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These docs are for MetaTana 2.0, coming soon

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Wrong Identity Match

A file showed up in your library with the wrong title, year, or episode number. Maybe it picked the 1976 remake instead of the 1933 original. Maybe an episode mapped to S02E03 instead of S01E14. This page walks the clues MetaTana uses to identify files, in the order to check them.

Common causes, in order of likelihood

  1. Filename ambiguityTwo movies with the same title and similar year, or a generic filename that matches many shows ("Episode 1.mkv"). When two films share the exact title (Crash, Halloween, The Thing) and the name has no year that picks one, MetaTana sends the file to review instead of guessing. The same goes when two works share the exact title and the year in the name (Arrival, 2016: the film and a short), in a scan and in a Scrape session. When the year in the file name matches no title with that name, or the provider lists the title without a year, MetaTana suggests the closest match but waits for you at Check match.
  2. Misleading folder namesA movie file in a folder named after a different movie. MetaTana gives folder names a lot of weight. An episode file takes its show from the show folder, so a show folder with the wrong name gives every episode in it the wrong show.
  3. Existing NFO pinned the wrong identityA bad NFO from a previous tool seeded the match before providers could weigh in.
  4. Wrong episode orderEpisode files belong to the right show but get the wrong episode numbers, because the show's episode order doesn't match the files (for example anime in absolute order versus DVD or aired).
  5. Wrong folder content typeA folder of TV episodes set to movies: every episode is identified as a film.

Diagnose

Open the wrong title in Library and check, in order:

Why this match

Start with how MetaTana picked the match. For a new file, the Arrivals list in the Inbox shows a Why this match block. For a title in the Library, open its page and select ⋯ › Rescrape…: the left column shows the match, its confidence word, and a short reason. The full block says how MetaTana found the match (the NFO, an ID in the file or folder name, a title search, AI, or the file name only), which evidence agreed, which other candidates it passed over and why, and a Good, Fair, or Weak confidence word. That usually points straight at one of the checks below. See Pages: Library.

Check match marker

A title accepted with Fair confidence gets a hollow amber ring labeled Check match on its poster and list row. It was not sent to review, but it is the first place to look for a wrong match. Library › Needs attention › Check matches lists every such title, and the Check match box on the title offers This is correct or Rescrape… to search for the right one.

Folder content type

Check which folder the file came from (its path on the title's page) and that folder's Content type in Edit folder on the Folders page. A TV episode found in a folder set to movies is always identified as a film.

File name and folder names

Look at the file's path on the title's page. Compare it to what you'd expect:

  • For movies: ()/ ().mkv is the cleanest.
  • For TV: /Season 01/ S01E01.mkv works for everything that respects S/E numbering. The show name in the file is optional: ()/Season 01/S01E01 - .mkv takes the show and its year from the show folder. A category folder such as TV Shows or Anime never names a show, and a file whose own name names a different show keeps that show.
  • A show folder with no year or ID (TV Shows/Kids/S01E01.mkv) is trusted on its own only above a Season 01 folder, so that match waits in review. Add the year (Kids (2019)), a provider ID, or a Season 01 folder to have it accepted. A year in the file name wins over the folder's year: Doctor Who (2005)/Season 1/Doctor.Who.1963.S01E01.mkv is the 1963 show. Season-pack folders (Sherlock.S02.1080p) name the show without the season part, and a Season 2024 folder is a season, never a show title.
  • Dropped apostrophes and accents still match: Bobs Burgers matches Bob's Burgers and Amelie matches Amélie.
  • Files inside @Recycle, #snapshot, and Sample folders are skipped like @eaDir, so a NAS snapshot copy or sample clip does not show up as a wrong match.
  • For a TV special with no known episode number: keep the title-only file under /Specials/. MetaTana promotes it only when exactly one provider Season 0 title matches. Unclear files wait in the Inbox under Review.
  • If you know the provider's special number, S00E## - .mkv is clearest. Do not guess the number: providers can number specials differently.
  • For anime in absolute order: the show folder is enough; episode files need E01, 001, or Ep1-style markers. MetaTana looks the show up once per show folder. When the show matches but an absolute number or air date can't be placed on its own, the file waits in review with "The show is matched. Check which season and episode this file is." Only the episode needs your answer. When the show matched on TMDb, an absolute number is placed from the show's season list (MetaTana reads the list once per show in a scan): inside season 1 always, and in a later season when TMDb also says whether the show's later seasons start again at 1 or count on from season 1. Specials don't count, and a number the list can't place still waits for you. When the show matched a single AniList or MyAnimeList entry (one season or cour, with no TMDb or TVDB match), an absolute number that fits inside that entry's episode count is accepted as season 1 without review. Files added to that show later are placed from the episode count stored when the show was confirmed.

