# "Remove tag" as an Action
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [November 19, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138 "2010-11-19T19:30:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/21 "2011-11-19T05:26:24Z")
Check the Mpeg options for ID3V2 Write/Read/Remove and ID3V1 Write/Read/Remove too.
DD.20111119.0727.CET
---
### Author:  [@privatewid](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/privatewid)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/22 "2011-12-28T15:26:05Z")
Does anyone know how to exclude this action type (Remove all fields except...) from removing album art / covers from files?
I've tried using \_COVERS and %\_COVERS% to no avail.
I want to try and keep album art already embedded in my files before stripping unwanted tag fields out.
Cheers,
Paul
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/23 "2011-12-28T15:50:14Z")
> [@The Sheriff](#):
>
> Does anyone know how to exclude this action type (Remove all fields except...) from removing album art / covers from files? I've tried using \_COVERS and %\_COVERS% to no avail. I want to try and keep album art already embedded in my files before stripping unwanted tag fields out. Cheers,Paul
Use the name **COVER** or the name **PICTURE**.
And read above post #19 what I have said about using tag-field names in this action.
DD.20111228.1755.CET
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### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/24 "2011-12-28T15:51:18Z")
The field name you're looking for is PICTURE.
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### Author:  [@privatewid](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/privatewid)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/25 "2011-12-28T18:03:00Z")
Thank you Detlev and JJ.
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### Author:  [@MillmoorRon](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MillmoorRon)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2016, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/26 "2016-09-08T12:29:55Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> Yes.
Florian,
Getting back to the original query in this post, would it be possible for you to add an action which removes tag types as specified in the Options\>Tags\>Mpeg\>Remove check boxes?
i.e. Same as Ctrl+R that can be used as part of an action group.
---
### Author:  [@DerpGuy](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DerpGuy)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/27 "2019-10-09T20:00:34Z")
'Remove fields except' action-type only works by itself, but when any other action-type which handles tag-fields (adding/formatting new data) follows, the complete removal/erasure of the included ID3-tag won't happen, as merely all tags/field-contents are deleted in such case.
Would still be useful to have an 'erase' action-type that works regardless of subsequent actions. (Maybe additionally an action-type that allows one to create a specific new (blank) ID3v1/ID3v2 tag-container.)
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/28 "2019-10-09T20:23:37Z")
There are no "empty" tag fields.
Either a tag field is filled with data or it is not there.
If you remove all tag fields, you de facto remove the whole tag.
Any subsequent action to modify a tag field leads to a new tag being added to the file.
Quite honestly, I do not see the problem here.
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### Author:  [@DerpGuy](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DerpGuy)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/29 "2019-10-09T21:22:43Z")
Probably the same issue as in my other thread.
When the full erase/removal of every tag-data is skipped, the previous/original tag-size remains, including its layout/padding, and won't be reset or recreated the same way as with using Ctrl+R.
Action examples:
> **Summary**
>
> Action (mta) example #1:
> _[#0]_
> _T=10_
> _F=;_
>
> _[#1]_
> _T=5_
> _1=na_
> _F=TITLE_
>
> Action (mta) example #2:
> _[#0]_
> _T=10_
> _F=;_
>
> _[#1]_
> _T=7_
> _F=na_
> _1=%title%_
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### Author:  [@MillmoorRon](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MillmoorRon)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2019, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/30 "2019-10-10T14:27:46Z")
I've re-read the entiire thread and I'm still not sure how I can remove all ID3v1 and APE tags but leave ID3v2 tags with an action. Could somebody please clarify this? (Like pressing the red cross toolbar button with the relevant options ticked in File\>Options\>Tags\>Mpeg\>Remove)
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/31 "2019-10-10T15:13:13Z")
> [@MillmoorRon](#):
>
> Like pressing the red cross toolbar button with the relevant options ticked in File\>Options\>Tags\>Mpeg\>Remove
Yes, this is exactly how it works: you have to set beforehand which tags you want to keep, delete or create. The removal of tags does not behave any different from the creation of tags where you also have to set which ones you want.
If you want to have tools that remove e.g. APE tags all in all, try "mp3val"
(see here: [How to check files for errors?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-check-files-for-errors/44633))
---
### Author:  [@MillmoorRon](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MillmoorRon)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/32 "2019-10-10T15:46:56Z")
But this does NOT do what the red cross button does! It leaves, for example, ARTIST (if specified as the exception) in both ID3v1 AND ID3v2.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/33 "2019-10-10T16:30:57Z")
I am not quite sure if there is a basic misunderstanding.
