IMDb Data Top Frequently Asked Questions

This page includes answers to the most common feedback, complaints and frequently asked questions about IMDb information. Please read these notes carefully before contacting us: due to the volume of help requests we receive we can't respond to questions or complaints that are already addressed here. Helpdesk requests about one of these issues will be deleted with no reply, sorry.

  • I have found an error/omission in one of your pages. How do I fix it?
    Every name/title page on the site features an 'Update' (or 'Edit Info') button at the bottom of the page. You can click on the button and follow the on-screen instructions to add missing data or submit corrections to existing information. This will ensure the data is formatted correctly so it can be routed automatically to the correct department and name/title.

  • Can you add/fix this for me?
    Sorry, but due to the high volume of submissions, only properly formatted data submitted through our submissions interface can be accepted. Please refer to the question above for details on how you can submit a correction directly through the site.

  • How do I add myself or my missing credits to the database?
    First of all, please read our Credit Eligibility Rules to make sure your credits qualify for inclusion. Then you can refer to our extensive guide to updating your own credits for detailed instructions on how to submit your credits to the database.

  • How can I add a new film?
    Everything you need to know to submit a new title for inclusion in the Internet Movie Database is thoroughly documented here.

  • You have 2 listings for the same person. Can they be merged?
    Sometimes we may have two separate listings for the same person. To submit a correction, you should use the 'Name Correction' option to correct the name of one person to the name of the second. For example, if you know that the pages for John Smith (I) and John Smith (II) refer to the same person, you would go to the page for John Smith (II), click on the Update/Edit Info button at the bottom of the page, select the 'Name Correction' option and change his name to John Smith (I). This will result in a merge of the two names. Please remember that we list filmographies/people under their most commonly and/or recently credited name. For more details about how this name is selected, please see this page.

  • Some of the credits listed on a person's page belong to someone else. Can you delete them?
    Just because a credit is incorrectly listed on someone's page doesn't mean that it has to be deleted. Sometimes, especially when two or more people have similar or identical names, correct credits can be associated to the wrong person. If this is the case, please identify all the credits that belong to one of them so that we may move the incorrect ones to the other person(s). Please make sure you identify all the credits by their full title, not their number/position on a filmography page (numbers are subject to change due to internal reordering).

  • One of my credits used to be listed but is now missing. What happened to it?
    Please remember that all information submitted to the IMDb is routinely checked and is always subject to change. Unfortunately, due to the extremely high volume of updates, we are unable to look into specific instances of deleted/changed data. Please refer to this page for details on how and why credits may temporarily or permanently be removed from our pages.

  • How can I be sure to be the only one allowed to submit updates to my credits or my film?
    As stated above, we welcome additions and corrections. However, in order to be as comprehensive and current as possible, we are sorry but we cannot restrict updates for a specific title or person to a single source, especially until we are sure we have all the relevant credits or info. For titles, we are usually able to mark a listing as 'complete/verified' once we are able to verify that we have complete cast/crew details and that it matches on-screen credits. This helps prevent future accidental addition or changes to the data. If you want to ensure that the credits are accurate and complete, the best thing to do is to submit them yourself. If you have spotted inaccurate or incomplete information, please let us know (via the 'Update' button on the relevant page) and we'll do our best to address the problem.

  • Why haven't my updates been added yet?
    Data updates may take a few weeks to show up on the site. For updates and details on our current processing status (i.e. backlogs/delays), please also our Processing Times page. We regret that our helpdesk staff is unable to edit/add more details to pending submissions on behalf of our users. If you submitted a new title and our editors were unable to accept it or request more information from you, you will receive an email notice from our editors. Please refer to our Title Status page for detailed information on how to determine the status of a title submission and how to eventually resubmit it or provide additional data through our web-based forms. If you submitted any other type of data and it hasn't shown up on the site after 4 weeks, it means our editors have probably rejected it. Please refer to this page for more information.

  • I have a question not covered here. Where can I find more information?
    Please refer to our Adding Data Help Section for additional questions and answers.

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