Naming your media

In short

ReelVault works out what a file is from its name. A title plus a year for movies, and S01E01 for episodes, is all it needs. Get that right and matching just works — no extra software, no renaming tools.

You do not have to rename anything by hand if your library already looks reasonable. But a few small habits make matching near-perfect, and they are worth it before a first scan of a large collection.

Why names matter

There is no separate database of your files: the server reads each file and folder name, pulls out the title, year, season and episode, then asks your metadata providers which title that is. Anything the parser cannot see — a missing year, a stray episode number — it has to guess.

Movies

The single most useful thing you can do is put the release year in parentheses after the title. It disambiguates remakes and sequels.

Movies/
├── The Matrix (1999)/
│   ├── The Matrix (1999).mkv
│   └── The Matrix (1999).en.srt
├── Arrival (2016).mp4
└── Spirited Away (2001)/
    └── Spirited Away (2001).mkv

• A folder per movie or a single file — both work.
• Title (Year).ext is ideal; release-name extras (1080p, BluRay, x265) are ignored.
• Dots, underscores and dashes are fine as separators: The.Matrix.1999.mkv matches too.

TV shows

Group by series, then by season, and number the episodes with S01E01 (season 1, episode 1). This is the safest pattern for any parser.

TV/
├── Breaking Bad/
│   ├── Season 01/
│   │   ├── Breaking Bad S01E01.mkv
│   │   └── Breaking Bad S01E02.mkv
│   └── Season 02/
│       └── Breaking Bad S02E01.mkv
└── Severance (2022)/
    └── Season 01/
        └── Severance S01E01.mkv

• S01E01, s01e01 and 1x01 are all understood.
• Include the series name in the file name, not just the episode title — it helps when a file sits outside its folder.
• For a series with a year in its title (a reboot), add it: Battlestar Galactica (2003).

Specials and absolute numbering

• Specials go in Season 00 (or Specials) and are numbered S00E01.
• Some anime and long-running shows use continuous numbering: Show Name - 001.mkv. That works, but if a show has both seasons and absolute numbers, prefer S01E01 to avoid ambiguity.

Multiple versions of the same title

Keep several versions side by side — the server offers them as choices rather than duplicating the title.

The Matrix (1999) - 1080p.mkv
The Matrix (1999) - 2160p HDR.mkv
Blade Runner (1982) - Final Cut.mkv
Blade Runner (1982) - Theatrical.mkv

An edition label (Final Cut, Director's Cut, Extended) is kept and shown next to the version.

Subtitles and audio

Subtitle files next to a video are picked up automatically if they share its name and add a language code:

The Matrix (1999).mkv
The Matrix (1999).en.srt        # English
The Matrix (1999).pl.srt        # Polish
The Matrix (1999).en.forced.srt # forced (signs/foreign dialogue only)

Extras, samples and hidden files

• Files and folders named like extras — Extras/, Featurettes/, Behind the Scenes/ — are treated as extras.
• sample, trailer and similar names are skipped on purpose and listed as ignored assets (you can un-ignore them).
• Files or folders starting with a dot (.hidden.mkv, .trash/) are always skipped.

Common pitfalls

Problem	Fix
A remake matched to the original	Add the year: Total Recall (2012).
Episodes ended up as one title	Use S01E01 and put the series name in the file.
"Part 1"/"Part 2" became separate movies	Name them as one title with a version label, or as episodes if it is a series.
A movie landed in a TV library (or vice versa)	Libraries are typed — check the library's type.
Non-Latin titles match poorly	Keep the original title and add an English/(Year) hint.

If something still matches wrong

Naming gets you most of the way; the rest is a click:

1. Open the title in Admin → Metadata.
2. Use Rematch to search again and pick the right entry.
3. For stubborn cases, link a provider id manually.

See Artwork & descriptions for the full flow.

Next steps

• Adding your media — create libraries and scan.
• Artwork & descriptions — fix a bad match.
• Troubleshooting — when a file does not appear at all.