Set up smart lists

Smart Lists are dynamic, TMDB-powered lists that automatically discover content based on your criteria and optionally add it to your library.

What Are Smart Lists?

Smart Lists continuously monitor TMDB's database and automatically find content that matches your preferences. They can:

• Query TMDB's Discover API with custom filters
• Refresh periodically to find new releases
• Automatically add matching items to your library
• Trigger automatic searches for added items
• Create curated collections based on genres, ratings, or custom criteria

Use Cases

Use Case	Description
Trending Content	Auto-add popular movies from the last year
Genre Collections	Maintain a curated horror or comedy collection
High-Rated TV	Auto-discover highly-rated series
Award Winners	Track Oscar-winning or nominated films
New Releases	Stay current with latest releases in your favorite genres

Creating a Smart List

Step 1: Access Smart Lists

1. Navigate to Library > Smart Lists in the main navigation
2. Click the Add Smart List button
3. The Smart List configuration modal will open

Step 2: Basic Configuration

Configure the fundamental settings for your list:

Setting	Description	Required
Name	Display name for the list	Yes
Media Type	Movies or TV Shows	Yes
Root Folder	Where to store added items	Yes (if auto-add enabled)
Quality Profile	Profile assigned to added items	Yes (if auto-add enabled)
Language Profile	Language settings for added items	Yes (if auto-add enabled)
Limit	Maximum items to keep in list	No (default: 100)

Step 3: Configure Filters

Smart Lists support 50+ TMDB Discover filters organized by category:

Genre Filters

Include or exclude specific genres:

• Action
• Adventure
• Animation
• Comedy
• Crime
• Documentary
• Drama
• Family
• Fantasy
• History
• Horror
• Music
• Mystery
• Romance
• Science Fiction
• TV Movie
• Thriller
• War
• Western

tip

Combine include and exclude filters for precise control. For example: Include "Horror" + Exclude "Comedy" for serious horror films only.

Rating Filters

Filter by quality ratings:

Filter	Description	Example
Minimum Rating	Lowest TMDB rating to include	7.0+
Maximum Rating	Highest TMDB rating to include	9.0
Minimum Vote Count	Filters out obscure titles	1000+ votes

Vote Count Filter

Always use a minimum vote count (e.g., 100-1000) to filter out titles with inflated ratings from few votes.

Date Filters

Filter by release timeframe:

• Release Year Range - Specific years or ranges (e.g., 2020-2024)
• Released After - Movies newer than a date
• Released Before - Movies older than a date
• Upcoming Only - Not yet released

Popularity Filters

Filter by TMDB popularity metrics:

Filter	Description
Minimum Popularity	TMDB popularity score threshold
Maximum Popularity	Upper popularity limit
Sort By	Order results by popularity, rating, or date

Advanced Filters

Additional filtering options:

• Original Language - Filter by primary language
• Keywords - Include/exclude specific keywords
• Cast/Crew - Filter by actors or directors
• Production Company - Filter by studio
• Runtime - Minimum/maximum runtime in minutes
• Revenue - Box office performance filters

Step 4: Sort Options

Choose how results are ordered:

Sort Option	Description	Best For
Popularity Descending	Most popular first	Trending content
Rating Descending	Highest rated first	Quality collections
Release Date Descending	Newest first	Latest releases
Revenue Descending	Highest grossing first	Blockbusters
Vote Count Descending	Most rated first	Established titles

Step 5: Configure Auto-Add Behavior

Control what happens when new items match your filters:

Option	Behavior	Use Case
Disabled	Items appear in list only; manual approval required	Curated browsing
Add Only	Auto-add to library but don't search	Queue for later
Add and Search	Auto-add and immediately search for download	Full automation

caution

Add and Search will automatically download content that matches your filters. Review your filters carefully before enabling.

Step 6: Set Refresh Interval

Configure how often the list refreshes:

• Default: 6 hours
• Minimum: 1 hour (not recommended due to rate limits)
• Maximum: 7 days

TMDB Rate Limits

TMDB has rate limits on their API. Refreshing too frequently may cause temporary blocks. 6 hours is recommended for most use cases.

Step 7: Save the List

Click Save to create the Smart List. The list will immediately query TMDB and populate based on your filters.

Managing Smart Lists

Viewing List Contents

Each Smart List shows:

• Matching Items - All items currently matching your filters
• Status Indicators:
  • In Library - Already added to your library
  • Monitored - In library and being monitored
  • Downloaded - Available locally
  • Not Added - Matching but not in library
• TMDB Metadata - Rating, popularity, release date
• Added Date - When item first appeared in list

Excluding Items

If specific items match your filters but you don't want them:

1. Click on the item in the list
2. Select Exclude from List
3. The item is added to the exclusion list

To Re-include:

1. Go to Smart List settings
2. Click View Excluded Items
3. Click Remove Exclusion next to the item

Manual Refresh

Force an immediate refresh:

1. Navigate to your Smart List
2. Click Refresh Now button
3. List updates with current TMDB data

note

Manual refreshes still respect TMDB rate limits. If you've refreshed recently, you may need to wait.

