SIMKL Sync Issue: Episodes imported as "S01E01" in Title field, failing TMDB resolution

[alexbaril1410-stack]

Hello,

I am having an issue with the SIMKL adapter when syncing my history to CrossWatch.

Problem: Simkl sends the episode code (e.g., S01E01, S01E02) directly into the Title field instead of the Show Title.

Data provided: The adapter correctly receives the tmdbID for the Show, but since the Title field only contains the episode string, CrossWatch fails to resolve the specific episode on TMDB.

Context: This was working fine in previous versions, but now these entries are stuck as "Unresolved" in my .cw_state files.

The Show ID is correct (e.g., TMDB 100088), but the lack of an Episode ID or a proper Show Title in the payload seems to break the mapping.

Is there a way to force CrossWatch to prioritize the Show ID and parse the "SxxExx" string to find the episode, as it seems Simkl does not provide individual Episode IDs?

Thanks for your help!

[cenodude]

Hi,

How does your pairs currently look? Like SIMKL to TMDB or are you doing SIMKL to Crosswatch tracker to TMDB?

also sent me the files in your .cw_state for that specific providers please.

[alexbaril1410-stack]

Salut,

À quoi ressemblent vos paires actuellement ? Par exemple, SIMKL vers TMDB ou utilisez-vous SIMKL vers Crosswatch Tracker vers TMDB ?

Veuillez également m'envoyer les fichiers dans votre .cw_state pour ce fournisseur spécifique.

Hello, This is a history synchronization between Simkl and Plex. Here are the files involved. Thank you very much for your help.

simkl.watermarks.one-way_SIMKL_default-PLEX_default_pair_fd0563871c0a.json
simkl.history.cache.one-way_SIMKL_default-PLEX_default_pair_fd0563871c0a.json
simkl.activities.shadow.health_SIMKL_default.json
plex_history.unresolved.pending.one-way_SIMKL_default-PLEX_default_pair_fd0563871c0a.json
plex_history.unresolved.one-way_SIMKL_default-PLEX_default_pair_fd0563871c0a.json
plex_history.plex-simkl.blackbox.json
plex_history.one-way_SIMKL_default-PLEX_default_pair_fd0563871c0a.flap.json
plex_history.marked_watched.one-way_SIMKL_default-PLEX_default_pair_fd0563871c0a.json
plex_history.guid_index.one-way_SIMKL_default-PLEX_default_pair_fd0563871c0a.json

[cenodude]

Hi,

I’m a bit confused by the logs you sent compared to the problem description.

1. Are you trying to sync watch history from SIMKL to Plex?
2. If so, can you confirm that the items you want to sync from SIMKL to Plex are actually present in your Plex library?
3. if question 2 = yes... then also be sure that you have whitelisted the correct libraries in CrossWatch

The reason I’m asking is that the logs show it can’t find the shows, which also means it can’t find the related episodes. Some movies, around 100, are also not being resolved either. That gives me the impression that these items may simply not exist in your Plex libraries.

The Plex adapter and SIMKL as well, do not use the episode title for matching at all. That title is only used internally by CrossWatch.
The flow is: it finds the show based on the ID, then uses the numeric season and episode numbers to identify the exact episode.

Thank you.

[alexbaril1410-stack]

Actually, the episodes are not in my Plex library.
In previous versions, I was able to sync my SIMKL history through CrossWatch even for shows I don't own locally (they were simply marked as watched on the other providers).
Currently, this 'virtual' sync still works perfectly for movies that are not in my library, but it fails for shows.
It seems that for series, CrossWatch now requires the files to be present in Plex to validate the sync, whereas it didn't before. Has the behavior for 'non-local' items changed specifically for TV shows?

[cenodude]

I’m not even sure we are talking about the same thing anymore.

You can sync from tracker to tracker, for example SIMKL to Trakt, that is not an issue. But syncing from a tracker to a media server, such as Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, and so on, always requires the items to actually exist in your library.

