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How to Migrate a Plex Library to Jellyfin Without Losing Watch History

Jellyfin has no direct Plex database import, but a third-party tool can transfer supported watched status and playback progress. Back up first, map users, review a dry run, and verify matches.

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You can move watched status and supported playback progress from Plex to Jellyfin with a third-party tool that connects to both servers; Jellyfin does not provide a direct Plex database import. First make the media available in Jellyfin, then map the Plex user to the intended Jellyfin user, review the tool’s dry run, and only then apply the transfer. Keep a separate backup: this process should not be treated as a guarantee that every piece of Plex history or metadata will carry over.

What can move from Plex to Jellyfin?

Jellyfin’s migration documentation says its internal databases “cannot be copied or adjusted easily” and directs users to third-party scripts for copying watched status and users from Plex. One such project, plex-to-jellyfin, lists transfer of watched and unwatched states as well as partially watched playback position.

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That is a transfer of supported state, not a full clone of a Plex account or library. The project’s stated capabilities do not establish that it transfers every rating, playlist, artwork item, Plex Home or managed-user setup, or a complete event-by-event viewing log. Treat the tool as an option whose matches and supported fields need review, not as a promise that no information will be lost.

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Prepare the servers and protect your data

Keep a separate backup

Before making changes, preserve the source. Plex documents a database location and a SQLite export of metadata_item_settings for moving view state and ratings between Plex installations. That procedure is a Plex-to-Plex preservation reference, not a method for importing Plex database records into Jellyfin. Plex’s documentation says the Plex Media Server should not be actively running on the source or destination during that export operation. Its database instructions were last modified March 14, 2020, so check them against the Plex version you have installed.

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Confirm Jellyfin can access the media

Make sure the files are visible to Jellyfin before transferring watch state. For the Linux-to-Docker migration case covered by Jellyfin documentation, paths inside the container must exactly match the configured file paths. This is a deployment-specific requirement, not a universal path rule for every Jellyfin installation. Matching paths may also help the transfer tool match items, but they do not replace checking the result.

Transfer watch state with a dry run first

  1. Choose the source and destination users. In the transfer tool, select the Plex user whose state you want to move and the Jellyfin user who should receive it. The project describes both command-line and web UI operation and lets you select Plex libraries.
  2. Run the dry run. Review the proposed item matches before allowing changes to be written. The project offers dry-run mode for this purpose.
  3. Resolve uncertain matches. The tool’s stated matching order is external provider ID (IMDb, TMDb, or TVDb), then file path, then approximate title. Approximate title is the less reliable fallback. Check titles with alternate editions or unusual metadata rather than assuming that similar names mean the same file or release.
  4. Apply the transfer. Once the planned matches look right, run the transfer for the selected library and user.
  5. Spot-check the destination. Check a few movies and episodes, at least one partially watched title, and any item whose match was ambiguous. Confirm the state on the intended Jellyfin user, not only that the media appears in the library.

The project documentation does not publish a measured success rate or a guarantee for every library, so a reviewed dry run and representative checks matter more than assuming the match process is error-free.

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How this differs from Plex’s watch-state sync

Plex’s account-level “Sync Watch State and Ratings” feature is not a way to transfer history into Jellyfin. It syncs current watched state and ratings with Plex servers and services under that account feature. Plex distinguishes the current watched or unwatched value from the ongoing log of changes called watch history. Its sync does not include partial or in-progress playback information. When a user first opts in, Plex uploads a current state record for previously watched or rated titles; it does not recreate every viewing event from before opt-in.

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Approach Destination and purpose Partial progress User or item handling Review before writing
plex-to-jellyfin third-party tool Transfers supported state from Plex to Jellyfin Listed as supported, including playback position Maps a target Plex user to a target Jellyfin user; matches by provider ID, path, then approximate title Dry-run mode is available
Plex “Sync Watch State and Ratings” Syncs current state and ratings with Plex account-connected services, not a Jellyfin import Partial/in-progress information is not synced Syncs current state; initial opt-in does not recreate the earlier viewing-event log Not stated in the cited Plex feature documentation
Plex SQLite export Preserves view-state and ratings data for transfer between Plex installations Not stated in the cited Plex database instructions Exports metadata_item_settings; not documented as a Jellyfin import Not stated in the cited Plex database instructions

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