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Jellyfin Naming Convention: How to Name Movies and TV Files

The folder and file naming rules Jellyfin expects, including provider ID tags, the prefix rule, and where Jellyfin differs from Plex.

Updated · 3 min

Jellyfin identifies media from folder and file names, then fills in details from providers and any NFO files beside your media. Its rules are close to other media servers but differ in two ways that matter: the bracket syntax for provider IDs, and a strict prefix rule for file names. Get those right and your library scans cleanly.

Separate your libraries

Give each library type its own root folder:

Media/
  Movies/
  Shows/

Add them to Jellyfin as separate libraries with the right content type. Movies and shows under one root is a common cause of bad matches.

Movies

One movie per folder, with the year in parentheses:

Movies/
  Arrival (2016)/
    Arrival (2016).mkv

The prefix rule

This one trips people up. Each file name must begin with its parent folder name, including the year and any provider ID tags, character for character, before you add anything else. For several versions of one movie:

Movies/
  Arrival (2016)/
    Arrival (2016) - 1080p.mkv
    Arrival (2016) - 2160p.mkv

Edition names work the same way: Arrival (2016) - Director's Cut.mkv. If the prefix does not match the folder, Jellyfin may list the files as separate movies instead of versions of one.

TV shows

Series folder, season folders, then episodes:

Shows/
  Severance (2022)/
    Season 01/
      Severance (2022) - S01E01 - Good News About Hell.mkv
  • Zero-pad numbers: S01E01, not S1E1.
  • Put specials in Season 00.
  • Keep the series year to tell reboots from originals.

Provider IDs use square brackets

This is the biggest syntax difference from Plex. Jellyfin uses square brackets and an id suffix on the provider name:

Movies/
  Arrival (2016) [imdbid-tt2543164]/
    Arrival (2016) [imdbid-tt2543164].mkv

[imdbid-tt2543164], [tmdbid-329865] and [tvdbid-123456] all work, and you can add more than one:

Shows/
  Severance (2022) [tmdbid-95396] [imdbid-tt11280740]/

Compare Plex's {imdb-tt2543164} with Jellyfin's [imdbid-tt2543164]: both the brackets and the provider key change. A library named for Plex does not carry its ID hints into Jellyfin.

NFO files work without setup

Jellyfin reads NFO files and local images with no extra configuration, which makes sidecars the most portable way to control your library. If you want your metadata to survive a server change, keep it on disk in NFO, not only in the server's database. See how to edit NFO files safely.

Common mistakes

  • No year in folder names.
  • Prefix mismatch between a file name and its folder.
  • Plex-style curly braces for provider IDs, which Jellyfin does not read.
  • Movies and shows in one library root.
  • Specials outside Season 00.

Applying this to an existing library

Renaming thousands of files by hand is how libraries break: artwork and subtitles get left behind and there is no undo. Preview every change, move sidecars with their media, and make sure each batch can be undone. How to bulk rename movie and TV files covers that step.

After renaming, run a library scan. If some titles still match wrong, see how to fix wrong metadata in Jellyfin or the Jellyfin metadata manager page. On Plex as well? There is a Plex naming guide.