Is there a way to only update one series instead of the entire library? Like say I just wanted to update a series so that it get changed, Before I had one giant season but the author of the scanner that I’m using for Anime changed a file for only a few Anime. I just want to update the changed Anime to the files he edited.
I just want to update what Zero has updated in his XML file but I only want to update the series that hes edited in his XML file, What I don’t want to do if its possible is to not update the entire library of my anime collection.
I only see 2 options currently, Update Library (Plex Web update this library only) and Update Full Library (The one from the media server on my computer).
This is what I mean by wanting to update only one series, This picture shows that there’s one giant season of 55 episodes, But @ZeroQI amended his XML file to add the correct seasons. 


If you access the server via the web browser, go into that item, you will have choices on the left panel. Are these what you’re looking for?
Unfortunately that’s not what I’m looking for. If I go into Plex Web I only get:
- Play Unwatched
- Shuffle
- Edit
- Add to Playlist
- Refresh
- Mark as Watched
- Select
- Sync
- And the 3 Dots that give other options like: Play All, Play Next, Unmatch, Fix Incorrect Match, Ect.
I’m just looking to see if I can update one series in the library but not the entire library.
Start with 5. Refresh
if that doesn’t help, then go with Unmatch, followed by Match
Unfortunately, Refresh did not do it either. Same with unmatch and rematch option.
Since you are apparently using a 3rd party metadata agent and scanner, I don’t know if I can help you.
Normal plex agents also have a cache where metadata are stored for faster access.
Maybe (if your agent also uses this cache) you have to clear it, before trying this any further. Thus forcing the agent to fetch fresh metadata from the internet.
Alright, But what I’m asking is if there’s a button or something that I don’t see so that I will be able to update only one selected media instead of all the media in my media folder.
Like I think that it should be an option to be able to update only one show if you choose so, instead of an entire media folder being updated.
I’d rather not have to be forced to update my entire folder when I just want to single out a series to just update that. Refresh I believe only does metadata which is not what I’m looking for I think.
@TrixR4K1ds said:
Alright, But what I’m asking is if there’s a button or something that I don’t see so that I will be able to update only one selected media instead of all the media in my media folder.
The only button there is is the ‘Refresh’ button.
I’d rather not have to be forced to update my entire folder when I just want to single out a series to just update that. Refresh I believe only does metadata which is not what I’m looking for I think.
‘Update’ is just looking for new or changed media files. If nothing changed in this regard, then update finishes within minutes, even for a whole library.
Refresh is not looking for new media items but re-loads the metadata for existing items.
From your description in the first post I am still unsure what you are actually after.
Did your media files change or did the metadata change?
The former requires an Update, the latter a Refresh.
If your tv show changed significantly (in that its structure was changed) then I guess a Plex Dance is in order. This erases any knowledge about the tv show and re-adds it as if it were completely new.
What I mean is to only update one series not the entire library. Like say, I changed something for an anime lets say Dragon Ball Super, I only changed something that would put the individual episodes into their respective seasons.
Once I did that I waited a bit then I went to check on if the episodes were added to the correct seasons, But it did not. I from there assumed that I needed to update my library. But what I want is not to update my entire library that contains all my anime, I just want to update that one series, Which is Dragon Ball Super.
I know that if nothing has changed within the library the other media will be left unchanged.
The Plex Dance may be what I’m looking for, If I wasn’t already re-adding my library I would of done that. According to @ZeroQI I have to recreate my library, I might of misunderstood what was said and just went without thinking.
I already deleted my anime library a few hours ago and am still in the process of re-adding it to my Plex.
@TrixR4K1ds said:
…I only changed something that would put the individual episodes into their respective seasons.
What is this “something” you changed? Did you edit file names (or moved them around into a different folder structure) or did you edit the metadata for this tv show somewhere else on one of the metadata websites?
Inside my selected series folder I changed the seasons, Like it used to have season #'s in separate folders, But I took all the episodes inside of the folder and put them in one folder.
So its like this:
This is what it used to be
/Anime
** /Dragon Ball Super**
/Season 01
Dragon Ball Super - s01e01.avi - The World Peace Prize. Who Is Getting the 100 Million Zeni
Dragon Ball Super- s01e02 - To the Promised Vacation! Vegeta Goes on a Family Trip.avi
Dragon Ball Super- s01e03.mp4 Where’s the Rest of My Dream! Find the Super Saiyan God
/Season 02
Dragon Ball Super - s02e01.avi - Heroic Satan, Cause a Miracle! A Challenge from Outer Space
Dragon Ball Super - s02e02.mkv - Vegeta Becomes a Pupil! Take Down Whis
Dragon Ball Super - s02e03.m4v - Pan Is Born! And Goku Goes Off on a Training Journey
This is what it is now
/Anime
/Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super - s01e01.avi - The World Peace Prize. Who Is Getting the 100 Million Zeni
Dragon Ball Super- s01e02 - To the Promised Vacation! Vegeta Goes on a Family Trip.avi
Dragon Ball Super- s01e03.mp4 Where’s the Rest of My Dream! Find the Super Saiyan God
Dragon Ball Super - s02e01.avi - Heroic Satan, Cause a Miracle! A Challenge from Outer Space
Dragon Ball Super - s02e02.mkv - Vegeta Becomes a Pupil! Take Down Whis
Dragon Ball Super - s02e03.m4v - Pan Is Born! And Goku Goes Off on a Training Journey
All I did was remove the seasons folders and put the episodes that were in the individual folders into one folder.
@TrixR4K1ds said:
Inside my selected series folder I changed the seasons, Like it used to have season #'s in separate folders, But I took all the episodes inside of the folder and put them in one folder.
Ah, so you moved files.
A library ‘update’ would be the right action then. But I am not sure how your custom metadata agent handles this.
Was there a reason for this? Because the recommended method for Plex is to have these ‘season’ folders.
If I understand correctly with @ZeroQI the scanner and agent that was made by zero, There is an option for the scanner and agent that would be able to force the series ID.
You can specify the guid to use the following way:
- In custom search serie name by adding " [guid_type-id_number]" at the end
- In Serie folder name by adding " [guid_type-id_number]" at the end
- In guid_type.id inside serie folder with the id in it (ex: tvdb.id file with tvdbid “114801” without double quotes in it)
Hama supports the following guid_type:
- anidb for AniDB.net (and and the behaviour changing mode anibd2)
- tvdb for TheTVDB.com (and the behaviour changing modes: tvdb2, tvdb3, tvdb4)
- tmdb For TheMovieDB.net (and the serie part of TheMovieDB: tsdb)
- imdb For the International Movie DataBase (ids starts with “tt…”)
You can have absolutely numbered series (i.e. without season number apart from Specials/season 0) being displayed in Plex with seasons without the need to rename the files with season numbering or creating season folders and moving absolutely numbered episodes inside by using the following custom modes, and episodes.
When you have all episodes of a series in a single parent folder:
" [anidb-xxxxx]" for anime in absolute numbering. Force the anidb serie id
" [tvdb-xxxxxx]" for tvdb season numbering. You can put separate anidb series as seasons as per tvdb numbering. SAO can be split at file level into "Season 1 - Sword Art Online" [1-25], "Season 2 - Alfheim & Gun Gale Online [1-25]".
" [tvdb2-xxxxx]" for absolute numbering displayed virtually as tvdb numbering, episode number resets to 1 each season, for series like Sword art Online(1-50, will be split into Season 1 [1-25] and Season 2 [1-25])
" [tvdb3-xxxxx]" for absolute numbering episodes displayed virtually using tvdb season numbering for long running series like One piece (1-700+, will be split into seasons while keeping the absolute episode number intact without having to create seasons in the real folder
" [tvdb4-xxxxx]" for absolute numbering episodes displayed using series arc as season for long running series with arcs like Dragon Ball Kai, or separated anidb series considered as half seasons by thetvdb (like 'Seraph of the end' numbered 1-24 splitted into 2 seasons). The arc definition to split into seasons the absolute numbering is done using the following order:
Seasons folders manually created by the user with absolute numbered episodes inside (seasons already mapped manually)
in a local "tvdb.mapping" file inside serie folder FORMAT: <season_num>|<starting_ep_num>|<ending_ep_num>|<freeform_text_naming_the_season>(optional)
The GUID I’m using for some of my anime is [Tvdb4-xxxxx], So after moving the episodes from seperate folders I am putting them in one folder and letting the scanner and agent do the work.
This is mainly for Anime, the Scanner is “Absolute Series Scanner” and the agent is “HTTP Anidb Metadata Agent (HAMA)” just in case you were curious.
The info I got from above is from the Absolute Series Scanner Readme.
github.com/ZeroQI/Absolute-Series-Scanner/blob/master/README.md
github.com/ZeroQI/Hama.bundle/blob/master/README.md
If I read that correctly, there is no need to eliminate the season folders if you already have them.
It only says that it will work just as well without them.
Does it? I must of misread it, Or I might of misunderstood the directions.
If it can work with folders that already have seasons then that would make it easier.