Provider ID in the file or folder name

MetaTana reads provider IDs written into the file name, the title folder name, or a disc folder name, and looks them up directly instead of searching by title. These forms are recognized:

  • {tmdb-27205}, [tmdbid-27205], [tmdbid=27205]
  • {imdb-tt1375666}, [imdbid-tt1375666], or a bare tt1375666
  • {tvdb-81189}

For example, Inception (2010) {tmdb-27205}.mkv. The ID is removed from the title. When the provider confirms the ID, the match is accepted. When it can't, the file goes to review. If a file has a wrong ID in its name, that ID is why the match is wrong.

Numbers in the title

A number counts as the release year only when it is between 1900 and next year and comes after some title text. So Blade Runner 2049.mkv, 2012.mkv, and 2001 A Space Odyssey.mkv keep the number as part of the title. A name like Death Race 2000.mkv is matched to the film titled "Death Race 2000", not to a different film called "Death Race". To match a remake or a film from another year, put the year in parentheses: Death Race (2008).mkv.

Original and alternate titles

When a search finds no exact title, Autopilot tries up to three other spellings: a known alternate title (Se7en and Seven), the title without a leading article in another language or with "The" in its place (Les Intouchables and Intouchables), and a title made only of a number spelled the other way (1984 and Nineteen Eighty-Four). A result counts only when its title matches exactly. If none does, the file waits in the Inbox as Pick.

Existing NFO

If a .nfo file sits next to the media, open it and check the , , and tags. MetaTana reads these and prefers them over filename parsing.

Provider IDs

On the title's page, select Edit and check the external IDs on Details. They should match the right title's IDs on the providers. If they don't, the wrong identity is stuck to the title.

Same-title shows from different countries

Shows such as The Office (US) and The Office (UK) share a title. MetaTana keeps a new file out of an existing show from another country. It reads the country from a region tag at the end of the show title or folder name: (US), (USA), (UK), (GB), (AU), (NZ), (CA), (IE), or the same tags in capitals without brackets, such as Shameless UK. For a show already in the library it also uses the show's origin country when only one is stored. Name the show folder with the tag (The Office (UK)) to keep the two apart.

A show that already holds files of both is not split automatically, because both shows share episodes such as S01E01. Identify the files of the wrong show again (Rescrape…, then search for the right one) to move them.

Episode order (TV only)

For wrong episode numbers on the right show: open the show's page. Episode order above the seasons shows the active order. Try a different one (Aired, DVD, Absolute, or another the provider lists); see Reorder episodes.

If the files themselves carry the wrong numbers, use Renumber season… in the season's menu to preview and apply new season and episode numbers, with Undo. For a daily show named by air date, a file stays unlinked when several episodes aired that day; pick the right one under Choose the episode on the show's page. See Manage a TV show.

No match, or a provider couldn't answer

A title that failed because a provider was down says so instead of "No match found", for example "Couldn't reach TMDb." Later scans and Autopilot runs try it again a few times. For a scrape you started yourself, use Retry failed in the scrape session (Inbox › Scrape sessions) or rescrape later. AI Vision is not used for a provider outage. "TMDb isn't set up" or "TMDb rejected the API key" means the key needs fixing in Settings › Providers › Your keys; then rescrape. A search in the title's review card shows Couldn't search with the provider that failed and a Retry button. It shows No matches found only after the provider answered. See API keys.

Review changes

Open ⋯ › Rescrape… on the wrong title to get a fresh match from the providers. Review changes shows what the provider says now next to what MetaTana has. If the provider's match is the right title, apply it.

Fix

  1. Search againOn the wrong title, open ⋯ › Wrong match…. Type the correct title and year in the search box, and pick the right result.
  2. Put the provider ID in the nameAdd {tmdb-603} (or {imdb-tt0133093}, {tvdb-81189}) to the file or title folder name and rescan. This is a reliable way to force the right match.
  3. Look up a provider ID directlyIn Rescrape, type a TMDb or IMDb ID, or paste a provider link, under Search by ID and select Look up. That skips the title search entirely.
  4. Set the IDs yourselfIf the search still picks wrong, select Edit and set the external IDs by hand on Details. Then rescrape to fetch the metadata for them.
  5. Fix the NFO if it has the wrong IDEither delete the bad NFO and rescan, or edit it to set the correct provider ID.
  6. Lock the identityOnce it's correct, lock the provider IDs (see Lock fields) so a later rescrape can't change them back.
Don't rename files until identity is correct A rename based on a wrong identity moves your file into the wrong show or movie folder. Fix the identity first, then rename. A wrong rename can be undone in Activity (Show › Renames), but it's extra work.

Going deeper