What exactly do you mean by syncing your SIMKL history through CrossWatch?
Do you mean syncing it to the CrossWatch internal tracker, or syncing it through the Plex adapter? There is a major difference between those two.

Perhaps make a screenshot of your pairs so i can have a look of what you actually have configured.

[alexbaril1410-stack]

[alexbaril1410-stack]

Here are my pairs Le mar. 12 mai 2026 à 00:43, Pascal van den Berg ***@***.***> a écrit :

…

I’m not even sure we are talking about the same thing anymore. You can sync from tracker to tracker, for example SIMKL to Trakt, that is not an issue. But syncing from a tracker to a media server, such as Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, and so on, always requires the items to actually exist in your library. What exactly do you mean by syncing your SIMKL history through CrossWatch? Do you mean syncing it to the CrossWatch internal tracker, or syncing it through the Plex adapter? There is a major difference between those two. Perhaps make a screenshot of your pairs so i can have a look of what you actually have configured. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#236 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/CCBZUVHMOAYPRK2Z5CVLNPL42JQRFAVCNFSM6AAAAACYO54ZF2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMOBYGU3DKNY> . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[alexbaril1410-stack]

It's good ?

[cenodude]

This is a two-way sync, the logs you send me was a one-way sync. Did you adjusted the pair?

so lets try the following:

1. basically first be sure that one-way is working, so change two-way to one-way (PLEX to SIMKL)

2. enable debug: go to settings - settings overview - maintenance and enable debug as in the screenshot:

3. Now lets clear up the current environment. go to settings - maintenance and click the red button

Now try to sync again, and give me the results please as shown below... so copy/paste the full sync output here.

[alexbaril1410-stack]

[i] Triggered sync run 1779298084
SYNC start: orchestrator pairs run_id=1779298084
[i] Orchestrator module: /app/cw_platform/orchestrator/init.py
{"event":"debug","msg":"run.kwargs.ignored","keys":["use_snapshot"]}
{"event":"health","provider":"PLEX","instance":"default","status":"ok","ok":true,"latency_ms":519,"details":{"account":true,"pms":true,"disabled":["playlists"]},"features":{"watchlist":true,"history":true,"ratings":true,"playlists":false,"progress":true},"api":{"discover":{"status":200,"retry_after":null,"rate":{"limit":null,"remaining":null,"reset":null}},"pms":{"status":200}}}
{"event":"api:hit","provider":"PLEX","endpoint":"health:discover","status":200}
{"event":"api:hit","provider":"PLEX","endpoint":"health:pms","status":200}
{"event":"health","provider":"SIMKL","instance":"default","status":"ok","ok":true,"latency_ms":82,"details":null,"features":{"watchlist":true,"ratings":true,"history":true,"playlists":false},"api":{"activities":{"status":200,"retry_after":null,"rate":{"limit":null,"remaining":null,"reset":null}}}}
{"event":"api:hit","provider":"SIMKL","endpoint":"health:activities","status":200}
{"event":"run:start","dry_run":false,"mode":"v3"}
{"event":"run:pair","i":1,"n":1,"src":"SIMKL","dst":"PLEX","src_instance":"default","dst_instance":"default","mode":"one-way","features":["history"]}
{"event":"feature:start","src":"SIMKL","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history"}
{"event":"debug","msg":"snapshot","provider":"SIMKL","feature":"history","count":1675,"raw_count":1675}
{"event":"snapshot:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":0,"total":38}
{"event":"snapshot:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":38,"total":38}
{"event":"snapshot:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":38,"final":true,"total":14,"ok":true}
{"event":"debug","msg":"snapshot","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":14,"raw_count":14}
{"event":"debug","msg":"blocked.counts","feature":"history","dst":"PLEX","pair":"PLEX-SIMKL","blocked_global_tomb":0,"blocked_pair_tomb":0,"blocked_unresolved":0,"blocked_blackbox":0,"blocked_total":0}
{"event":"one:plan","src":"SIMKL","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","adds":1669,"removes":0,"updates":0,"src_count":1675,"dst_count":14}
{"event":"apply:add:start","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":1669}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":100,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":200,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":300,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":400,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":500,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":600,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":700,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":800,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":900,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":1000,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":1100,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":1200,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":1300,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":1400,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":1500,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":100}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":1600,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:unresolved","provider":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":69}
{"event":"apply:add:progress","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","done":1669,"total":1669,"ok":true}
{"event":"apply:add:done","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":0,"attempted":1669,"added":0,"skipped":0,"skipped_exact":0,"skipped_inferred":0,"skip_basis":"mixed","unresolved":1669,"errors":0}
{"event":"feature:done","src":"SIMKL","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history"}
{"event":"stats:overview","overview":{"now":0,"unresolved":1669}}
{"event":"debug","msg":"state.persisted","providers":10,"wall":2}
{"event":"api:totals","totals":{"total":3,"providers":{"PLEX":{"total":2,"by_endpoint":{"health:discover":1,"health:pms":1},"by_feature":{},"by_method":{},"by_status":{"200":2,"2xx":2},"latency_ms_avg":null,"latency_ms_samples":0},"SIMKL":{"total":1,"by_endpoint":{"health:activities":1},"by_feature":{},"by_method":{},"by_status":{"200":1,"2xx":1},"latency_ms_avg":null,"latency_ms_samples":0}}}}
{"event":"run:done","updated":0,"added":0,"added_provider_reported":0,"removed":0,"skipped":0,"skipped_exact":0,"skipped_inferred":0,"attempted_add_duplicate_keys":0,"unresolved":1669,"errors":0,"pairs":1,"mode":"v3"}
{"event":"debug","msg":"state.persisted","providers":2,"wall":0}
{"event":"debug","msg":"hidefile.cleared","feature":"watchlist","scope":"end-of-run"}
{"event":"http:overview","window_hours":24,"data":{}}
{"event":"stats:overview","overview":{}}
[i] Done. Total added: 0, Total removed: 0, Total updated: 0, Total skipped: 0, Total unresolved: 1669, Total errors: 0, Total blocked: 0
[SYNC] exit code: 0

