# Plex Ignoring Episode Because It's Titled "The Sample"

**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543
**Category:** General Discussions
**Created:** [June 23, 2020, 7:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543 "2020-06-23T07:29:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![nrfoster45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@nrfoster45](https://forums.plex.tv/u/nrfoster45)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 7:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/1 "2020-06-23T07:29:35Z")

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There is an episode in season 4 of the TV show Mad About You that is titled “The Sample”. This is the official title from [thetvdb.com](http://thetvdb.com). I couldn’t figure out why Plex wouldn’t add it. Apparently the Plex scanner skips it because they have an auto-exclude feature that looks for the word “sample”. This issue is with the latest version of Plex on the WD My Cloud, but is not a problem on Plex Media Server for Windows 10.

Is there any way to override this auto-exclude setting? I read through the forums and I’m not sure why people can’t just use .plexignore files or simply not store sample files in their libraries. Plex should at least add a note to the log file that says that they are ignoring the file.

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### Author: ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 7:55am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/2 "2020-06-23T07:55:23Z")

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Show us your file names.

 ![A Merry Go Round Broke Down-15](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/b/c/bc195374f7becc103a2fc6ef96b255384c1fd82e.jpeg)

Results in instant, natural Match:

 ![A Merry Go Round Broke Down-14](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/9/c/9c8205758783a9cbcb03772fc230a2447322b77e.jpeg)

Naming/Structuring good?  
Using MP4/M4V files?

Do this:

> [@Video File Naming](https://forums.plex.tv/t/video-file-naming/535534/7):
>
> With LMA in priority, Embedded Titles within MP4/M4V files are preferred - even over a perfect file name. Local Media Assets should - AT ALL TIMES - remain enabled (unless specifically instructed to turn it off). Local Media Assets should be ‘Demoted’, to the bottom of the stack of active agents under ALL tabs in Shows and Movies, but should NOT be disabled. Local Media Assets is needed for many things - it doesn’t need to be given Tip-Top-Priority (as Plex has so hatefully placed it as it’s …

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### Author: ![Coxeroni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/coxeroni/32/21481_2.png) [@Coxeroni](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Coxeroni)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 8:30am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/3 "2020-06-23T08:30:55Z")

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Just delete the title from the file name in this case and call it a day.

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### Author: ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 8:58am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/4 "2020-06-23T08:58:58Z")

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Does that even matter?

Does Plex react badly to certain words in ‘compliant’ file names?

I don’t know, but if so, yep - file names like my test files are still compliant, but contain no offending literature and with LMA Demoted - any embedded nonsense in MP4/M4V files is no longer a factor.

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### Author: ![Coxeroni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/coxeroni/32/21481_2.png) [@Coxeroni](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Coxeroni)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:02am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/5 "2020-06-23T09:02:06Z")

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Sure, everything with the word ‘sample’ in it will be ignored.  
Edit: I was not completely right:

> **[Special Keyword File/Folder Exclusion | Plex Support](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201381883-special-keyword-file-folder-exclusion/)**
>
> Plex will automatically ignore and exclude certain content: Files that include the word sample in the filename and are less...

  
If the file size is \>300 MB it should still work with sample in the file name.

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### Author: ![SE56](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/se56/32/222425_2.png) [@SE56](https://forums.plex.tv/u/SE56)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:04am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/6 "2020-06-23T09:04:16Z")

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How if the name of title is…

Ooops you have corrected your statement

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### Author: ![Coxeroni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/coxeroni/32/21481_2.png) [@Coxeroni](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Coxeroni)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:05am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/7 "2020-06-23T09:05:36Z")

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Yes I often do the reading after posting first 😃

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### Author: ![SE56](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/se56/32/222425_2.png) [@SE56](https://forums.plex.tv/u/SE56)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:07am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/8 "2020-06-23T09:07:05Z")

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Ok, too much Schnapps, I wish I was there. Lol

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### Author: ![Coxeroni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/coxeroni/32/21481_2.png) [@Coxeroni](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Coxeroni)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:07am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/9 "2020-06-23T09:07:38Z")

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No Schnapps but quick replying on mobile phone during work breaks 😉

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### Author: ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/10 "2020-06-23T09:08:30Z")

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> [@Coxeroni](#):
>
> Yes I often do the reading after posting first 😃

Doesn’t everybody? I know I do!..lol

Well, it doesn’t seem to matter - at least for a ‘compliant’ file name 'cause this:

```auto
A TV Show Library\
....Mad About You\
.......Season 04\
..........Mad About You - S04E18 - The Big Sample Test.mp4

```

had no negative effects what-so-ever…

😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![SE56](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/se56/32/222425_2.png) [@SE56](https://forums.plex.tv/u/SE56)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/11 "2020-06-23T09:08:38Z")

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No fun in that, like the previous situation. Fall over no Problem

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### Author: ![Coxeroni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/coxeroni/32/21481_2.png) [@Coxeroni](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Coxeroni)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:10am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/12 "2020-06-23T09:10:07Z")

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File size of your test file?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 9:12am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/13 "2020-06-23T09:12:23Z")

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> [@Coxeroni](#):
>
> File size of your test file?

Not very - it’s a movie extra from either Notorious (1946) or Spellbound (1945) and I can’t recall. If there’s no episode thumb at the datahouse - I see Ingrid Bergman. I win either way…  
(those two movies I quoted are also compliant - I can’t hep mysef!)

😉

> [@Coxeroni](#):
>
> o Schnapps but quick replying on mobile phone during work breaks

I’ve been to Germany.  
I’ve seen what is consumed during work breaks - and in America we call it Good Beer. \<— we don’t have much of it, but they don’t let us drink it at work breaks - even if does suck.

😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![nrfoster45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@nrfoster45](https://forums.plex.tv/u/nrfoster45)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/14 "2020-06-23T22:40:19Z")

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Thanks. The \< 300 MB rule explains why it’s excluded on my WD My Cloud, but not Win 10. Win 10 handles my MKV rips and WD stores my MP4 encodes. The MP4 episode is less than 300 MB. Thanks for providing the article link.

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### Author: ![nrfoster45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@nrfoster45](https://forums.plex.tv/u/nrfoster45)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/15 "2020-06-23T22:58:10Z")

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Apparently, if the file doesn’t end with the word “sample” it works. That’s why your example (…The Big Sample Test.mp4) worked. Thanks for indirectly giving me a good solution. I added a space at the end (…Sample .mp4) and it worked. Also, thanks for taking the time to test.

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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: [September 21, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-ignoring-episode-because-its-titled-the-sample/606543/16 "2020-09-21T22:58:12Z")

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