Title formatting

Updated - 15-November-2023

Title formatting general rules

The way in which media content is released to the public is constantly evolving; some of our title types though relevant at the time are no longer applicable to some of the titles released today. This is an area we will look to address once we have completed the migration to move all areas on the site from our existing infrastructure. Until we can define these titles appropriately within our systems please use the existing title type that most applies to the title in question. Please note that IMDb reserves the right to amend any titles where we feel that another title type is more applicable to the title in question.
If a standalone title is first released via a subscription-based streaming OTT service it should be submitted as a movie, for example,Roma (2018).If the title follows an episodic structure please submit the title as a TV-series, for example,"Stranger Things" (2016).
We use theoriginal titleof a movie/show in itsoriginal languageas it appearson screen (on the title card) in the opening credits. So all alternative titles found on posters, DVD boxes, reference books, trailers, websites, re-releases, etc. are irrelevant. They doNOTdefine what the primary title should look like. All titles must include the year of first public screening enclosed in ()'s as explained further below.

Title types/formats

All titles are assumed to be theatrical movies unless indicated otherwise as follows:

TV-series and mini-series
"Title" (year)i.e."Mad Men" (2007)
Please submit asMade for TV
Anthology series
An anthology series will often havedifferent seasonswithdifferent titleswhich coverdifferent subject matterandmayhave different cast. Usually IMDb policy is to list the 'series title'as the title under which the first episode of the first season airs, however to better represent the content for our audience, we may make exceptions to this policy in the case of an anthology series.

If a series is announced to have more than one season with different titles we will list the original title as the core part of the series title(eg. a word or phrase which ties each season together).Each season title can them be stored as anAKAwith the appropriate attribute(eg. first season title, second season title, etc.)

For example:The seriesAmerican Crime Story (2016)originally aired and was displayed under the title "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story ".When the second season was announced titled "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story",the Primary title was changed to"American Crime Story"to best fit the overall series, with the season titles as AKAs.

This way the anthology series is more accurately represented on IMDb for users, as opposed to listing the primary title as "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"when later seasons tell different stories, with different titles.

Please note that this anthology series policy is an exception to IMDb’s general rules and will be applied with editorial discretion.

