# Plex Not Sorting Documentaries **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-windows\ **Created:** [February 16, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-not-sorting-documentaries/905802 "2025-02-16T16:21:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brianjohnson989](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/brianjohnson989/32/289972_2.png) [@brianjohnson989](https://forums.plex.tv/u/brianjohnson989)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-not-sorting-documentaries/905802/1 "2025-02-16T16:21:24Z")
Server Version#:4.140.0 Player Version#: IDK Hi, I am trying to add some documentaries to my library. I have created a new library and source folder, separate from where it pulls my other files from. When I add them, it just adds them each as an individual file instead of organizing them as a series with episodes. I would like for them to be sorted like a TV show, where each documentary is its own series and when I click on it, it then goes to the series and has all the episodes in that series listed. As of now, I just have a ton of individual files and that is a bear to sort through. I have tried both “TV Shows” and “Other Videos” and no matter what it doesn’t sort them how I want. I have also renamed the source files according to this article: [https://support.plex.tv/articles/naming-and-organizing-your-movie-media-files/?signUp=0](https://support.plex.tv/articles/naming-and-organizing-your-movie-media-files/?signUp=0) However included the IMDB or TMDB IDs doesn’t seem to help. Is there any way to get this to sort the way I am envisioning or no? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-not-sorting-documentaries/905802/2 "2025-02-16T17:02:32Z")
[Why is some of my content not found?](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201543057-why-is-some-of-my-content-not-found/) [Plex Documentation](https://support.plex.tv/articles/) → [Your Media](https://support.plex.tv/articles/categories/your-media/) → [Naming & Organizing Your TV Show Files](https://support.plex.tv/articles/naming-and-organizing-your-tv-show-files/) → [Naming & Organizing Your Movie Files](https://support.plex.tv/articles/naming-and-organizing-your-movie-media-files/) Are the documentaries listed at TMDB/TVDB/IMDB? If so, are they listed as movies or tv shows? Note that you cannot mix movies and TV shows in the same library. If they are listed as movies, they go in a Movie library. If they are listed as shows/mini-series, they go in a TV Show library. They must also be named per Plex documentation. Please provide an example (directory listing, etc.) of how the files are currently named and organized. ---
**Author:** ![brianjohnson989](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/brianjohnson989/32/289972_2.png) [@brianjohnson989](https://forums.plex.tv/u/brianjohnson989)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-not-sorting-documentaries/905802/3 "2025-02-16T18:31:23Z")
Yes, the ones I have tried to organize so far are listed on both. Here is a link to one I have: > **[Planet Earth](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/1044-planet-earth?language=en-US)** > > David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries. I have them in their own folder, not with any of my other movies or TV shows. This one is organized like so: Documentaries/ Planet Earth (2006){tmdb-1044} -Planet Earth S01E01 -Planet Earth S01E02 -Planet Earth S01E03 So on and so forth ---
**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-not-sorting-documentaries/905802/4 "2025-02-16T19:34:39Z")
“Documentaries” should be the folder added to the TV show library. If they are MP4 files and have incorrect embedded metadata, then that can cause Plex to incorrectly list the files. You can tell Plex to ignore the embedded metadata: Edit the library → Advanced → uncheck Prefer Local Metadata. Suggestion: As a test, create a new TV show library and do not add any shows. Then, [Plex Dance](https://forums.plex.tv/t/the-plex-dance/197064) the Planet Earth show, but put them back into the test library. See if it correctly recognizes them. FWIW, here’s naming & organization on my server. tv-docu is the folder added to the tv show library. ![pe](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/1/7/4/174b21688aa4b5f5911b8fd1655fde6e9a3f8b15.png) ---
**Author:** ![brianjohnson989](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/brianjohnson989/32/289972_2.png) [@brianjohnson989](https://forums.plex.tv/u/brianjohnson989)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-not-sorting-documentaries/905802/5 "2025-02-16T20:10:04Z")
Ok thank you! I tested it out with three episodes and that seems to have done the trick. Much appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-not-sorting-documentaries/905802/6 "2025-05-17T20:10:26Z")
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