Configuration

Plex does not consistently apply casing to XML settings and are frequently mis-spelled or inconsistently spelled. Order does not matter (Plex initially only stores non-default values until it is set once, then the setting is always stored, last changed setting last).

Options here reflect file analysis.

Preferences.xml

0755 {USER}:{USER}

<!-- An empty preferences file will be auto-populated on service start. -->
<!-- All preferences are stored in the Preferences element. -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Preferences />

General

FriendlyName

Server Friendly name.

Variable	Type	Default
FriendlyName	str	''

sendCrashReports

Send crash reports to Plex?

Variable	Type	Default
sendCrashReports	bool	false

PushNotificationsEnabled

Enable Push Notifications? Allow this server to send push notifications to mobile devices. Push notifications are delivered using Plex services. They're associated with your account, and some of them may contain information about the contents of your library.

Variable	Type	Default
PushNotificationsEnabled	bool	false

logDebug

Enable Plex Media Server debug logging? Debug logging enables additional detail in the log files and is helpful in diagnosing problems.

Variable	Type	Default
logDebug	bool	false

LogVerbose

Enable Plex Media Server verbose logging? Verbose logging is only useful to debug specific issues and should only be enabled if requested by support staff.

Variable	Type	Default
LogVerbose	bool	false

ButlerUpdateChannel

Server update channel. Does not circumvent entitlement (PlexPass) early previews.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
ButlerUpdateChannel	int	0	0: Stable (public).
			8: Beta.

Remote Access

PublishServerOnPlexOnlineKey

Enable Remote Access? Publishing a server on Plex Online makes it automatically available on your client devices without any configuration of your router.

Variable	Type	Default
PublishServerOnPlexOnlineKey	bool	false

ManualPortMappingMode

Enable manual port specification? You may need to enable this to establish a direct connection from outside your network. You may also need to configure your router.

Variable	Type	Default
ManualPortMappingMode	bool	false

AuthenticationMethod

Manul Port to Use.

Variable	Type	Default
AuthenticationMethod	int	32400

AuthenticationRequired

Internet upload speed (Kbps). Overall upload limit for all streams. WebUI uses Mbps and should be converted accordingly.

Variable	Type	Default
AuthenticationRequired	int	0

WanPerStreamMaxUploadRate

Limit remote stream bitrate (Kbps). Set the maximum bitrate of a single remote stream from this server.

Variable	Type	Default
WanPerStreamMaxUploadRate	int	0 (Original - no limit).

Library

FSEventLibraryUpdatesEnabled

Scan my library automatically? Your library will be updated automatically when changes to library folders are detected. Uses iNotify and will not work on network mounted filesystems.

Variable	Type	Default
FSEventLibraryUpdatesEnabled	bool	false

FSEventLibraryPartialScanEnabled

Run a partial scan when changes are detected? When changes to library folders are detected, only scan the folder that changed. Uses iNotify and will not work on network mounted filesystems.

Variable	Type	Default
FSEventLibraryPartialScanEnabled	bool	false

watchMusicSections

Include music libraries in automatic updates? Linux systems limit the maximum number of watched directories; this may cause problems with large music libraries. Uses iNotify and will not work on network mounted filesystems.

Variable	Type	Default
watchMusicSections	bool	false

ScheduledLibraryUpdatesEnabled

Enable Scan my library periodically? Enable this option for network mounted filesystems.

Variable	Type	Default
ScheduledLibraryUpdatesEnabled	bool	false

ScheduledLibraryUpdateInterval

Library scan interval (seconds).

Variable	Type	Default
ScheduledLibraryUpdateInterval	int	86400

autoEmptyTrash

Empty trash automatically after every scan?

Variable	Type	Default
autoEmptyTrash	bool	true

allowMediaDeletion

Allow media deletion? The owner of the server will be allowed to delete media files from disk.

Variable	Type	Default
allowMediaDeletion	bool	true

OnDeckWindow

Weeks to consider for Continue Watching. Media that has not been watched in this many weeks will not appear in Continue Watching.

Variable	Type	Default
OnDeckWindow	int	16
### OnDeckLimit
Maximum number of Continue Watching items which will appear. Limits the number
of shows which will appear Continue Watching. Setting it too high can affect
performance.

Variable	Type	Default
OnDeckLimit	int	40

OnDeckIncludePremieres

Include season premieres in Continue Watching? New season premieres will always appear no matter how many weeks have passed since watching.

Variable	Type	Default
OnDeckIncludePremieres	bool	true

LibraryVideoPlayedThreshold

Video played threshold. Set the progress percentage for video playback at which point the video will be marked as played.

Variable	Type	Default
LibraryVideoPlayedThreshold	int	95

LibraryVideoPlayedAtBehaviour

Video play completion behavior. Decide whether to use end credits markers to determine the played state of video items. LibraryVideoPlayedThreshold used when markers are not available.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
LibraryVideoPlayedAtBehaviour	int	3	0: At selected threshold percentage.
			1: At final credits marker position.
			2: At first credits marker position.
			3: Earliest between threshold percent and first credits marker (default).

SmartShuffleMusic

Enable smart shuffling on artists and smart music playlists? Smart shuffling prefers highly rated, popular and less recently heard tracks.