Editing Lists

Modify existing Smart Lists:

1. Go to Library > Smart Lists
2. Click the Edit icon on your list
3. Modify settings, filters, or auto-add behavior
4. Click Save

What happens when you edit:

• Filters are immediately re-applied
• Items no longer matching are marked (not removed)
• New matching items are added
• Auto-add behavior applies to newly matched items

Example Smart Lists

Example 1: Trending Action Movies

Name: "Trending Action"
Media Type: Movies
Filters:
  Genre: Include Action
  Release Date: Last 2 years
  Minimum Vote Count: 500
Sort: Popularity Descending
Limit: 50
Auto-Add: Add and Search
Quality Profile: Balanced

Example 2: Highly Rated TV Dramas

Name: "Prestige TV"
Media Type: TV Shows
Filters:
  Genre: Include Drama
  Minimum Rating: 8.0
  Minimum Vote Count: 1000
Sort: Rating Descending
Limit: 30
Auto-Add: Add Only
Quality Profile: Quality

Example 3: New Anime Releases

Name: "New Anime"
Media Type: TV Shows
Filters:
  Keywords: anime
  Release Date: Last 6 months
  Original Language: Japanese
Sort: Release Date Descending
Limit: 25
Auto-Add: Add and Search
Quality Profile: Balanced

Example 4: Award-Winning Films

Name: "Award Winners"
Media Type: Movies
Filters:
  Minimum Rating: 8.5
  Minimum Vote Count: 5000
  Keywords: oscar, academy award, golden globe
Sort: Rating Descending
Limit: 100
Auto-Add: Disabled (manual curation)
Quality Profile: Quality

Example 5: Family Movie Night

Name: "Family Movies"
Media Type: Movies
Filters:
  Genre: Include Family, Animation
  Exclude Genre: Horror, Thriller
  Maximum Rating: 7.0
  Minimum Rating: 6.0
Sort: Popularity Descending
Limit: 50
Auto-Add: Add Only
Quality Profile: Balanced

Advanced Tips

Optimizing Filters

1. Start Broad, Then Narrow - Begin with fewer filters and add more based on results
2. Use Vote Count - Always include minimum vote count to filter out obscure titles
3. Combine Filters - Multiple specific filters yield better results than one broad filter
4. Review Regularly - Check what's being added and adjust filters accordingly

Managing List Size

• Set Reasonable Limits - 50-100 items is manageable; larger lists become unwieldy
• Use Sort Order - Most relevant items appear first when sorted by popularity/rating
• Clean Up Exclusions - Periodically review excluded items in case preferences change

Automation Best Practices

Start Conservative:

1. Create list with Auto-Add: Disabled
2. Review items for a few days
3. Enable Add Only if satisfied
4. Consider Add and Search after thorough testing

Monitor Usage:

• Check Tasks > Smart List Refresh history
• Review what was auto-added in Activity logs
• Adjust filters if too many or too few items match

Multiple Lists Strategy

Create specialized lists rather than one broad list:

• Trending - Popular new releases
• Classics - Highly-rated older films
• Genre-Specific - One list per favorite genre
• Language-Specific - Foreign language collections

Troubleshooting

List Not Populating

Check TMDB Connection:

• Verify TMDB API key is valid in Settings
• Check for rate limit messages in logs
• Try manual refresh after waiting 1 hour

Review Filter Criteria:

• Too many filters may exclude all content
• Check if filters conflict (e.g., date range too narrow)
• Verify genre names are spelled correctly

Items Not Auto-Adding

Check Auto-Add Setting:

• Ensure auto-add is not set to "Disabled"
• Verify root folder is configured and accessible
• Check quality profile is valid

Check Library Settings:

• Ensure root folder has write permissions
• Verify available disk space
• Check if items already exist in library

Too Many Items Matching

Refine Filters:

• Increase minimum rating threshold
• Add minimum vote count requirement
• Narrow date range
• Add exclusion filters

Reduce Limit:

• Lower the maximum items limit
• Change sort order to show most relevant first

Items Disappearing

This is expected behavior - Smart Lists reflect current TMDB data:

• Movies removed from TMDB disappear
• Items no longer matching filters are marked
• Use exclusion list to prevent specific items from returning

Limitations

TMDB Dependencies

• Results depend on TMDB's data accuracy and completeness
• Some titles may be missing or have incorrect metadata
• TMDB API rate limits apply (approximately 40 requests per 10 seconds)

Filter Constraints

• Some filter combinations may return no results
• Keywords must match TMDB's keyword database exactly
• Cast/crew filters require exact TMDB person IDs

Refresh Behavior

• Lists refresh based on the configured interval
• Manual refreshes are still subject to rate limits
• Very large lists may take time to process

See Also

• Configure Quality Profiles - Set up quality profiles for auto-added items
• Configure Indexers - Ensure indexers are configured for automatic search
• Understanding the Interface - Learn about the Library view