# When using Tag \> Filename, Square Brackets are not displayed

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 13, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610 "2017-01-13T18:51:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![wnci997](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/ecd19e/32.png) [@wnci997](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/wnci997)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610/1 "2017-01-13T18:51:02Z")

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As the title says, i am renaming my file based on the genre, artist, and title tages. It works perfectly, except that when i do [%genre%] %title% - %artist% the brackets are unshown, both in the preview and after hitting accept. However curly brackets and parenthesis seem to work fine.

It isnt really a big deal to use another method of separating genres, but i do like how clean the square brackets look. Is this problem on my end, or with the program?

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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: [January 13, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610/2 "2017-01-13T18:55:45Z")

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The square brackets have a special function in the converter: they enclose optional text and are not displayed .... unless you use ':  
'['%genre%']' %title% - %artist%

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### Author: ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610/3 "2017-01-13T18:59:49Z")

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> [@wnci997](#):
>
> ... the brackets are unshown ... Is this problem on my end, or with the program?

Hmm, probably, both cases are true.

See helpfile ... [https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting](https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting)  
section "Characters with special functionality"  
... and do understand the difference between ...

[%genre%] ... and ... '['%genre%']'

DD.20170113.2059.CET

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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: [January 13, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610/4 "2017-01-13T19:05:31Z")

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> [@wnci997](#):
>
> ...It isnt really a big deal to use another method of separating genres, but i do like how clean the square brackets look. Is this problem on my end, or with the program?

Tag \> Filename conversions use the Mp3tag scripting functions where the square brackets are used as special characters. See here: [https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting](https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting)

Enclose them in single quotes to use them literally.

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### Author: ![wnci997](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/ecd19e/32.png) [@wnci997](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/wnci997)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610/5 "2017-01-13T19:23:20Z")

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Ah, thanks for the info. I wasnt even thinking about special characters, so i guess the fault was with me.  
Thanks for the quick help 🙂

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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, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/when-using-tag-filename-square-brackets-are-not-displayed/18610/6 "2026-02-09T12:26:36Z")

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