# MetadataFile Agent

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/metadatafile-agent/230660>\
**Category:** Dev/API Corner\
**Tags:** scanner-agent-dev\
**Created:** [March 28, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/metadatafile-agent/230660 "2018-03-28T14:42:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![qreeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/b487fb/32.png) [@qreeves](https://forums.plex.tv/u/qreeves)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/metadatafile-agent/230660/1 "2018-03-28T14:42:47Z")

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**About**

This is a Plex Media Server agent for retrieving metadata from files you place alongside your media. It can be helpful for auto-categorizing files. You can get it from: [github.com/qreeves/MetadataFile.bundle](https://github.com/qreeves/MetadataFile.bundle "https://github.com/qreeves/MetadataFile.bundle")

**Usage**

There are two types of files, _metadata_ and _catalog_. The agent will recurse back through the directory tree looking for these files.

**Metadata Files**

Metadata files can either be the name of the first part with “.ini” appended (specific), or “\_metadata” (general). They contain a [metadata] header, and options named for each metadata section (see below).

**Catalog Files**

Catalog files are just named “\_catalog” which contain headers that are a regular expression match against the “media title”, and have the same options as metadata files (see below).

**Metadata Options**

```
content_rating_age=<integer>
content_rating=<age rating>
year=<integer>
title=<string>
studio=<string>
tagline=<string>
summary=<string>
trivia=<string>
quotes=<string>
genres=<comma separated list>
writers=<comma separated list>
directors=<comma separated list>
producers=<comma separated list>
countries=<comma separated list>
collections=<comma separated list>
```

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/metadatafile-agent/230660/2 "2020-01-08T20:07:35Z")

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