/ How to

How to Name TV Shows and Movies in Plex

Properly naming your media files is crucial for Plex to correctly identify and download metadata for your movies and TV shows. Plex uses specific naming conventions and folder structures to match files to its database. Following these conventions ensures the best experience and avoids issues with missing metadata or incorrect matches.

TV Show File Naming and Folder Structure

For TV shows, Plex requires:

  • Top-level folder named TV Shows
  • Subfolder for each show named Show Name (Release Year)
  • Season subfolders within each show folder named Season ##
  • Episode files named Show Name - s##e##

Example:

TV Shows/
    Chuck (2007)/
        Season 01/
            Chuck - s01e01.mkv
            Chuck - s01e02.mkv
        Season 02/
            Chuck - s02e01.mkv

For date-based shows like late night talk shows, use the air date instead of season/episode:

TV Shows/
    The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/
        The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - 2013-02-17.mkv

Movie File Naming and Folder Structure

For movies, Plex requires:

  • Top-level folder named Movies
  • Subfolder for each movie named Movie Name (Release Year)
  • Movie file named Movie Name (Release Year).ext

Example:

Movies/
    The Matrix (1999)/
        The Matrix (1999).mkv
    The Dark Knight (2008)/
        The Dark Knight (2008).mp4

You can also include the movie’s IMDb or TheMovieDB ID in curly braces which helps with matching:

Movies/
    The Matrix (1999) {imdb-tt0133093}.mkv
    The Dark Knight (2008) {tmdb-155}.mp4

Tips

  • Use .mp4 or .mkv file types for best compatibility
  • Keep special features in a subfolder named Extras
  • Name subtitle files using language codes like movie-name.eng.srt
  • Name poster images poster.jpg
  • Separate editions into subfolders like Theatrical Edition
  • For issues matching, try the Plex Dance

Conclusion

Following Plex’s strict naming conventions for both folder structures and filenames ensures it can correctly match your media to its databases for rich, accurate metadata. Though it requires some upfront work to organize your files properly, it pays off with the best experience. Refer to Plex’s naming guidelines if you run into any issues.

Related Posts