# How do I move a subfolder out of a folder
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 8, 2024, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365 "2024-01-08T15:46:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2024, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/1 "2024-01-08T15:46:37Z")
Is there an action that can be created to move subfolders to the main folder?
for instance I have a folder named: "various.artists.80s.hits.the.collection.2cd.2023" that has a subfolder named: "80s Hits The Collection - 2023 - Various Artists". I want to move this folder to the main directory.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/2 "2024-01-08T16:21:40Z")
Try an action of the type "Format value" or Convert\>Tag-Tag for \_DIRECTORY
Format string: `..\..\%_directory%`
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 3:07am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/3 "2024-01-10T03:07:06Z")
Thank you, this worked. however I need to modify it a bit.
for instance if a subfolder is listed as CD 1 and inside that subfolder are the tracks, I would like to have the tracks be moved to under the main folder.. For instance if Michael Jackson History \cd1\ has tracks.. i want to move the tracks under the cd1 subfolder to the root which would be Michael Jackson History
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 5:57am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/4 "2024-01-10T05:57:51Z")
As always in special cases that do not match the original pattern:
Use a filter, e.g.
%\_directory% HAS CD1
Then treat these files and rename \_DIRECTORY with an absolute path so that it gets the same name as the parent folder.
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 10:11am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/5 "2024-01-10T10:11:01Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> HAS CD1
it's still not working. Let me try to explain again.
i have files in a sub folder I want to move one folder back. ie.
Ultimix301\Ultimix\_301\track1, track2,track3,track4
I want to move the files to
\Ultimix301\track1, track2,track3,track4
and if possible, delete the subfolder \Ultimix\_301
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 10:28am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/6 "2024-01-10T10:28:13Z")
> [@mbrazil05](#):
>
> Ultimix301\Ultimix\_301\track1, track2,track3,track4
>
> I want to move the files to
>
> \Ultimix301\track1, track2,track3,track4
Which means that you have to rename \_DIRECTORY to `..%\_parent\_folder%
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/7 "2024-01-10T14:12:41Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> %\_parent\_folder%
pls help. I royally screwed something up. this is what my action looks like. what should it be?
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/8 "2024-01-10T15:22:19Z")
Action Type: Format Value
Field: `_DIRECTORY`
Format string: `%_parent_directory%`
Edit:
Format string :
` ..\%_parent_directory%`
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/9 "2024-01-10T16:43:47Z")
> [@mbrazil05](#):
>
> pls help. I royally screwed something up
> [@poster](#):
>
> Format string: `%_parent_directory%`
@poster is right - for some reason I used an invalid variable name. the correct one would be:
%\_parent\_directory%
@mbrazil05: But you messed up as you did not assign the value of %\_parent\_directory% to \_DIRECTORY but the other way round.
Please use Convert\>Tag-Tag for this operation so that you can check the probable result in the preview.
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 5:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/10 "2024-01-10T17:34:53Z")
> [@poster](#):
>
> %\_parent\_directory%
I'm sorry but it still does not work. It's creating a subfolder with the same name as the main folder and put the files into it instead of moving the files to the main folder and deleting the subfolder.
1. This is what it is originally: Thriller \ CD1\ mp31,mp32,mp34
2. I want it to look like this: Thriller\mp31,mp32,mp34
when I only want it to be just the songs into the root main folder called thrillers
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/11 "2024-01-10T18:00:24Z")
The combination of both suggestions would probably lead to success:
Format string: `..\..\%_parent_directory%`
or
Format string: `..\%_parent_directory%`
But as I also suggested: try it first with Convert\>Tag-Tag to see the preview.
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/12 "2024-01-10T18:28:25Z")
it is not working. what the action does is creates a subfolder and then places the files into the subfolder which is what i don't want it to do. I simply want to move the files out of the subfolder to the main folder and delete the subfolder.
as fas the Convert\>Tag-Tag. nothing happens.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/13 "2024-01-10T18:29:29Z")
> [@mbrazil05](#):
>
> as fas the Convert\>Tag-Tag. nothing happens.
Please show us a dump of the parameters that you entered for this problem.
It is not plausible that really nothing happens.
Over here it looks something like this:
which shows that the current folder "Hörspiel Box" will be renamed to "Podcasts".
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/14 "2024-01-10T18:37:12Z")
C:\Users\ONE\Downloads\4. \_ Music\thrillers\dog food\Larry Levan - The Final Nights Of Paradise Garage - ( Sep 1987 ) PT.1 by aldo manfredini.mp3
"\_DIRECTORY " -\>
"\_DIRECTORY "
C:\Users\ONE\Downloads\4. \_ Music\thrillers\dog food\NO RAIN (PUMPKIN REMIX) - PUMPKIN - LITTLE GIANT ACORN RECORDS.mp3
"\_DIRECTORY " -\>
"\_DIRECTORY "
C:\Users\ONE\Downloads\4. \_ Music\thrillers\dog food\Rick James - You and I Extended.mp4
"\_DIRECTORY " -\>
"\_DIRECTORY "
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/15 "2024-01-10T18:40:14Z")
> [@mbrazil05](#):
>
> C:\Users\ONE\Downloads\4. \_ Music\thrillers\dog food\Larry Levan - The Final Nights Of Paradise Garage - ( Sep 1987 ) PT.1 by aldo manfredini.mp3
> "\_DIRECTORY " -\>
> "\_DIRECTORY "
These are not the parameters that you entered but probably the output of the preview.
I would like to see a similar screenshot of the one I showed.
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:41pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/16 "2024-01-10T18:41:24Z")
I don't understand what you are asking me. can you send me a screen shot of an action that displays what I'm suppose to put where?
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/17 "2024-01-10T18:43:18Z")
I already did:
> [@How do I move a subfolder out of a folder](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/13):
>
> Please show us a dump of the parameters that you entered for this problem. It is not plausible that really nothing happens. Over here it looks something like this: [grafik] which shows that the current folder "Hörspiel Box" will be renamed to "Podcasts".
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:45pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/18 "2024-01-10T18:45:24Z")
here is everything.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/19 "2024-01-10T18:46:49Z")
Please compare your input in Convert\>Tag-Tag and mine.
You will notice a certain difference, I hope.
So please enter the parameters from my attempt and see what that does in your system.
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### Author:  [@mbrazil05](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mbrazil05)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365/20 "2024-01-10T18:52:44Z")
YES, THIS DOES WORK. THANK YOU.
How do I convert those same steps into an action?
[Next page](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-move-a-subfolder-out-of-a-folder/63365.md?page=2)