# Filter Expression Help
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 19, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724 "2017-02-19T13:51:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mrralan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mrralan)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/1 "2017-02-19T13:51:13Z")
I create my tags using Filename - Tag. I use %artist%\%title% which uses the folder name for the Artist tag and the filename for the Title tag.
I am now trying to search for ...
1. Folder names that do not match the Artist tag
2. Filenames that do not match the Title tag
What expression would I use for each of these?
Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/2 "2017-02-19T13:57:07Z")
> [@mrralan](#):
>
> I create my tags using Filename - Tag. I use %artist%\%title% which uses the folder name for the Artist tag and the filename for the Title tag.
>
> I am now trying to search for ...
>
> 1. Folder names that do not match the Artist tag
>
> 2. Filenames that do not match the Title tag
>
> What expression would I use for each of these?
>
> Thanks.
See the FAQs on Filters: [Filter expressions](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/10080/3)
You are probably looking for this:
> [@](#):
>
> **Check if two fields have the same value:**
> "$if($eql(%artist%,%band%),yes,no)" IS yes
or "IS no" if you want to see those that do not match
The folder name is stored in %\_directory%
The file name is stored in %\_filename%
---
### Author:  [@mrralan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mrralan)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/3 "2017-02-19T16:16:59Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> See the FAQs on Filters: [Filter expressions](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/10080/3)
>
> You are probably looking for this:
>
> or "IS no" if you want to see those that do not match
>
> The folder name is stored in %\_directory%
> The file name is stored in %\_filename%
Those worked thank you. I saw the FAQs but still couldn't figure it out. Here's what works...
1. "$if($eql(%\_directory%,%artist%),yes,no)" IS no
2. "$if($eql(%\_filename%,%title%),yes,no)" IS no
I have another. I only use tags in Comment, Title and Artist. How can I find songs that may have a tag in any of the other fields?
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/4 "2017-02-19T16:22:49Z")
> [@mrralan](#):
>
> ...
> I have another. I only use tags in Comment, Title and Artist. How can I find songs that may have a tag in any of the other fields?
With a filter, you have to name each field like
%albumartist% PRESENT
%year% PRESENT
You find a complete list of fields in the extended tags dialogue (Alt-T):
Select all files
Press Alt-T
If you do not care about the contents in these fields, then you can delete the fields right there in the extended tags dialogue when you close the dialogue.
---
### Author:  [@mrralan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mrralan)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/5 "2017-02-19T18:44:58Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> With a filter, you have to name each field like
> %albumartist% PRESENT
> %year% PRESENT
>
> You find a complete list of fields in the extended tags dialogue (Alt-T):
> Select all files
> Press Alt-T
>
> If you do not care about the contents in these fields, then you can delete the fields right there in the extended tags dialogue when you close the dialogue.
Thanks. Weird that Windows Explorer found that some songs had a Genre tag but MP3tag doesn't show it.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/6 "2017-02-19T18:47:41Z")
> [@mrralan](#):
>
> Thanks. Weird that Windows Explorer found that some songs had a Genre tag but MP3tag doesn't show it.
Check the MP3tag settings in File\>Options\>Tags\>Mpeg
which tag versions you read.
It could be that the genre field is a tag version that either is not read at all or gets overwritten by superior tag versions:
APE\>V2\>V1
which means that V2 tags overwrite V1 and APE overwrites all.
---
### Author:  [@mrralan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mrralan)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/7 "2017-02-19T19:50:24Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> Check the MP3tag settings in File\>Options\>Tags\>Mpeg
> which tag versions you read.
> It could be that the genre field is a tag version that either is not read at all or gets overwritten by superior tag versions:
> APE\>V2\>V1
> which means that V2 tags overwrite V1 and APE overwrites all.
Mine is set to read ID3v1 and ID3v2. It's set to write ID3v1 and ID3v2, ID3v2.3 UDF-16. Perhaps those tags were APE so MP3tag didn't see them. Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/8 "2017-02-19T19:52:07Z")
> [@mrralan](#):
>
> Mine is set to read ID3v1 and ID3v2. It's set to write ID3v1 and ID3v2, ID3v2.3 UDF-16. Perhaps those tags were APE so MP3tag didn't see them. Thanks.
You can find files that have APE tags with the filter
%\_tag% HAS APE
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-expression-help/18724/9 "2026-02-09T12:26:41Z")