# Plex Media Server Naming Standards Question **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322 "2017-05-27T02:56:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![peto11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@peto11](https://forums.plex.tv/u/peto11)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/1 "2017-05-27T02:56:01Z")
I am unsure if there is an answer to this but How do I name a windows file to pick up via TVDB for ‘BBC Documentaries’ ? where the season is in the form xxxx ie 2014 (year) and the episode Numbers are in the valid form yy ie 03 ? I understand the only valid form that I am reading is SxxEyy ? ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/2 "2017-05-27T03:04:02Z")
Season numbers can be 4-digit, no problem. Is also required for e.g. ‘Looney Tunes’ ---
**Author:** ![kegobeer-plex](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/kegobeer-plex/32/17444_2.png) [@kegobeer-plex](https://forums.plex.tv/u/kegobeer-plex)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/3 "2017-05-27T03:04:53Z")
I’ve never had to deal with a TV show that uses the actual year as the season number. Maybe you can convert the year to a season numbering system: 1936 = 01, 1950 = 02, 1955 = 03, etc. Try it with a single year to see if that works. ---
**Author:** ![nigelpb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/919ad9/32.png) [@nigelpb](https://forums.plex.tv/u/nigelpb)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 4:23am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/4 "2017-05-27T04:23:19Z")
You use the year as the ‘Season’. Just check out exactly how [thetvdb.com](http://thetvdb.com) has catalogued the show. To take an example of a recent documentary on Channel 4 Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries/Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - Season 2017/Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - S2017E42 - Flat Pack Mansions.mkv ---
**Author:** ![nigelpb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/919ad9/32.png) [@nigelpb](https://forums.plex.tv/u/nigelpb)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/5 "2017-05-27T04:27:41Z")
> @nigelpb said: > You use the year as the ‘Season’. Just check out exactly how [thetvdb.com](http://thetvdb.com) has catalogued the show. To take an example of a recent documentary on Channel 4 > > Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries/Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - Season 2017/Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - S2017E42 - Flat Pack Mansions.mkv BTW I tried to use the example of S2017E33 The Super ■■■■■■ but evidently there is a censor operating on this forum & the word ■■■■■■ is deemed too shocking to display when originally posting but as I just discovered the censor doesn’t operate when a post is edited after posting. ---
**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:** [May 27, 2017, 9:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/6 "2017-05-27T09:29:39Z")
Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries/ …Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - Season 2017/ …Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - S2017E42 - Flat Pack Mansions.mkv Incorrect. Better visit The Guide for Naming/Structuring TV Shows - 'cause if that works now, it won’t for long: [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows) A TV Show Library Folder/ …Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries/ …Season 2017/ …Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - S2017E42 - Flat Pack Mansions.mkv Would be correct. I just added this one and a BBC Doc - working fine. A TV Show Library Folder …Horizon …Season 2017 …Horizon - S2017E05 - Strange Signals from Outer Space!.mp4 \<—FileBot added that ‘!’ - I would have left it out. ---
**Author:** ![nigelpb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/919ad9/32.png) [@nigelpb](https://forums.plex.tv/u/nigelpb)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 10:09am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/7 "2017-05-27T10:09:43Z")
> @JuiceWSA said: > Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries/ > …Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - Season 2017/ > …Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - S2017E42 - Flat Pack Mansions.mkv > Incorrect. > Better visit The Guide for Naming/Structuring TV Shows - 'cause if that works now, it won’t for long: > [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows) I have always labelled my folders in this form. I think that having standalone folder names like ‘Season 2017’ or ‘Series 1’ is very confusing as you don’t know to which series it belongs except in the context of the nested folder structure. Trust me. This format works & in particular it works on Plex Cloud which is much more picky than local PMS. TV/Series Name/Series Name - Series 1/ Series Name S01E01.mkv Series Name S01E02.mkv Series Name S01E03.mkv etc ---
