pipeline definition.
diff --git a/datadog/types.go b/datadog/types.go
index e7e51c7..60f2167 100644
--- a/datadog/types.go
+++ b/datadog/types.go
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ package datadog
 import "fmt"
 
 type Event struct {
-	Title       string        `json:"title"`
-	Description string        `json:"description"`
+	Title       string   `json:"title"`
+	Description string   `json:"description"`
+	Tags        []string `json:"tags"`
 }
 
 type Error struct {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 0d3da3e..e111d53 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/kelseyhightower/envconfig"
 	"github.com/urbint/drone-datadog/datadog"
+	"github.com/urbint/drone-datadog/tags"
 )
 
 type Args struct {
-	ApiKey    string `envconfig:"dd_api_key"`
-	Environ   string `envconfig:"dd_release_environment"`
-	Version   string `envconfig:"dd_release_version"`
+	ApiKey  string   `envconfig:"dd_api_key"`
+	Environ string   `envconfig:"dd_release_environment"`
+	Version string   `envconfig:"dd_release_version"`
+	Tags    []string `envconfig:"dd_event_tags"`
 }
 
 type DroneVars struct {
@@ -49,13 +51,19 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
+	if _, err := os.Stat(".tags"); err == nil {
+		fmt.Println(".tags file found, parsing")
+		vargs.Tags = append(vargs.Tags, tags.ParseFile(".tags")...)
+	}
+
 	// create the Datadog client
 	client := datadog.NewClient(vargs.ApiKey)
 
 	// generate the Datadog event
 	msg := datadog.Event{
-		Title: "release-" + vargs.Environ + ": " + vargs.Version,
-		Description:  "Pushed " + vargs.Version + " to " + vargs.Environ,
+		Title:       "release-" + vargs.Environ + ": " + vargs.Version,
+		Description: "Pushed " + vargs.Version + " to " + vargs.Environ,
+		Tags:        vargs.Tags,
 	}
 
 	// sends the message
diff --git a/tags/tags.go b/tags/tags.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..340c3b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tags/tags.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package tags
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+)
+
+func ParseFile(filename string) []string {
+	var tags []string
+
+	file, err := os.Open(filename)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer file.Close()
+
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(file)
+	scanner.Split(bufio.ScanWords)
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		tags = append(tags, scanner.Text())
+	}
+
+	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	return tags
+
+}