# Mass / global insert of literal into a tag?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [September 8, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281 "2004-09-08T13:21:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BlackholeForever](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BlackholeForever)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281/1 "2004-09-08T13:21:50Z")
I have directory / file structure that permits using the Filename - Tag function as follows:
%genre%\%dummy%\%album% {%year%} {%comment%}\%track% - %artist% - %title%
The parameter that maps to %comment% is the freedb id (e.g.: c10f420f) for the audio CD (I'm using Exact Audio Copy to rip and generate this structure, btw).
I've been reading here, and I'm wondering if after the tags are initially created, I can go back and insert the string "freedb ID = " at the beginning of the comment tag for all files that were processed.
Thanks...
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### Author:  [@Sebastian\_Mares](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian_Mares)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281/2 "2004-09-08T14:37:40Z")
Hello!
You can use regular expressions for that. Create a new action and give it a desired name. Then create a new configuration using the following parameters:
**Type:** _Replace with regular expression_
**Field:** _COMMENT_
**Regular expression:** _(.\*)_
**Replace matches with:** _freedb ID = $1_
Hope that helps. 🙂
Regards,
Sebastian
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### Author:  [@BlackholeForever](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BlackholeForever)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281/3 "2004-09-09T02:53:37Z")
Thanks Sebastian.
I figured there was a way to do it somehow with the Actions function; I just wasn't sure how to use it.
Good to go! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281/4 "2004-09-09T05:09:25Z")
Another simple way to do this is via a Format value action.
Choose **COMMENT** as field and enter "freedb ID = %comment%" as formatstring.
Best regards,
~ Florian
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### Author:  [@BlackholeForever](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BlackholeForever)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281/5 "2004-09-12T15:51:51Z")
Florian, where is the Format Value action? It's not in my list of actions...
**Never mind, I found it - cool!**
Yeah, at first, I was trying to do that with the Tag Input mask (Ctrl-Q), but it didn't work.
"freedb ID = %comment%" would get me "freedb ID = freedb ID = %comment%". It's funny -- it looks like rather than prereading the value of %comment%, it first writes the literal "freedb ID = %comment%" into %comment% and then reads that for the final assignment?
Something like that which seems kind of funky...
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281/6 "2004-09-12T17:22:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> "freedb ID = %comment%" would get me "freedb ID = freedb ID = %comment%". It's funny -- it looks like rather than prereading the value of %comment%, it first writes the literal "freedb ID = %comment%" into %comment% and then reads that for the final assignment?
>
> Something like that which seems kind of funky...
No, this is a "feature" of the list view - placeholders written in the tag field get replaced during displaying the content.
~ Florian
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-global-insert-of-literal-into-a-tag/1281/7 "2026-02-09T12:19:15Z")