# MOVE files from sub folder into main folder
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [August 30, 2025, 4:20am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570 "2025-08-30T04:20:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chayes](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chayes)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2025, 4:20am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/1 "2025-08-30T04:20:48Z")
HI All
I wonder if someone could help with a little puzzle.
I have 55 folders in my directory. In each folder there is a sub-folder containing my files.
I'd like to find an automated way to MOVE the files from each sub-folder into the main folder for each. This would leave the sub-folder empty of course.
So
Directory -\> Main Folder -\> Folder containing files
would become
Directory -\> Main Folder now contains files - \> Folder now empty
Can someone suggest a way of accomplishing this?
Grateful for any advice. 🙂
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2025, 5:42am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/2 "2025-08-30T05:42:49Z")
Load all your files of the main folder. In File→Options→Directories the option “Subdirectories" has to be checked.
Take Convert Tag→Tag:
Field: `_DIRECTORY`
Format string: `Full path to main folder`
You can also do that with an equivalent action of the type "Format Value".
Please note that you will run into problems if the file names are not unique.
> [@chayes](#):
>
> This would leave the sub-folder empty of course
With my suggestion the subfolders are deleted.
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### Author:  [@chayes](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chayes)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/3 "2025-08-30T19:48:20Z")
Hi
Thanks for this. I tried various configurations, but haven't been able to get it working correctly. The files are ending up in all sorts of places, rather than in the folder above where they currently are. I've tried %foldername%, %filename%, %directory% to no avail…
🙂
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/4 "2025-08-30T19:54:38Z")
> [@chayes](#):
>
> I've tried %foldername%, %filename%, %directory% to no avail…
All these variables are not valid.
What is the full path-name to the "main folder"? (i.e. D:\Mp3s\Mainfolder)
Please show us a screenshot of the convert-window Tag-\> Tag.
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### Author:  [@chayes](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chayes)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2025, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/5 "2025-08-30T20:42:50Z")
Hi
Thanks for getting back. 🙂
There are 55 folders in this directory :
F:\MP3 Cache\Downloading\Bach - Complete Cantatas
The 55 folders are named by volume like this , for example
F:\MP3 Cache\Downloading\Bach - Complete Cantatas\Bach - Complete Cantatas Volume 01
Within each one is a folder like this
F:\MP3 Cache\Downloading\Bach - Complete Cantatas\Bach - Complete Cantatas Volume 01\Bach - Complete Cantatas (1.1)
All the folders follow this pattern.
I'm trying to move the files in
Bach - Complete Cantatas (1.1)
to
Bach - Complete Cantatas Volume 01
and so on for each folder.
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2025, 9:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/6 "2025-08-30T21:13:22Z")
> [@chayes](#):
>
> Sorry, I don't see how to insert a screenshot..
[Use screenshots to exemplify the issue](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/hints-for-asking-support-requests/56190#use-screenshots-to-exemplify-the-issue-2).
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2025, 7:01am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/7 "2025-08-31T07:01:39Z")
If I understand you correctly, you have 55 folders, each with 1 subfolder, and you want to move all the files from each subfolder to the folder above it. If possible, delete the empty subfolders after the move.
Try this format string:
`F:\MP3 Cache\Downloading\Bach - Complete Cantatas\%_parent_directory%`
This will rename all subfolders to the name of the folder above them, effectively moving the files.
PS:
You can also simplify the format string a bit, independent of your specific path names, by generalizing it to the target "1 folder level higher".
Format string: `..\%_parent_directory%`
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### Author:  [@chayes](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chayes)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2025, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/8 "2025-08-31T13:48:19Z")
Many Thanks , poster! That works perfectly and does the job exactly!
🙂
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-files-from-sub-folder-into-main-folder/69570/9 "2025-09-30T13:49:05Z")
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