# Action - Replace ANY existing text with new choice **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [February 11, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496 "2014-02-11T16:40:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MandrakeMan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/1 "2014-02-11T16:40:20Z")
Hi, I want to use the actions to auto replace both genre and comment with my given choices. I have figured out the removing of the fields that I don't want, but I am puzzled as to what I have to put in the "Original: " box, as I don't care what is there, I expect there to be 100 different genres and comments and I want them removed and replaced with my given genre and comment. Any and all help appreciated! Chris 🙂 ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/3/337f2e11b3936c86799fe7676c4174077c48e99a.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/2 "2014-02-11T16:54:31Z")
> [@MandrakeMan](#): > > Hi, I want to use the actions to auto replace both genre and comment with my given choices. ... what I have to put in the "Original: " box, ... I expect there to be 100 different genres and comments and I want them removed and replaced with my given genre and comment. Any and all help appreciated! Chris 🙂 Chris, hm, you may create 100 or more replace actions in one action group, one action for each special case. Hm , or ... is there any logical or textual relation between the 'incoming' genre text and your replacement text? (oldname:newname, like n:n or n:m) Will say is there any 'coding table' or any 'translation rule'? Or do you want simply to remove all text from the GENRE tag-field and set your own text value? For this case use an action "Format value". DD.20140211.1854.CET ---
**Author:** ![chrishirst](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@chrishirst](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrishirst)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/3 "2014-02-11T19:21:30Z")
Use: "Replace with regular expression put .\* in "Regular expression:" and whatever you want in "Replace matches with:" ---
**Author:** ![MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MandrakeMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 8:57am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/4 "2014-02-12T08:57:26Z")
> [@DetlevD](#): > > Chris, hm, you may create 100 or more replace actions in one action group, one action for each special case. > Hm , or ... is there any logical or textual relation between the 'incoming' genre text and your replacement text? (oldname:newname, like n:n or n:m) > Will say is there any 'coding table' or any 'translation rule'? > Or do you want simply to remove all text from the GENRE tag-field and set your own text value? > > DD.20140211.1854.CET Thanks for your reply. I just simply want to strip out the genre and replace with 'Psychedelic Rock' and strip out any comments and add Psychedelicized Radio ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:01am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/5 "2014-02-12T09:01:57Z")
> [@MandrakeMan](#): > > Thanks for your reply. I just simply want to strip out the genre and replace with 'Psychedelic Rock' and strip out any comments and add Psychedelicized Radio Wouldn't it be easier to select all the files, enter the desired string in the tag panel and then save? ---
**Author:** ![MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MandrakeMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:02am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/6 "2014-02-12T09:02:24Z")
> [@Chris Hirst](#): > > Use: > > "Replace with regular expression > > put .\* in "Regular expression:" > > and whatever you want in "Replace matches with:" just .\* in the "Original: " box, as per attached pic, doesn't work? ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/9/97955f5927522f3a34d5d1caa81eee06d3ca1e37.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MandrakeMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:03am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/7 "2014-02-12T09:03:48Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#): > > Wouldn't it be easier to select all the files, enter the desired string in the tag panel and then save? That's what I normally do, I just though I could save myself always typing and adding the same info, to same boxes, by setting up an Action? ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/8 "2014-02-12T09:27:53Z")
> [@MandrakeMan](#): > > That's what I normally do, I just though I could save myself always typing and adding the same info, to same boxes, by setting up an Action? You would have to execute that action - and whether navigating to the action is less cumbersome than typing - personal taste. But: if you want to rely on an action, then I would recommend an action of the type "Format value" instead of "Replace" - this leaves out the interpretation of the source string and simply puts that what you have written into the "Format String" into the field. ---
**Author:** ![chrishirst](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@chrishirst](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrishirst)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:29am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/9 "2014-02-12T09:29:44Z")
> [@MandrakeMan](#): > > just .\* in the "Original: " box, as per attached pic, doesn't work? That's because you are in the "Replace" action NOT the "Replace with regular expression" action as I suggested. ---
**Author:** ![MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MandrakeMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:48am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/10 "2014-02-12T09:48:59Z")
> [@Chris Hirst](#): > > That's because you are in the "Replace" action NOT the "Replace with regular expression" action as I suggested. Which is where? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MandrakeMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:52am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/11 "2014-02-12T09:52:38Z")
> [@Chris Hirst](#): > > That's because you are in the "Replace" action NOT the "Replace with regular expression" action as I suggested. OK found it, but it doesn't work either? ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7b561efbace239f3b584ea560a2c98bc141c6723.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@MandrakeMan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MandrakeMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 10:01am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/12 "2014-02-12T10:01:58Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#): > > You would have to execute that action - and whether navigating to the action is less cumbersome than typing - personal taste. > > But: if you want to rely on an action, then I would recommend an action of the type "Format value" instead of "Replace" - this leaves out the interpretation of the source string and simply puts that what you have written into the "Format String" into the field. Ok, ohrenkino, you get the gold star! 🙂 Thanks, that works, as per attached pic, for anyone else that has the same issue. This is better than everyday having to find the genre, type in the same comment, save, then go to extended tags, which can cause an issue on my server, strip them out etc. Now, I have it set-up, so on click on Actions, another on my preset and boom, all the junk tags are stripped out and the info I want is added, so two clicks is better than a bunch of typing and hunting. Thanks for everyone's input. ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/d/d8e6c32245cd3f43dce994eaa3345ba2b5fe7461.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-replace-any-existing-text-with-new-choice/15496/13 "2026-02-09T12:24:55Z")
Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC