--- title: Importing Lists description: Bring lists in from Trakt, TMDB, MDBList, Letterboxd, anime trackers, Stremio, Nuvio or a file, once or kept in sync. category: library order: 3 icon: download --- # Importing Lists Already keep lists somewhere else? StremShare can pull them into a group from Trakt, TMDB, MDBList, Letterboxd, anime trackers, your Stremio or Nuvio library, or a plain file. Import a list once, or turn on **Smart Sync** and the group keeps following the source. ## Open the import window Every import goes **into a group**, so start from the group you want to fill. You need to be the group's Owner or a Contributor. Any of these opens the same window: - **On a computer:** open the group and click **Import List** on its Items tab (next to **Add Content** and **List Builder**). - **On the Groups page:** select a group, open the **Quick Actions** tab in its side panel and click **Import List**. - **On a phone:** tap the round **+** button at the bottom right of a group and choose **Import List**. On the Groups page, the same button asks you to **Select Group to Import List** first. - **From Add Content:** paste a list link into the search box. StremShare recognises it as a list ("That's a list link") and **Open the Import flow** carries the link across for you. ![The Import window with the Import from a link box on top and the source cards below](/docs/help/img/imports-hub.png "The import window: paste a link, or browse a source") On a phone the window takes the whole screen, and the **+** menu is how you get there: ![The group page's plus menu on a phone, showing List Builder, Import List and Add Content](/docs/help/img/getting-started-mobile-add-menu.png "On a phone, tap + and choose Import List") ## Paste a link The quickest route when you have a public list URL. Paste it into **Import from a link** and StremShare tells you what it found ("Detected: TRAKT list by …"). Supported formats (also listed under **Supported URL formats** in the window): - **Trakt:** `https://trakt.tv/users/username/lists/list-slug` or `https://trakt.tv/lists/123456` - **TMDB:** `https://themoviedb.org/list/123456` - **MDBList:** `https://mdblist.com/lists/list-name` - **Letterboxd:** `https://letterboxd.com/username/list/list-slug/` or a studio page, `https://letterboxd.com/studio/studio-name/` Click **Continue** to see a preview before anything is added. Public lists need no account connection at all. ### What about IMDB links? IMDB no longer allows automated access to its lists, so IMDB links can't be imported directly. StremShare still recognises them and points you somewhere useful: - **An IMDB list link** shows **IMDB imports aren't available anymore** with two ways forward: **Search MDBList for it** (many popular IMDB lists have MDBList mirrors, and MDBList lists can be synced) or **Upload a CSV instead** (use the Export option on the IMDB list page, then upload that file). - **A single IMDB title link** shows **That's a single title, not a list**. Close the window and paste the same link into the group's **Add Content** search, which adds single titles directly. ![The IMDB notice with Search MDBList for it and Upload a CSV instead buttons](/docs/help/img/imports-imdb-list-notice.png "Pasting an IMDB list link points you to MDBList or a CSV upload") ## Browse a source Under **Or browse a source**, pick where the list lives. A green **Connected** badge shows on sources you've already linked. ### Trakt - **No account needed:** the public **Discover** feeds, Trending, Popular and Anticipated, each for movies and shows. They make great always-fresh synced lists. - **With your Trakt account:** click **Connect to Trakt**, approve StremShare on Trakt, and your **Personal** lists appear: your watchlist, favorites, collection, your custom lists, plus Up Next, recommended movies and shows, and your recent watch history as a list. ![The Trakt picker with Connect to Trakt and the public Discover feeds](/docs/help/img/imports-trakt-picker.png "Trakt's public feeds work without an account") ### TMDB Click **Connect to TMDB** to import your personal lists, favorites and watchlists. ### Stremio library Pick which parts of your Stremio library to import: **Watched**, **Continue Watching**, **Library** (things you added yourself), **Liked** and **Loved**. If your Stremio account isn't linked yet, the picker lets you link it right there (email and password, or an auth token), or you can link it under **Account → Connections**. The same link also keeps your add-on up to date in Stremio automatically (see [Add-on Setup](/docs/help/addon-setup)). ### Nuvio