**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:** [May 27, 2017, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/8 "2017-05-27T10:16:15Z")
> @nigelpb said: > I have always labelled my folders in this form. I think that having standalone folder names like ‘Season 2017’ or ‘Series 1’ is very confusing as you don’t know to which series it belongs except in the context of the nested folder structure. Trust me. This format works & in particular it works on Plex Cloud which is much more picky than local PMS. > > TV/Series Name/Series Name - Series 1/ > Series Name S01E01.mkv > Series Name S01E02.mkv > Series Name S01E03.mkv > etc You are welcome to do whatever you like, Buddy… even if it’s wrong. When you start telling someone else that’s looking for help how to do something wrong - I’m going to call you on it. Your way is wrong. My examples are right. Period. Users that want to mitigate current, or future issues with TV Shows, it’s a pretty darn good idea to stick with Full and Absolute Compliance right from day one. To do ANYTHING else is foolish. TV Shows in Plex is the area where the slightest alteration in ‘correct and proper’ can and does cause issues on a daily basis. You can go Rattlesnake hunting nude if you want to - but one day it’s a pretty safe bet you’re gonna get bit. 🙂 I don’t just make this stuff up. Here’s the Guide: [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows) Here’s your show’s Season at TVDB: [http://thetvdb.com/?tab=season&seriesid=81903&seasonid=694233&lid=7](http://thetvdb.com/?tab=season&seriesid=81903&seasonid=694233&lid=7) You have the show name and the file name right, but you have the Season Name Wrong. ---
**Author:** ![peto11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@peto11](https://forums.plex.tv/u/peto11)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 10:19am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/9 "2017-05-28T10:19:12Z")
Hi not geting too far with this so far (I’m on windows 10/plex 1.5.5) there seems a need to better match Plex and TVDB on some season entries. It does seem to follow the written standard of 2 digit season numbers as mentioned ‘UKTV Documentaries’ is also one i’m looking at which follows the yyyy season standard on TVDB, and probably easier to test any changes but it is not processing 4 digit season number, say as yyyy format. It seems to accept them, not processing them but defaults them to 1 . I am trying relative numbers but that seems to fail completely. regards ---
**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:** [May 28, 2017, 11:11am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/10 "2017-05-28T11:11:03Z")
Follow the Plex Guides for naming and structuring and the ‘correct’ examples above. 4 digit seasons are ONLY used when TVDB is using them - ALWAYS use the show names exactly as shown at TVDB - unless your show is a ‘re-make’ and you are trying to match the first version. Fiddling with names and structures while items are in a library is a bad idea: The Plex Dance®: 1. remove show from library 2. update library 3. empty trash 4. clean bundles [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions) \<— update library, empty trash, clean bundles 5. bring names and structures into compliance 6. replace corrected show into library 7. update library All Steps. In Order. No Shortcuts. If The Plex Dance doesn’t produce the intended result, reveal exactly the name of the item(s) you’re trying to match and attach a full set of log files: [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200250417-Plex-Media-Server-Log-Files](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200250417-Plex-Media-Server-Log-Files) Drag zip file to message window and drop it. ---
**Author:** ![peto11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@peto11](https://forums.plex.tv/u/peto11)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 12:27pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/11 "2017-05-28T12:27:10Z")
Hi, finally got this working… after ‘plex Dance’ !, removing files, and restarting PLex Previously I had not included the sub-directory for the , say ‘Season 15’ format, when I had only had one season or say one episode. This I have had done previously and only referencing the season via the file naming standard under the TV show’s name directory. This method doesn’t work with the ‘season 2015’ format and initially when I added the ‘season 2015’ subdirectory with other changes made (You could get a lot of sub-directories with something like BBC Documentaries or as someone else mentioned Loonie Tunes !) thanks for help ---
**Author:** ![NewPlaza](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/newplaza/32/128634_2.png) [@NewPlaza](https://forums.plex.tv/u/NewPlaza)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/12 "2017-05-28T15:32:28Z")
> @kegobeer-plex said: > I’ve never had to deal with a TV show that uses the actual year as the season number. Maybe you can convert the year to a season numbering system: 1936 = 01, 1950 = 02, 1955 = 03, etc. Try it with a single year to see if that works. You can. That’s what I did not knowing the _year thing_ for **Looney Tunes** show and for **The Pretender** specials… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server-naming-standards-question/193322/13 "2020-01-07T23:19:41Z")