# Question about the default "Add Cover" behaviour **URL:** \ **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:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ragtag/32/13146_2.png) [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:07am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/21 "2026-01-25T11:07:11Z")
I am reporting back that, with these three directory configurations, the cover lookup "Ctrl+Alt+A" returned exactly the same directory, say "K:\Music" — ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/3X/d/8/d8673edbcf07ed153190730df8d0caf5e10db59d.png) ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/3X/d/8/d8100df025fd9a8cc355e09874f4173566d8f01d.png) ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/3X/2/8/2869794292a298ee0300f2c9223f2e198a460487.png) ---
**Author:** ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:21am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/22 "2026-01-25T11:21:05Z")
Is `K:\Music` the current working directory? What’s the directory of the first selected file and is there a cover image? ---
**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:** [January 25, 2026, 11:50am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/23 "2026-01-25T11:50:16Z")
The first setting with `%album%\` means that there has to be a folder below the folder of the current file. I doubt that this folder exists, so the search mechanism hits as described here > [@Question about the default "Add Cover" behaviour](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/19): > > 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. If you want to address a folder higher up in the hierarchy, you have to use the path syntax and navigate up with `..`. You can test what a variable returns in the preview of Convert\>Tag-Tag (without the need to execute anything). This should show you what `%_parent_directory%` returns. ---
**Author:** ![ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ragtag/32/13146_2.png) [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 1:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/24 "2026-01-25T13:12:00Z")
> [@Florian](#): > > Is `K:\Music` the current working directory? By "working directory", do you mean anything other than the "Favorite directory? > What’s the directory of the first selected file and is there a cover image? Usually, all files in an album are selected—not just the first one. When the album cover box is blank, I right-click it to check if a stored cover image exists in the album's folder. Previously, this action performed as expected: it opened the folder relevant to the selected file(s). When a cover is visible in the cover-box, right-clicking it goes to the correct folder. **Question:** Initially — i.e. before leaving it blank — the "Favorite directory" held the complete database. Upon starting Mp3tag, I aborted this directory-loading operation during several app startups (i.e., before the directory fully loaded). Could aborting the load have contributed to the current problem? * * * ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/3X/c/9/c915d1de24e9a55135f86ab65fcd2958fd8643c7.png) ---
**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:** [January 25, 2026, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/25 "2026-01-25T13:32:11Z")
> [@ragtag](#): > > anything other than the "Favorite directory What about a short excursion into the documentation that describes the various presets for folders? > **[Directories – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/customization/options/directories/)** > > Documentation of Directories configuration options. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor. And if you need further explanations, then do come back. The "working directory" is the folder that you selected last explicitly with "File\>Change Directory" or "File\>Add directory" or you added/opened last with drag&drop. The current working directory is shown in the tag panel element for Directory. ---
**Author:** ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/26 "2026-01-29T15:11:10Z")
I've fixed an issue with [Mp3tag v3.34-beta.1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/455) where adding covers via Add Cover not always opened the configured cover directory if it used a format string. Use `%_folderpath%` if you always want to open the directory of the file. ---
**Author:** ![ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ragtag/32/13146_2.png) [@ragtag](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ragtag)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/27 "2026-01-30T14:36:08Z")
@florian Thank you for providing this method. So far, `%_folderpath%` is taking good care of this haunting issue. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/question-about-the-default-add-cover-behaviour/70562/28 "2026-03-01T14:36:54Z")
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