Shown only when Nuvio is available on StremShare. Link Nuvio under **Account → Connections** first (the picker's **Go to Connections** button takes you there), because linking is also where you choose which Nuvio profile StremShare reads. Then import that profile's library: **Everything**, **Movies** or **Series**. ### Anime Import from a **public username** on MyAnimeList, AniList or Kitsu. No account connection is needed. After a scan you choose which statuses to bring in (Watching, Completed, Plan to Watch and so on). - **MyAnimeList:** large lists can take 20 to 60 seconds. - **AniList:** public lists only; private lists can't be imported. - **Kitsu:** usernames can be case-sensitive. ### Search public lists No URL handy? Search public **Trakt** or **MDBList** lists by keyword inside the window. Great for themed community lists ("halloween", "a24", "oscar winners"). ### File upload Upload a **JSON or CSV file** up to 5MB: - **Simple JSON:** `[{"title": "The Matrix", "year": 1999, "type": "movie"}]` - **CSV:** a `Title,Year,Type` header, then one row per title. - Required fields are **title, year and type** (`movie` or `series`). Including an IMDB ID is recommended. - StremShare's own **group export files** work as they are. ### List Builder The last card, **List Builder**, isn't an import: it builds a list from filters you choose (genres, ratings, streaming services and more). See [Smart Lists](/docs/help/smart-lists#build-one-with-the-list-builder). ## Confirm and import Every route ends on the same confirm screen: the list's name, item count, source, and a preview of the first 10 titles. If the same list is already synced into this group you'll see **This list is already being synced as "…"**, so you don't set it up twice. For sources that can keep syncing (Trakt, TMDB, Stremio library, MDBList, Letterboxd and search results), there's a **Smart Sync** switch: - **Smart Sync off:** the titles are added once. - **Smart Sync on:** choose how often to re-check (**Hourly**, **Every 6 Hours**, **Daily**, **Every 3 Days** or **Weekly**) and a mode: **Append (add new)** only ever adds, while **Replace (mirror source)** also removes titles this list added once they leave the source. See [Append vs Replace](/docs/help/smart-lists#append-vs-replace). ![The confirm step with a preview of the list and Smart Sync switched on](/docs/help/img/imports-confirm-smart-sync.png "Smart Sync on: pick a frequency and Append or Replace") Click **Import N Items**. A progress bar shows each stage (scanning, enriching with ratings and artwork, adding to the group). Big lists can take a while; if you close the window, the import keeps running on the server and the titles appear in the group when it finishes. The summary shows how many titles were **Imported**, how many were **Already in group**, and any that couldn't be fetched or matched to IMDB. **Import Another** takes you back to the start; **Done** closes the window. ## After the import Open the group's **Smart Lists** tab to see what you've imported: - **Synced Lists** holds imports with Smart Sync on, with their sync controls. - **Past Imports** holds one-time imports. For sources that can sync, **Enable Smart Sync** turns one into a synced list later. Anime, file and Nuvio imports are always one-time. [Smart Lists](/docs/help/smart-lists#managing-smart-lists) covers everything on that tab. ## Lists vs watch history Importing a *list* puts titles into a group. Importing your *watch history* (what you've already seen) is separate: it feeds your watch stats, recommendations and hide-watched. Watch-history imports live on the service cards under **Account → Connections** (Trakt, MDBList, Stremio and Nuvio), not in this window. Anime trackers are list sources only. See [Watch Tracking](/docs/help/watch-tracking#importing-history-you-already-have). ## Troubleshooting - **Continue stays greyed out:** the link isn't in a supported format. Check **Supported URL formats**, or use **Search public lists** to find the list instead. - **"No anime found":** the username is wrong or the list is private. - **Some titles weren't imported:** the summary lists titles it couldn't match to IMDB. Add those by hand with **Add Content**. - **A synced Trakt, TMDB or Stremio list shows an error:** the connection has probably expired. Reconnect it under **Account → Connections**. ## Related guides - [Smart Lists](/docs/help/smart-lists) - [Adding Content](/docs/help/adding-content) - [Groups and Members](/docs/help/groups-and-members) - [Watch Tracking](/docs/help/watch-tracking) - [Account Settings](/docs/help/account-settings)