# Suggestion: Set preferred substitution character for filenames

**URL:** <https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-set-preferred-substitution-character-for-filenames/54860>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [October 23, 2021, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-set-preferred-substitution-character-for-filenames/54860 "2021-10-23T22:47:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SimonLandmine](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/simonlandmine/32/10087_2.png) [@SimonLandmine](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/SimonLandmine)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-set-preferred-substitution-character-for-filenames/54860/1 "2021-10-23T22:47:35Z")

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At present, when you use 'Tag To Filename', characters that are not supported in filenames (e.g. "?", "/", or ":") are simply dropped from the tag in the conversion to a filename.

Would it be possible to have a configuration/preference option, where Mp3Tag could be configured to replace these unsuppported characters with a user-definable character.

e.g.

At present "Love/Hate - Track" is converted to "LoveHate - Track.mp3".  
If the unsupported character could be replaced with a user-defined character, e.g. "\_" or "-", then this could be converted to "Love\_Hate - Track.mp3"

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**Author:** ![ryerman](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ryerman/32/5285_2.png) [@ryerman](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ryerman)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-set-preferred-substitution-character-for-filenames/54860/2 "2021-10-23T23:20:03Z")

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> [@SimonLandmine](#):
>
> Would it be possible to have a configuration/preference option, where Mp3Tag could be configured to replace these unsuppported characters with a user-definable character.

Probably, but no such option exists now.  
Instead, use the $validate function.  
[https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting/#string-functions](https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting/#string-functions)

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**Author:** ![SimonLandmine](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/simonlandmine/32/10087_2.png) [@SimonLandmine](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/SimonLandmine)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-set-preferred-substitution-character-for-filenames/54860/3 "2021-10-23T23:34:27Z")

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Yep, that's why it was a Suggestion/Enhancement Request, rather than a 'how do I'. 🙂

Thanks for the scripting suggestion, though - that was exactly what I needed.

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**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:** [October 24, 2021, 6:53am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-set-preferred-substitution-character-for-filenames/54860/4 "2021-10-24T06:53:10Z")

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> [@SimonLandmine](#):
>
> where Mp3Tag could be configured to replace these unsuppported characters with a user-definable character

You could use $replace() where you set the replacement pairs.  
$validate() allows to set one substitute for all illegal charachters.

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**Author:** ![Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zerow/32/11379_2.png) [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-set-preferred-substitution-character-for-filenames/54860/5 "2021-10-27T19:51:38Z")

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I myself use the `Tag - Filename` icon with such format string

`$replace(%title%,/,_,?,§,:,..,",'''',?,%)`

and I have an action that does the opposite conversion

` `  
` `  
The problem I have with this is that the `§` sign is not present on the keyboard as a key - but on the other hand nobody uses this sign in titles so it will not result titles becoming messed up / chaotic with time

But I bet I could buy some programmable keyboard that has extra keys that could be set to use that and other signs. Or try using the `¿` as apparently it is not illegal

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**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-set-preferred-substitution-character-for-filenames/54860/6 "2026-02-09T12:29:28Z")

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