Made for TV Movies and TV Specials
Title (year) (TV)i.e.The Oscars (2015) (TV)
Please submit asMade for TV
Made for Video Movies
Title (year) (V)i.e.Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996) (V)
Please submit asMade for Video
Video Games
Title (year) (VG)i.e.Tomb Raider (1996) (VG)
Please submit asVideo Game
Episodic Video Games
Episodic Videogames, such as those developed byTelltale Games,do not fit neatly into any of our existing title types.
In order to avoid duplication of credits we would prefer to list the collected episodes of a season as a single titlei.e.The Walking Dead: The Game - Season 1.
Individual episode titles should be submitted as Alternate Titles with the attribute (videogame episode) to distinguish them.
For example - The Walking Dead: The Game - Season 1 would have akas of 'The Walking Dead: The Game - Season 1. Episode 1: A New Day', 'The Walking Dead: The Game? Season 1. Episode 2: Starved for Help' etc
Individual release dates of these episodes should be listed in a similar fashion, again distinguishing between them with attribute for each episode - in this case (videogame episode 1), (videogame episode 2) etc.
Video Game Expansion Packs
Video Game Expansion packs should be treated in one of two ways depending on their original release. If the expansion pack requires the original game in order to play the additional content then it should be considered as part of the existing Video Game title. In these cases the title AKA (expansion title) should be added to the existing title page i.e. "Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker" onMass Effect 2 (2010) (VG)
If the expansion pack can be played without owning the original game then it should be added as a standalone Video Game title.
Online Standalone Video
Title (year) (V)i.e.Jerry O'Connell Plagiarizes Shia LaBeouf with #IAMSORRYTOO (2014) (V)
Please submit asMade for Video
A link should be submitted in the Video Clips section under Links to Other Sites with the descriptionWebsiteName - Full video.
Web Series
"Series Title" (year)i.e."The Walking Dead: Webisodes" (2011)
Please submit asMade for TV: TV Series
Please add the keyword:web-series
A link to the playlist/channel should be added to the Video clips section under Links to Other Sites
The web series should be listed as a standalone TV series even if it is a spin-off of an existing series, for example"The Walking Dead: Webisodes" (2011)
In this case please submit a movie connection forspin off fromthe original series with an explanation i.e.character xy got their own series
Music Video
Artist/Band: Title (year) (Music Video)i.e.Justin Bieber: Ghost (2021) (Music Video)
A link should be submitted in the Video Clips section under Links to Other Sites with the descriptionWebsiteName - Full video.
An artist is playing a character in a music video as they are performing, andshould notbe listed as Self which should be reserved for talk show appearances, documentaries etc. To reflect this the artist should be added with the character name as their own name, i.e.Ellie Goulding,unless playing a clearly defined character/s in the video i.e. Taylor Swift in the videoYou Belong with Mewho is listed asPopular Cheerleader/Studious Bandmember.
In cases where the artist doesn't appear in the video then the artist should be listed as above but with the attributevoice.If the entirety of the video is compiled of footage from a film then the cast should be listed asarchive footage.
The songwriter is eligible for acomposercredit and the lyricist should be credited in the music department aslyricist.
Virtual/Augmented Reality Experiences
Virtual and Augmented Reality experiences can be listed on IMDb in a number of ways, dependent on the participation of the user within the content of the title. If a user is merely a spectator to the events, then these titles should typically be considered as VR/AR Movies. In these cases, please submit asMovie,with the keywordvr-movieorar-movie.If a user plays an active role in advancing or tailoring the narrative through their actions or is otherwise participating in challenges, then these titles should typically be considered as VR/AR Video Games. In these cases, please submit asVideo Gamewith the keywordvr-video-gameorar-video-game.
Online Channels
Online channels should be listed in the way that best represents the content. If the channel is made up of a combination of individual videos and ongoing features please add the titles as standalone videos and separate TV series following the above guidelines in order to accurately reflect the running order of each feature and display clearly on a name page i.e.Anthony Padilla.On the occasions where the channel is made up of purely episodic content with no separate features then it may make the most sense to list the entire channel as a TV series. If you are unsure then please add the titles as individual standalone videos and separate TV series.
A link to the video should be added to the Video Clips section under Links to Other Sites on the title and a link to the channel should be added to the Official Sites section under Links to Other Sites on the name page of the star. If the channel name is an alias of the star then it should also be added as a nickname to the name page.
DVD Extras
Name of Movie/Series and season: title of feature (year) (V)i.e.NCIS: Season 11 - NCIS in New Orleans (2014) (V)
Please submit asMade for Video
Please add the keyword:dvd-extra
Apps
Title (Year) (VG)i.e.Angry Birds (2009) (VG)
Please submit asVideo Game
Please add the keyword:app
Commercials
Brand: Title of advert if known (year) (V)i.e.Chanel N°5: The One That I Want (2014) (V)
Please submit asMade for Video
Please add the keywords:commercial,the brand i.e.chanel-no.-5
Connections -followsfor ongoing commercial series
Podcasts (Audio & Video)
"Title" (year) (Podcast series)i.e."The Joe Rogan Experience" (2009) (Podcast Series)
Please submit asPodcast seriesvia the new title form
If audio onlythen please also add the keyword "audio-only "
A link to somewhere the podcast can be watched or listened to should be submitted in the Miscellaneous Link section, with the descriptionWebsiteName - Full audio,orWebsiteName - Full video,as appropriate.
One Series or Two?
On occasion some titles warrant a second series listing though this is subjective and each case has to be judged on its own merits i.eArrested Development(one),24and24: Live Another Day(two) etc. Here are some of the criteria to consider when trying to define whether a series should be listed as one or two titles: the length of time that has passed between the seasons, significant changes to the credits including production details, how the series is marketed when released and perceived by the public and if there were any changes to the primary title. If you are uncertain how to categorize a title (series, TV movie, theatrical, etc.), please seethisguide.
Sporting Events

Olympic coverage

Mini-Series

London 2012 Olympics

Independent sporting mini-events

Mini-Series

2010 FIFA World Cup

One off events

TV Special

UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya

Serials

A serial is a film released in parts or chapters and should be listed as a standalone feature film title with the keywordserial.They are generally screened one chapter each week at a cinema where the story structure has each chapter ending with a cliffhanger to entice the audience to watch the following chapter when released. For example,Flash Gordon (1936).

Years and roman numerals

IMDb does not allow title years from before the title type existed.
The year in ()'s should be the year of first public screening of the title. For TV- series this is the broadcast year of the first episode/pilot. For movie titles this year is either the year of general release or of a festival presentation if earlier (note that closed screenings for the crew or the media/buyers/sellers or test screenings of the unfinished product for marketing reasons do not count as public screenings). Please note that there are occasional exceptions to this rule. If a film is never completed, or is completed but never released, it can be more representative to list the year the film was produced so as to more accurately reflect the title on the associated cast and crew name pages. See for exampleThe Day The Clown Cried(1972) orKaleidoscope(1967) orL’enfer(1964).
Please note that we do usuallyNOTcreate separate new titles for each season of a TV-show so the year used is the year the show first aired.
If two films have the same title in the same year we add a "/" followed by roman numerals after the year as necessary. For example,Twilight (2008/I)andTwilight (2008/II).

Capitalization and character sets

When adding the title text (either theprimaryoralternative), it should follow these rules on capitalization:

They should not consist of only capitalized letters, even if the title on-screen is fully capitalized. The exception to this rule is if the name itself is an acronym(e.g.R.I.P.D).
In English titles, most prepositions and conjunctions (of, and, in, for, etc.) should not be capitalized unless they are the first or last word or immediately follow a colon, em dash, or end punctuation.
For English, Portuguese, Hebrew, Indian languages - these should all have capital letters at the start of words, with a few exceptions:

Englishlanguage words whichmustbegin with a lower-case letter (unless at the end of a title) are:a an and as at by for from in of on or the to with.
French,Italian,Spanish,Scandinavian languages,Hungarian,Dutch,Slovenian,Serbian,Croatian,Russian,Japanese,Mandarin,Cantonese,Greek:
All lower-case letters at the start of words, except first word plus some exceptions (names etc.).
German:Mixed
The character set of all primary titles isISO-LATIN-1.Original titles using other character sets (ISO-LATIN-2, Chinese pictograms, Cyrillic letters etc.) must be transliterated to ISO-LATIN-1. If you are unsure about the rules to follow check examples from the same country to see how it's done. For titles in Russian, there is a specialguideavailable.

Possessives

One exception to the "as it appears on screen" rule: Author or filmmaker possessives such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, Disney's The Kid, or Andy Warhol's Flesh are used only in alternate titles with the attribute (complete title) unless it is a part of the joke i.e. Jane Austen's Mafia! or Monty Python's Flying Circus. Note that by the time The Meaning of Life and Life of Brian were released the group had adopted the name "Monty Python" qualifying both as possessives. However, in certain cases, where the possessive helps to identify an otherwise ambiguous title, we will allow the possessive title to be added as the (imdb display title) as opposed to the otherwise (complete title). This should only be submitted as the (imdb display title) if the possessive title is how the title is commonly referred to in that specific country.

Subtitles

Subtitles are separated from the main title with a colon for English titles and a '-' for German titlesIFthe title on the 'film' uses no separator. Other languages are not (yet) standardized. If the title on the 'film' already uses a separator it is used.
A subtitle can be identified by either appearing on a separate screen from the main title, or being in a significantly smaller font.
When there are 2 or more subtitles following each other use alternatively:and-unless the title card has its own.

(Film) series titles

For titles in a series (not regular TV series), particularly for short films, only the title of the individual episode is to be used as the main title if the series title is on previous title cards. If series and episode title are on the same card, the primary title is the full title on that card.
Primary titles that do not include the series (by the above rule) should be submitted with alternate titles that do include the series. The alternate title should be the episode title, separated by a colon from the series title, and should include a "series title" attribute. Episode numbers should be included in primary titles only if the number appears on the (last) title card. If the episode number is implied at the end, it can go to an alternate title.

Modifiers

Certain type modifiers are controlled by genres or keywords. The "Short" and "Documentary" modifiers are taken directly from the relevantgenres.In addition, thekeywordstv-mini-series and tv-special cause different display of what would otherwise be a TV series or TV movie.

Examples

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