Managing Your Library
Configure library scanning, folder and file naming conventions, and manage series metadata.
The Library Page
The Library page in the sidebar is the hub for everything in your collection — comics and manga alike. A few things worth knowing:
- List / Grid toggle — the toolbar has a view switcher (icons: list and grid). The default is list view, and your choice is persisted in the URL as
?view=list|grid. - URL-persisted filters — sort order, pagination, content type (
comic/manga), progress (0,partial,100), status (Active/Paused/Ended), and search text are all reflected in the URL, so any view is linkable and shareable. - Add series — the Add button (top-right, shortcut
N) opens the Search page. - Releases and Wanted — live on their own sidebar pages and share the same table layout and filtering affordances as Library.
Library Directory
Set your root comic library path with DESTINATION_DIR. Comicarr creates series subfolders here based on your folder format. You can also configure multiple destination directories with MULTIPLE_DEST_DIRS.
Related settings:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
CREATE_FOLDERS | True | Automatically create series folders when adding. |
DELETE_REMOVE_DIR | False | Remove the folder when deleting a series. |
MAINTAINSERIESFOLDER | False | Keep folder structure even for paused series. |
Folder Format
The FOLDER_FORMAT setting controls how series directories are named. Default: $Series ($Year).
Available Tokens
| Token | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
$Series | Series name | Batman |
$Year | Start year | 2016 |
$Publisher | Publisher name | DC Comics |
$Imprint | Imprint name | Vertigo |
$Type | Series type | Annual, One-Shot |
$Annual | Annual indicator | Annual |
Example: $Publisher/$Series ($Year) produces DC Comics/Batman (2016)/.
File Format
The FILE_FORMAT setting controls how individual issue files are renamed. Default: $Series $Annual $Issue ($Year).
Available Tokens
| Token | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
$Series | Series name | Batman |
$Issue | Issue number | 001 |
$Year | Issue year | 2016 |
$Annual | Annual indicator (if applicable) | Annual |
$Monthly | Month indicator | 01 |
Example: $Series $Issue ($Year) produces Batman 001 (2016).cbz.
Naming Options
REPLACE_SPACES (default: False) -- replace spaces in filenames with a character.
REPLACE_CHAR (default: .) -- the character to use when replacing spaces.
With both enabled: Batman 001 (2016) becomes Batman.001.(2016).
ZERO_LEVEL (default: False) -- pad issue numbers with leading zeros.
ZERO_LEVEL_N (default: none) -- padding level. Options: none, 0x (2-digit), 00x (3-digit).
With ZERO_LEVEL enabled and ZERO_LEVEL_N set to 00x: issue 5 becomes 005.
LOWERCASE_FILENAMES (default: False) -- convert all filenames to lowercase.
When enabled: Batman 001 (2016).cbz becomes batman 001 (2016).cbz.
Library Scanning
Comicarr scans your library to match files on disk to known series and issues. A scan runs:
- Automatically when series metadata changes (if
SCAN_ON_SERIES_CHANGESis enabled) - Manually from Manage > Force Library Scan
Verbose logging during scans can be toggled with FOLDER_SCAN_LOG_VERBOSE.
Cover Management
Comicarr downloads cover images from ComicVine (for comics) and MyAnimeList or MangaDex (for manga) for display in the UI.
COMIC_COVER_LOCAL-- store cover images alongside comic files.COVER_FOLDER_LOCAL-- store covers in a dedicated folder within the series directory.ALTERNATE_LATEST_SERIES_COVERS-- use the latest issue cover as the series thumbnail.
To regenerate covers after a metadata refresh, use the Regenerate Covers option on the series detail page.
Series JSON Listings
Comicarr can write a series.json file into each series folder containing structured metadata.
SERIES_METADATA_LOCAL(default:False) -- enable writing series JSON files.SERIESJSON_FILE_PRIORITY(default:False) -- prefer the local JSON file over ComicVine data when both exist.
This is useful for external tools or media servers that read metadata from the filesystem.
Enable ADD_TO_CSV to maintain a CSV log of all series additions, useful for backup and migration purposes.