# Guessing the year form Directory **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [April 27, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/guessing-the-year-form-directory/15688 "2014-04-27T10:56:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Appick](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/appick/32/334_2.png) [@Appick](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Appick)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/guessing-the-year-form-directory/15688/1 "2014-04-27T10:56:24Z")
A couple of years back I worked out how to guess the year from the directory and I've forgotten how I did it. I'm sure I I worked it out because there was already a subject about it but I can't find anyhting that can help me! All my albums have the year in front of the title (1970 Paranoid or 1982-08-29 Reading Rock Festival, Thamesside Arena Flac.) So I used: guess values from %\_directory% with the model $left(%year%,4) to extract the year. It's probably really simple but I can't find it and I'm giving up. Can you please help me? I'll kick myself when you tell same as I have been doing since losing my MP3 settings file!!! ---
**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:** [April 27, 2014, 11:04am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/guessing-the-year-form-directory/15688/2 "2014-04-27T11:04:14Z")
Use an action of the type "Format value" for the field YEAR. Enter as format string: $left(%\_directory%,4) ---
**Author:** ![Appick](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/appick/32/334_2.png) [@Appick](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Appick)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 11:10am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/guessing-the-year-form-directory/15688/3 "2014-04-27T11:10:20Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#): > > Use an action of the type "Format value" for the field YEAR. > Enter as format string: $left(%\_directory%,4) That was quick - thank you. I'll kick myself after taking the dog out for a walk (and no it hadn't crossed my mind to kick him instead!!!) ---
**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, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/guessing-the-year-form-directory/15688/4 "2026-02-09T12:25:01Z")
Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC