Watch Folders

CineRename can monitor folders in the background and auto-import any new video that appears there into the Studio. Ideal for download folders, NAS reception, or Sonarr / Radarr Inbox.

Configuration

In Settings → Watch Folders:

1. Click on Add a folder
2. Select the folder to watch (recursive by default)
3. The folder appears in the list, with an Active badge

You can pause a folder (the watcher stops but the config remains) or remove it completely.

Behavior

When a new media file (supported video extensions + subtitles) appears in an active folder:

1. The disk watcher (based on notify on the Rust side) detects the event
2. A debouncing of 1.5 s is applied — useful when a file is still being written by a downloader
3. The new paths are sent to the Studio as a normal import (equivalent to a drag-and-drop)
4. If Auto Mode is active, the full pipeline (renaming + subtitles + moving) triggers on its own
5. A status notification confirms: "3 new file(s) detected in 'Downloads' — imported to Studio."

Alternative for Headless Servers (NAS)

For continuous monitoring on a NAS without a graphical interface (GUI), the desktop app's watcher is not suitable.

The official solution is to use the CineRename CLI coupled with a Cron task:

1. Connect via SSH to your NAS.
2. Edit the cron file: crontab -e
3. Add a line to check the folder every 5 minutes:

   */5 * * * * /usr/local/bin/cinerename auto /mnt/Downloads --to /mnt/Library --quiet

This method is much more robust for 24/7 servers, as it silently and autonomously launches processing at regular intervals. See Command Line (CLI) for more details.

Limitations

• The watcher only runs when the desktop app is open. If you close the window, the monitoring stops. For 24/7, see the Cron method above.
• Rename events (internal mv) are detected but trigger an import — if you manually rename an already imported file, expect a second import. The duplicate detector catches these cases.
• The watch does not extract archives — a .zip that appears is not decompressed automatically. Import it manually.

Recommendations

• For a download folder: combine with Auto Mode and a target (/Plex/Series) — 100% hands-free pipeline.
• For a shared NAS folder: let the main machine do the monitoring with the GUI open (or use the CLI on the NAS, which is more robust).
• To avoid premature imports: configure your downloader to use a temporary folder (.partial, _incomplete) and a separate final folder, and only watch the final one.