Yuri (the Japanese word itself not the tag as used on MAL) includes all levels of gl be it subtext all the way to lesbian hentai porn.
Yuri the tag (as used on MAL and other non-Japanese or Western sites) has subverted yuri's general meaning to one referring to explicit gl only.
Shoujo-ai is a made-up word created by Westerners and used by MAL to tag some types of yuri (non explicit) from the more explicit types. In Japan shoujo-ai (when it's used at all) is more of an underground term referencing lolicon stuff rather than what Westerners have decided to use it for (non explicit gl).
So such-and-such title might be tagged shoujo-ai or tagged yuri but in fact it's all yuri. Only on a site like MAL can you get away with stating that such-and-such is not yuri simply because it was assigned a shoujo-ai tag.
It's unfortunate that MAL decided to use yuri as a specific descriptor when in fact it is a general word referring to all gl.
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Yuri the tag (as used on MAL and other non-Japanese or Western sites) has subverted yuri's general meaning to one referring to explicit gl only.
Shoujo-ai is a made-up word created by Westerners and used by MAL to tag some types of yuri (non explicit) from the more explicit types. In Japan shoujo-ai (when it's used at all) is more of an underground term referencing lolicon stuff rather than what Westerners have decided to use it for (non explicit gl).
So such-and-such title might be tagged shoujo-ai or tagged yuri but in fact it's all yuri. Only on a site like MAL can you get away with stating that such-and-such is not yuri simply because it was assigned a shoujo-ai tag.
It's unfortunate that MAL decided to use yuri as a specific descriptor when in fact it is a general word referring to all gl.
https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/af0so9/whats_the_difference_between_yuri_and_shoujo_ai/
Other Google searches will turn up similar answers.
Posted in your chat because I didn't want to derail the request thread.
Always great to see new yuri fans.