diff --git a/fgpyo/sam/__init__.py b/fgpyo/sam/__init__.py
index 49e27f2d..e054350a 100644
--- a/fgpyo/sam/__init__.py
+++ b/fgpyo/sam/__init__.py
@@ -863,6 +863,25 @@ def write_to(
         for rec in rec_iter:
             writer.write(rec)
 
+    def set_tag(
+        self,
+        tag: str,
+        value: Union[str, int, float, None],
+    ) -> None:
+        """Add a tag to all records associated with the template.
+
+        Setting a tag to `None` will remove the tag.
+
+        Args:
+            tag: The name of the tag.
+            value: The value of the tag.
+        """
+
+        assert len(tag) == 2, f"Tags must be 2 characters: {tag}."
+
+        for rec in self.all_recs():
+            rec.set_tag(tag, value)
+
 
 class TemplateIterator(Iterator[Template]):
     """
diff --git a/fgpyo/sam/tests/test_template_iterator.py b/fgpyo/sam/tests/test_template_iterator.py
index cae2f328..79ab9283 100644
--- a/fgpyo/sam/tests/test_template_iterator.py
+++ b/fgpyo/sam/tests/test_template_iterator.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
+import pytest
+
 from fgpyo.sam import Template
 from fgpyo.sam import TemplateIterator
 from fgpyo.sam import reader
@@ -99,3 +101,31 @@ def test_write_template(
     with reader(bam_path) as bam_reader:
         template = next(TemplateIterator(bam_reader))
         assert len([r for r in template.all_recs()]) == 2
+
+
+def test_set_tag() -> None:
+    builder = SamBuilder()
+    template = Template.build(builder.add_pair(chrom="chr1", start1=100, start2=200))
+
+    TAG = "XF"
+    VALUE = "value"
+
+    for read in template.all_recs():
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+            read.get_tag(TAG)
+
+    # test setting
+    template.set_tag(TAG, VALUE)
+    assert template.r1.get_tag(TAG) == VALUE
+    assert template.r2.get_tag(TAG) == VALUE
+
+    # test removal
+    template.set_tag(TAG, None)
+    for read in template.all_recs():
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+            read.get_tag(TAG)
+
+    # test tags that aren't two characters
+    for bad_tag in ["", "A", "ABC", "ABCD"]:
+        with pytest.raises(AssertionError, match="Tags must be 2 characters"):
+            template.set_tag(bad_tag, VALUE)