Watch Folder

How it works

When Watch Folder is enabled, MediaForge monitors an Inbox folder in the background. The moment a new media file lands there, MediaForge:

1. Matches the file against TVDB using the filename
2. Sends a macOS notification with the match result
3. Queues the file in the Library tab, ready to sync — with rename, NFO, and full artwork download
4. Routes the file to the correct destination subfolder based on TVDB genre
5. Triggers a Jellyfin, Emby or Plex library refresh once synced

If a file cannot be matched, it is moved to a _Quarantine folder and flagged in the Library tab. Use Organise Files on the Home tab to match it manually. If a file already exists at the destination, an amber conflict warning is shown — nothing is silently overwritten. A Retry button lets you re-attempt the sync if the destination has since been cleared. You can also clear the entire queue from Settings → Watch Folder if needed.

Any files already sitting in your Inbox when the app launches are picked up automatically on startup.

Setup

Watch Folder is configured in Settings → Watch Folder. Four steps and you're done:

Genre-based destination routing

TVDB returns genre tags for every matched title. Watch Folder uses these to route files automatically — no manual sorting required. You define rules in Settings that map a TVDB genre name to a destination subfolder inside your Library folder.

For example, if your Library folder is /Volumes/Media and you add a rule Sport → Sports/Wrestling, then any file TVDB identifies as a Sport genre title is automatically placed in /Volumes/Media/Sports/Wrestling/.

Rules are checked in order. The first matching rule wins. Files that match no genre rule fall through to your default template destination.

Genre names are case-sensitive and must match TVDB exactly. Common values include Sport, Drama, Animation, Talk Show, Reality, Comedy, Documentary, and Movie.

Jellyfin / Emby / Plex library setup

For best results, add a separate library in Jellyfin (or Emby/Plex) for each routing destination, and point it directly at the leaf folder — not the parent.

For example, if your routing rule is Sport → Sports/Wrestling, add a Jellyfin library of type Shows pointed at /Media/Sports/Wrestling. Do not point it at /Media/Sports — Jellyfin will treat Wrestling as a series name rather than a subfolder to scan.

Enable real-time monitoring in each library so new files synced by Watch Folder are picked up automatically without a manual refresh.

A typical library setup for a mixed-content collection:

The {type} naming token

The {type} token is available in all naming templates. It resolves to the content subfolder determined by your genre routing rules, letting you place files in the correct location as part of a single rename operation — no separate move step required.

For example, with this TV Show template:

A wrestling episode matched as genre Sport with the routing rule Sport → Sports/Wrestling would resolve to:

Without {type} in your template, files still route to the correct destination folder — but the token makes it simple to build the full path including the content subfolder in one template.

Example configurations

Movies only

If you only want Watch Folder to handle movies, add a single routing rule and use a movies template:

TV shows and movies

A typical mixed-content setup routes shows and movies to separate root folders:

Wrestling and sports

Wrestling and sports shows use date-based filenames (YYYY-MM-DD) rather than episode numbers. Watch Folder detects these automatically and applies the date-based template. Set up a Sport routing rule to land them in the right place:

The {date} token uses the date detected from the filename or TVDB air date. For a file named wwe.raw.2024.09.23.1080p.mkv, the result would be something like:

Availability

Watch Folder is available to all paid MediaForge users — both Mac App Store and direct download (DMG). It is included in all active subscriptions and lifetime licences at no extra cost. There is no free trial access to Watch Folder.