CodeEra Docs
MovieEra

TMDB API Configuration

Connect to The Movie Database API for automatic content import and metadata

Free API Access:

TMDB provides a free API for personal and commercial use. Register at themoviedb.org to get your API key.

Getting Your API Key

Create TMDB Account

  1. 1. Visit themoviedb.org
  2. 2. Create a free account
  3. 3. Verify your email address
  4. 4. Log in to your account

Request API Access

  1. 1. Go to Settings → API in your TMDB account
  2. 2. Click "Create API Key"
  3. 3. Choose "Developer" option
  4. 4. Fill out the application form:
    • • Application name: Your MovieEra site
    • • Application URL: Your domain
    • • Application summary: Movie streaming platform
  5. 5. Accept the terms and submit
  6. 6. Copy your API key (v3 auth)

Configuration in MovieEra

Admin Panel Setup

Configure TMDB settings through the admin panel:

  1. 1. Login to your MovieEra admin panel
  2. 2. Navigate to TMDB Importer → Settings
  3. 3. Enter your TMDB API key
  4. 4. Configure additional settings
  5. 5. Test the API connection
  6. 6. Save your settings

Environment Variable

Alternatively, add your API key to the .env file:

TMDB_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Available Settings

Language & Region

  • Language: Content language (en-US, es-ES, etc.)
  • Auto Import Genres: Automatically import genre data
  • Max Results: Limit search results (default: 200)

Content Options

  • Upload Posters: Download and store images locally
  • Auto Publish: Automatically publish imported content
  • Import Cast: Include cast and crew information
  • Import Trailers: Include trailer videos

Performance

  • Request Delay: Delay between API calls (default: 1000ms)
  • Timeout: Request timeout (default: 30s)
  • Retry Attempts: Failed request retries (default: 3)

Image Sizes

  • Posters: w500 (default), up to original
  • Backdrops: w1280 (default)
  • Profiles: w185 (default)
  • Stills: w300 (default)

Rate Limits & Best Practices

TMDB Rate Limits

  • • 40 requests per 10 seconds for authenticated requests
  • • MovieEra includes automatic rate limiting
  • • Default 1000ms delay between requests
  • • Automatic retry on failed requests

Best Practices

  • • Import content during off-peak hours
  • • Use bulk import for large collections
  • • Monitor the import dashboard for errors
  • • Keep your API key secure and private
  • • Don't share your API key publicly

Testing Your Configuration

API Connection Test

MovieEra includes built-in API testing:

  1. 1. Go to TMDB Importer → Settings
  2. 2. Enter your API key
  3. 3. The system will automatically test the connection
  4. 4. Look for the API status indicator
  5. 5. Green = Connected, Red = Error
API Connected

Ready to import content

Connection Failed

Check API key and internet

Troubleshooting

Invalid API Key

  • • Verify you're using the v3 API key (not v4)
  • • Check for extra spaces or characters
  • • Ensure your TMDB account is verified

Rate Limit Exceeded

  • • Increase delay time in settings
  • • Import smaller batches of content
  • • Wait a few minutes before retrying

Connection Timeout

  • • Check your server's internet connection
  • • Verify firewall allows HTTPS requests
  • • Increase timeout value in settings

Start Importing Content

With TMDB API configured, you're ready to import movies and TV shows to your platform.

Learn How to Import Content