diff --git a/api/client-server/v1/rooms.yaml b/api/client-server/v1/rooms.yaml
index 1cce76f3..bafcb98b 100644
--- a/api/client-server/v1/rooms.yaml
+++ b/api/client-server/v1/rooms.yaml
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ paths:
                 "visibility": "private",
                 "private_user_data": [{
                     "type": "m.tag",
-                    "content": {"tags": {"work": {"order": 1}}}
+                    "content": {"tags": {"work": {"order": "1"}}}
                 }]
               }
           schema:
diff --git a/api/client-server/v1/sync.yaml b/api/client-server/v1/sync.yaml
index b52908a9..8050ede3 100644
--- a/api/client-server/v1/sync.yaml
+++ b/api/client-server/v1/sync.yaml
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ paths:
                           "visibility": "private",
                           "private_user_data": [{
                             "type": "m.tag",
-                            "content": {"tags": {"work": {"order": 1}}}
+                            "content": {"tags": {"work": {"order": "1"}}}
                           }]
                       }
                   ]
diff --git a/api/client-server/v2_alpha/sync.yaml b/api/client-server/v2_alpha/sync.yaml
index ec34c085..7a597f9e 100644
--- a/api/client-server/v2_alpha/sync.yaml
+++ b/api/client-server/v2_alpha/sync.yaml
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ paths:
                         "events": [
                           {
                             "type": "m.tags",
-                            "content": {"tags": {"work": {"order": 1}}}
+                            "content": {"tags": {"work": {"order": "1"}}}
                           }
                         ]
                       }
diff --git a/api/client-server/v2_alpha/tags.yaml b/api/client-server/v2_alpha/tags.yaml
index 009e6000..91945dca 100644
--- a/api/client-server/v2_alpha/tags.yaml
+++ b/api/client-server/v2_alpha/tags.yaml
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ paths:
             application/json: |-
               {
                 "tags": {
-                  "work": {"order": 1},
+                  "work": {"order": "1"},
                   "pinned": {}
                 }
               }
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ paths:
           schema:
             type: object
             example: |-
-              {"order": 1}
+              {"order": "1"}
       responses:
         200:
           description:
diff --git a/specification/modules/tags.rst b/specification/modules/tags.rst
index 3d45975c..15982a0a 100644
--- a/specification/modules/tags.rst
+++ b/specification/modules/tags.rst
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ the tags are for.
 Each tag has an associated JSON object with information about the tag, e.g how
 to order the rooms with a given tag.
 
+Ordering information is given under the ``order`` key as a string. The string
+are compared lexicographically by unicode codepoint to determine which should
+displayed first. So a tag with an ``order`` key of ``"apples"`` would appear
+before a tag with an ``order`` key of ``"oranges"``.
+
 {{m_tag_event}}
 
 Client Behaviour