The original suggestion was to use the action "Remove tag fields except" and leave as the only tag field the pseudo field %dummy%.
This removes effectively all tag fields as set in File\>Options\>Tags\>Mpeg.
I just tested it with settings to read write and delete V1 tags but leave all other tag versions as they are (so their options were unticked).
A check in the extended tags dialogue shows: there are V1 and V2.3 tags in the file.
I executed an action of the mentioned type and configuration.
The tag panel goes blank for this file - and indication that the V1 tag has been removed.
A check in the extended tags dialogue shows: no V1 tag, just a V2.3 tag but that is not being displayed as I did not set that in the options.
Resetting the options so that V2.3 tags are the preferred tag version again and Ctrl-T to re-read the tags shows the data as stored in the V2.3 fields.
That looks like intended for me.
---
### Author:  [@MillmoorRon](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MillmoorRon)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/34 "2019-10-10T17:32:26Z")
I'm not understanding how can this be used as an "action"?
Rather than go through all that I just press the red cross!
I wanted to include this as part of a sequence of actions in a group.
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### Author:  [@MillmoorRon](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MillmoorRon)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2024, 10:39am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/35 "2024-06-26T10:39:37Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> I am not quite sure if there is a basic misunderstanding.
> The original suggestion was to use the action "Remove tag fields except" and leave as the only tag field the pseudo field %dummy%.
> This removes effectively all tag fields as set in File\>Options\>Tags\>Mpeg.
> I just tested it with settings to read write and delete V1 tags but leave all other tag versions as they are (so their options were unticked).
> A check in the extended tags dialogue shows: there are V1 and V2.3 tags in the file.
> I executed an action of the mentioned type and configuration.
> The tag panel goes blank for this file - and indication that the V1 tag has been removed.
> A check in the extended tags dialogue shows: no V1 tag, just a V2.3 tag but that is not being displayed as I did not set that in the options.
> Resetting the options so that V2.3 tags are the preferred tag version again and Ctrl-T to re-read the tags shows the data as stored in the V2.3 fields.
> That looks like intended for me.
Revisiting this after a long pause and I'm still being a complete %dummy% as I cannot get this to work at all!
Your example works as you say, however this is not what I wanted to do.
I use ID3v2 tags as default for my library.
My Mpeg options in Mp3tag are:
Read: ID3v2
Write: ID3v2
Remove: ID3v1 & APE
If I open a folder with files that contain both ID3v2 and ID3v1 tags, the correct ones are displayed but the Tag column shows that the ID3v1 tags are present.
If I press the "Remove tag" (Ctrl+R) button the unwanted tags are removed, following the Mpg options stated above.
"Remove tag fields except" %dummy% just seems to remove the tags which have been READ, not the ones selected in the REMOVE options.
This is not the same behaviour as Ctrl-R, as far I can see.
To get the "quick" action to work I would need to go into settings, set the read options to ID3v1, reload the folder, run the action, go into settings, set read option back to ID3v2 and reload the folder?
I'm confused!
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2024, 11:26am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/36 "2024-06-26T11:26:42Z")
The tag is the (container of the) total of all separate fields in that tag.
AFAIK the area for V2 tags is mainly at the front of a file, V1 and APE are at the end.
The action to remove fields does exactly that: it removes individual fields from the tag. If no fields are left over, then the tag (container) is also removed from the file.
This means also: you have to read the (tag) fields to be able to remove them.
So you are right: the action "Remove fields" is not the same as the function "Remove tag".
To remove a whole tag with an action only works if you remove all fields from the tag (container) - and for that you have to read the tag.
And another confirmation: you would have to change the settings in the MPEG options to get rid of only the tags that you want to delete.
---
### Author:  [@MillmoorRon](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MillmoorRon)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/37 "2024-06-26T12:57:23Z")
So the answer to the original post is "No"?
As it is currently possible to remove unwanted tags by just pressing a button, COULD this (Ctrl-R) be implemented as an Action (feature request?) to include as part of an Action Group?
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2025, 10:52am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-tag-as-an-action/11138/38 "2025-11-10T10:52:52Z")
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