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Jellyfin Naming Convention and Scraping Guide

Organize a Jellyfin library: folder structures for movies and shows, SxxExx naming, subtitle and local artwork pairing, and how to batch-generate compliant filenames with VRenamer.

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Where Jellyfin gets metadata

Jellyfin reads metadata from TMDB, TVDB and local NFO files. Filenames and folder structure are the first input in all three paths, so loose naming throws off everything downstream.

Movie library structure

Recommended

                      Movies/
└── Parasite (2019)/
    ├── Parasite (2019).mkv
    ├── Parasite (2019).zh.srt
    └── poster.jpg

TV library structure

  • The top level is a show (year) folder
  • Season folders as Season 01 / Season 02, specials as Season 00
  • Episodes carry SxxExx; multi-episode files use S01E01-E02
  • Add tvshow.nfo in the show folder if you want to pin metadata

Recommended

                      Shows/
└── Chernobyl (2019)/
    ├── Season 01/
    │   ├── Chernobyl.S01E01.mkv
    │   ├── Chernobyl.S01E02.mkv
    │   └── Chernobyl.S01E03.mkv
    └── tvshow.nfo

Subtitle and sidecar naming

  • Subtitles share the video name plus a language code, e.g. Show.S01E01.zh.srt
  • Artwork: poster.jpg (portrait), fanart.jpg / backdrop.jpg (landscape)
  • Season artwork: Season01-poster.jpg, or poster.jpg inside the season folder
  • All of these hang off the video filename, so they must be renamed when it is

Troubleshooting scraping

  • Confirm library types: movies and shows must be separate libraries — the wrong one never scrapes correctly
  • Confirm the hierarchy and SxxExx naming above
  • Confirm the TMDB / TVDB plugins can reach the network (a proxy may be needed in some regions)
  • Confirm the metadata language in library settings matches the artwork you expect
  • Refresh metadata on a single show to tell a file problem from a network problem

Normalizing existing files in bulk

VRenamer connects to the media folder over SMB or WebDAV, scans it, writes Jellyfin-compliant naming based on TMDB data and aligns subtitles with their videos. Run a library scan in Jellyfin when finished.

FAQ

Can Jellyfin and Emby share the same folder layout?

Yes. Both use the same hierarchy and SxxExx conventions, so one naming scheme works across Jellyfin, Emby, Plex and Infuse — which is exactly why standard naming pays off.

Are NFO files required?

No. NFO is for pinning metadata against provider changes or offline setups. With correct naming, Jellyfin pulls everything it needs from TMDB / TVDB.

Will Jellyfin notice renamed files on its own?

It will on the next scheduled task, but run Scan Media Library to apply it immediately. If metadata is still off, refresh metadata on that item to match it again by the new filename.

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