[cenodude]

Based on the sync output i now see a sync pair thats trying to sync from SIMKL to plex (one way)

{"event":"run:pair",**"src":"SIMKL**","**dst":"PLEX**","**mode":"one-way**","features":["history"]}
{"event":"feature:start","src":"SIMKL","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history"}
{"event":"one:plan","src":"SIMKL","dst":"PLEX","adds":1669,...}
{"event":"apply:add:start","dst":"PLEX","feature":"history","count":1669}

So what happends is CrossWatch is reading 1675 SIMKL history items, comparing against only 14 Plex history items, then trying to add 1669 items into your Plex server that just doesnt exist so you get: not_in_library: Meaning Plex icannot resolve those SIMKL items to Plex library rating keys...

From my perspective, this makes perfect sense and is expected behavior. You cannot sync items from SIMKL to Plex if those items do not exist in Plex, that is simply how it works. Normally, unresolved items should disappear after a few syncs because they get blacklisted. So perhaps in previous versions of CrossWatch this was just not visible to you, but I can assure you that the same behavior was already there.

However.......if you were trying to sync from Plex to SIMKL (so the other way around) then something is wrong with the pair. And in that case, remove the pair and create it again as PLEX to SIMKL, one way.

[alexbaril1410-stack]

I understand better now; it's because I don't have these Movies or TV Shows in my PLEX library. What I don't understand is that I recently changed my NAS. On my previous server, I had also installed Crosswatch with a Simkl-to-Plex sync, and all the movies and series were added to my watch history even though they weren't present in my library. And that was perfect, because my idea is to use Plex as my main tracker and use Simkl for its automatic sync feature with Netflix and Crunchyroll, so Crosswatch could push the Simkl history (Netflix+Crunchyroll) back up to Plex. But since I reinstalled Crosswatch on my new server, it doesn't work anymore.