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Blocklist

The Blocklist prevents Cinephage from re-downloading releases that have previously failed or been rejected. Once a release is blocklisted, it won't be considered for future searches or upgrades.

Why Use the Blocklist?​

Common scenarios​

  • Failed downloads - Dead torrents, broken NZBs
  • Fake releases - Password-protected RARs, wrong content
  • Wrong language - Hardcoded foreign subtitles
  • Bad quality - CAM/TS when expecting BluRay
  • Import failures - Corrupted files, permission issues

Benefits​

  • Prevents loops - Won't keep trying the same bad release
  • Saves bandwidth - No redundant downloads
  • Cleaner results - Failed releases hidden from search
  • Automatic - Blocks added on failure, manual for other reasons

How Blocking Works​

Automatic blocking​

Cinephage automatically blocklists releases when:

EventBlock ReasonDuration
Download failsdownload_failedPermanent
Import failsimport_failedPermanent
Manual rejectionmanualPermanent
Wrong languagewrong_languagePermanent

Block identifiers​

Releases are identified by:

  • Info hash (torrents) - Primary identifier
  • NZB ID (usenet) - For usenet releases
  • Release name - Fallback matching

Managing the Blocklist​

View blocklist​

Navigate to Settings > Tasks > Blocklist:

ColumnDescription
ReleaseRelease name
Movie/SeriesAssociated title
ReasonWhy it was blocked
DateWhen blocked
ActionsRemove / Details

Manual blocking​

Block a release manually:

  1. From search results - Click Block next to release
  2. From download history - Click Block on failed item
  3. Bulk block - Select multiple, click Block Selected

Removing blocks​

Remove items from blocklist:

  1. Single item - Click Remove on blocklist entry
  2. Bulk remove - Select multiple, click Remove Selected
  3. Clear all - Clear Blocklist button (use with caution)

Block Reasons​

System-Generated reasons​

ReasonWhen Used
download_failedTorrent dead, NZB removed, connection error
import_failedFile corrupted, wrong format, permission denied
upgrade_rejectedBetter release found before download completed
manualUser clicked "Block" manually

Custom reasons​

When blocking manually, you can specify a custom reason:

Reason: "Wrong episode"
Reason: "Fake release - password protected"
Reason: "Hardcoded Spanish subs"

Blocklist Scope​

Per-Title blocking​

Blocks apply to specific movies/episodes:

  • Movie A - Blocked release won't be tried for Movie A
  • Movie B - Same release may still work for Movie B

This prevents over-blocking when a release works for some content but not others.

Global blocking (future feature)​

Currently blocks are per-title. Future versions may support:

  • Global block by info hash (all titles)
  • Block by release group
  • Block by uploader

Blocklist in Search Results​

Visual indicators​

Blocked releases are marked in search:

  • Strikethrough - Release name crossed out
  • "Blocked" badge - Red badge with block reason
  • Hidden by default - Filter to show/hide blocked

Show/Hide blocked​

Toggle visibility in search:

Search Filters:
  [✓] Show available releases
  [ ] Show blocklisted releases  ← Uncheck to hide

Blocklist and Monitoring​

How monitoring uses blocklist​

When monitoring searches for upgrades:

  1. Search indexers - Get all matching releases
  2. Filter blocked - Remove blocklisted releases
  3. Score remaining - Apply quality/custom format scoring
  4. Grab best - Download highest-scoring unblocked release

Blocked releases don't count​

A blocked release won't:

  • Satisfy "missing content" monitoring
  • Count toward quality cutoff
  • Be considered for upgrades

Exception: cutoff unmet​

The "Cutoff Unmet" task ignores the blocklist:

  • If all releases are blocked, it tries the best blocked one
  • Prevents permanent "no releases available" state

Best Practices​

When to block​

Always block:

  • Dead torrents (0 seeders, won't download)
  • Fake/password-protected releases
  • Completely wrong content

Consider blocking:

  • Releases with hardcoded subs in wrong language
  • Consistently problematic release groups
  • Releases that fail import repeatedly

Don't block:

  • Releases that failed due to temporary issues
  • Good releases that you just don't want right now
  • Items you might want to retry later

Clean up regularly​

Blocklist can grow over time:

  • Review monthly - Remove blocks for old issues
  • Clear resolved - If indexer fixed the problem
  • Export before clearing - Keep record if needed

Use descriptive reasons​

When blocking manually, be specific:

  • Bad: "Failed"
  • Good: "Dead torrent - 0 seeders for 7 days"
  • Bad: "Wrong"
  • Good: "Wrong episode - S01E01 instead of S01E02"

Troubleshooting​

Release keeps being grabbed​

If a blocked release is still being downloaded:

  1. Check blocklist - Verify it's actually blocked
  2. Check identifier - May have different info hash
  3. Check scope - Blocked for one title but not another
  4. Clear and re-block - Block may be corrupted

Can't block release​

If block option is unavailable:

  1. Check permissions - Admin access required
  2. Check if already blocked - May be duplicate
  3. Check search results - Only available on search/history pages

Blocklist too large​

If blocklist is impacting performance:

  1. Clear old entries - Remove blocks > 6 months old
  2. Export and archive - Save to file, then clear
  3. Use bulk remove - Filter by reason, remove in batches

Integration with Other Features​

Search & download​

  • Blocked releases filtered from results
  • Can toggle visibility with filter
  • Block button available on each result

Download history​

  • Failed items show "Block" button
  • Block reason auto-set to failure type
  • Blocked items marked in history list

Quality profiles​

  • Blocked releases don't count toward cutoff
  • May cause "cutoff unmet" state if all blocked
  • Cutoff unmet task ignores blocklist

See Also​