# Question about the default "Add Cover" behaviour
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [January 24, 2026, 9:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562 "2026-01-24T09:33:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 9:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/1 "2026-01-24T09:33:07Z")
Good day, everyone!
RE: adding an album cover when none is visible in the cover modal, i.e. it is blank —
What is the expected default behaviour upon executing the shortcut "Ctrl+Alt+A"? Should the Windows default file manager open the relevant album folder?
_Mp3tag v3.33_
_Windows 10_
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 9:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/2 "2026-01-24T09:46:19Z")
What did you expect?
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 9:53am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/3 "2026-01-24T09:53:58Z")
It should open in the relevant folder.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 9:56am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/4 "2026-01-24T09:56:28Z")
What do you consider to be the relevant folder?
Without a specific folder name for pictures, the folder of the currently selected file(s) gets opened.
See also the Options\>Directories
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 9:59am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/5 "2026-01-24T09:59:58Z")
It should open in the relevant folder. It does not, hence the question.
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> Without a specific folder name for pictures, the folder of the currently selected file(s) gets opened.
This I expected, but it does not.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 10:01am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/6 "2026-01-24T10:01:43Z")
So, what are your settings in Options\>Directories?
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 10:17am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/7 "2026-01-24T10:17:33Z")
> [@ragtag](#):
>
> It should open in the relevant folder.
How exactly would you define "relevant" in your words?
Currently, it opens the folder for the track you have selected, AFAIK.
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 10:21am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/8 "2026-01-24T10:21:26Z")
> [@LyricsLover](#):
>
> How exactly would you define "relevant" in your words?
The folder relevant to the selected track.
> [@LyricsLover](#):
>
> Currently, it opens the folder for the track you have selected, AFAIK.
Yes.
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 10:25am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/9 "2026-01-24T10:25:43Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> So, what are your settings in Options\>Directories?
So, what are your settings in Options\>Directories?
_Note: I have recently changed the "Favourite Directory" though. Could that have any bearing on the perceived problem?_
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 10:37am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/10 "2026-01-24T10:37:34Z")
Leave the field for Cover art directory empty.
(Which is what I meant with
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> Without a specific folder name for pictures, the folder of the currently selected file(s) gets opened.
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/11 "2026-01-24T12:39:13Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> Without a specific folder name for pictures, the folder of the currently selected file(s) gets opened.
I've tried various combinations of the given "Directories" settings, all of which failed so far. This is the last set-up, all boxes empty:
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 1:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/12 "2026-01-24T13:27:35Z")
You still have not said which folder you consider "relevant" for a particular file.
MP3tag cannot guess where a picture for a file may be hidden.
The intended behaviour to add covers is described in the documentation:
> **[Directories – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/customization/options/directories/)**
>
> Documentation of Directories configuration options. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/13 "2026-01-24T14:02:37Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> You still have not said which folder you consider "relevant" for a particular file.
The parent folder that applies, based on the path where the file or track is located.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/14 "2026-01-24T14:06:00Z")
You could address that either with `%_parent_directory%` or `..` as Cover art directory.
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2026, 5:18am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/15 "2026-01-25T05:18:41Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> You could address that either with `%_parent_directory%`
Thank you. I am applying `%_parent_directory%`, but for some reason, it does not apply consistently to the applicable track directory/folder. I am now testing and considering other options — as per said [documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/customization/options/directories/).
_Sidenote: Could the regular cleanup of the Mp3tag Library perhaps have any bearing on this event?_
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2026, 6:49am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/16 "2026-01-25T06:49:30Z")
> [@ragtag](#):
>
> Sidenote: Could the regular cleanup of the Mp3tag Library perhaps have any bearing on this event?
What do you mean by "Regular cleanup of the Mp3Tag library"?
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2026, 7:43am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/17 "2026-01-25T07:43:24Z")
> [@poster](#):
>
> What do you mean by "Regular cleanup of the Mp3Tag library"?
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2026, 7:59am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/18 "2026-01-25T07:59:29Z")
> [@ragtag](#):
>
> it does not apply consistently to the applicable track directory/folder.
Could you show us real examples, preferably with screenshots where you do not get the folder that you expected?
There can only be 1 parent directory. If you select files from several different folders, then only one of the parent folders is opened.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2026, 9:30am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/19 "2026-01-25T09:30:32Z")
> [@ragtag](#):
>
> What is the expected default behaviour upon executing the shortcut "Ctrl+Alt+A"?
1. It first tries to load the folder that's configured as **Cover art directory** at **Options ▸ Directories**.
2. If this is empty or can't be resolved to a valid folder, it tries to find a file with one of the supported file extensions (`jpg`, `jpeg`, `png`, or `webp`) in the selected file's directory.
3. If no file is found, it opens the current working directory.
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### Author:  [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2026, 10:18am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/20 "2026-01-25T10:18:07Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> - It first tries to load the folder that's configured as **Cover art directory** at **Options ▸ Directories**.
> - If this is empty or can't be resolved to a valid folder, it tries to find a file with one of the supported file extensions (`jpg`, `jpeg`, `png`, or `webp`) in the selected file's directory.
> - If no file is found, it opens the current working directory.
Thank you @Florian, I will go forward on that.
[Next page](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562.md?page=2)