# Bug Concerning File/Tag Syntax with square brackets
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/bug-concerning-file-tag-syntax-with-square-brackets/70850
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 10, 2026, 10:20am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/bug-concerning-file-tag-syntax-with-square-brackets/70850 "2026-03-10T10:20:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@muzikpusher](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/muzikpusher)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2026, 10:20am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/bug-concerning-file-tag-syntax-with-square-brackets/70850/1 "2026-03-10T10:20:08Z")
I’m using mp3Tag since many years and I can’t appreciate enough the work and engagement of the coders and providers.
Ok, lets come back to the topic.
Bug: When I takeover the file name from tag with following format string
%artist% - %title% [%year%]
the year in the file name is taken over but not in square brackets. It works with all other brackets { } ( ), but not with []. Conversely, if I have written the year in [] in the file name already and take it over to the tag with the same format string, the year is copied to the tag correctly without any problems.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2026, 10:22am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/bug-concerning-file-tag-syntax-with-square-brackets/70850/2 "2026-03-10T10:22:19Z")
> [@muzikpusher](#):
>
> Bug: When I takeover the file name from tag with following format string
It is no bug, it is a feature - see the documentation about special characters in format strings:
> **[Characters with Special Functionality - Format Strings and Placeholders – Mp3tag...](https://docs.mp3tag.de/format/#characters-with-special-functionality)**
>
> Mp3tag uses format strings in various of its features to describe the structure of file names and imported data. A format string is built of either standard text (e.g., Music), placeholders (such as %artist%, %title%, …), or backslash characters \\...
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2026, 10:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/bug-concerning-file-tag-syntax-with-square-brackets/70850/3 "2026-03-10T10:33:36Z")
> [@muzikpusher](#):
>
> %artist% - %title% [%year%]
>
> the year in the file name is taken over but not in square brackets.
There are already many topics on this subject. Please use the search function to find for example [this](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610) or [this](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/writing-filenames-with-square-brackets/14459) or [this](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/why-are-square-brackets-proscribed-characters-in-writing-tag-to-filename/55592) and some more.
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### Author:  [@muzikpusher](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/muzikpusher)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2026, 11:35am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/bug-concerning-file-tag-syntax-with-square-brackets/70850/4 "2026-03-10T11:35:09Z")
Oh, now I’m ashamed. In future I will check the previous threads before posting another one!
Thanks for the help!!
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2026, 11:35am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/bug-concerning-file-tag-syntax-with-square-brackets/70850/5 "2026-03-17T11:35:51Z")
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