Variable	Type	Default
SmartShuffleMusic	bool	true

MusicSeparateAlbumTypes

Group albums by type? Group into LPs, EPs & Singles, Compilations, Live Albums, Demos and Remixes.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
MusicSeparateAlbumTypes	str	enabled	enabled
			disabled

iTunesSharingEnabled

Enable iTunes plugin (requires server restart)?

Variable	Type	Default
iTunesSharingEnabled	bool	false

iTunesLibraryXmlPath

iTunes library XML path (absolute path)?

Variable	Type	Default
iTunesLibraryXmlPath	str	''

ScannerLowPriority

Run scanner tasks at a lower priority?

Variable	Type	Default
ScannerLowPriority	bool	false

MarkerSource

Marker source. Credits markers can be generated locally and/or retrieved via an online database. Online markers may not always exist, if this preference is set to any then any locally detected markers are submitted anonymously back to the online database for future use.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
MarkerSource	str	any	any: Both, try online first (default).
			cloud: Online only (no local detection).
			local: Local detection only.

GenerateBIFBehavior

Generate video preview thumbnails. Video preview thumbnails provide live updates in Now Playing and while seeking on supported apps. Thumbnail generation may take a long time, cause high CPU usage, and consume additional disk space. You can turn off thumbnail generation for individual libraries in the library's advanced settings.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
GenerateBIFBehavior	str	never	never: never.
			scheduled: as a scheduled task.
			asap: as a scheduled task and when media is added.

GenerateIntroMarkerBehavior

Generate intro video markers. Detects show intros, exposing the Skip Intro button in clients.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
GenerateIntroMarkerBehavior	str	asap	never: never.
			scheduled: as a scheduled task.
			asap: as a scheduled task and when media is added.

GenerateCreditsMarkerBehavior

Generate credits video markers. Detects movie and episode end credits.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
GenerateCreditsMarkerBehavior	str	asap	never: never.
			scheduled: as a scheduled task.
			asap: as a scheduled task and when media is added.

GenerateAdMarkerBehavior

Generate ad video markers. Detects movie and episode ads.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
GenerateAdMarkerBehavior	str	scheduled	never: never.
			scheduled: as a scheduled task.
			asap: as a scheduled task and when media is added.

GenerateVADBehavior

Generate voice activity data. Detects voice activity data for movies and episodes. This is used to help synchronize subtitles to the audio track. This detection can be toggled per library by editing the individual library and navigating to the advanced section.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
GenerateVADBehavior	str	scheduled	never: never.
			scheduled: as a scheduled task.
			asap: as a scheduled task and when media is added.

GenerateChapterThumbBehavior

Generate chapter thumbnails. Chapter thumbnails provide images in the chapter view on supported apps. They can take a long time to generate and consume additional disk space.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
GenerateChapterThumbBehavior	str	scheduled	never: never.
			scheduled: as a scheduled task.
			asap: as a scheduled task and when media is added.

LoudnessAnalysisBehavior

Analyze audio tracks for loudness. Loudness analysis allows various features, such as loudness leveling and smart transitions. It can take a long time to complete when analyzing many tracks, and cause high CPU usage.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
LoudnessAnalysisBehavior	str	scheduled	never: never.
			scheduled: as a scheduled task.
			asap: as a scheduled task and when media is added.

MusicAnalysisBehavior

Analyze audio tracks for sonic features. Sonic analysis allows various features, such as track radio. It can take a long time to complete when analyzing many tracks, and cause high CPU usage.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
MusicAnalysisBehavior	str	scheduled	never: never.
			scheduled: as a scheduled task.
			asap: as a scheduled task and when media is added.

LocationVisibility

Location visibility. Server owners may wish to restrict who can see location names for items which contain geolocation metadata. By default only the server owner will have visibility of these.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
LocationVisibility	int	1	1: Admin only.
			2: Everyone.

DatabaseCacheSize

Database Cache Size (MB). Set the size of the main database cache size in MB. Increasing size increases exposure for DB data loss if a crash happens before updates are written to disk.

Variable	Type	Default
DatabaseCacheSize	int	40

Network

IPNetworkType

Client network. Network to advertise to clients.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
IPNetworkType	str	dualstack	v4only: Advertise only IPv4.
			v6only: Advertise only IPv6.
			dualstack: Advertise on both IPv4/6 networks.

secureConnections

Use Secure connections? When enabled, some unencrypted connections (originating from the Media Server computer) will still be allowed and apps that don't support secure connections will not be able to connect at all.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
secureConnections	bool	false	True: Required.
			False: Preferred (default).

customCertificatePath

Custom certificate location. Absolute path to a PKCS #12 file containing a certificate and private key to enable TLS support on a custom domain.

Variable	Type	Default
customCertificatePath	str	''

customCertificateKey

Custom certificate encryption key.

Variable	Type	Default
customCertificateKey	str	''

customCertificateDomain

Custom certificate domain. Domain name to be published to plex.tv using your mapped port; must match a name from the custom certificate file.

Variable	Type	Default
customCertificateDomain	str	''

PreferredNetworkInterface

Preferred network interface. The network interface local clients will use to connect.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
PreferredNetworkInterface	str	''	'': Any network connection.
			{ADAPTER}: Use specified location interface (e.g. enp4s0, etc).

DisableTLSv1_0

Use Strict TLS configuration? Disables legacy weak ciphers, increases DH group size, and switches to ECDSA certificates when renewing. May prevent older clients from connecting.

Variable	Type	Default
DisableTLSv1_0	bool	false

GdmEnabled

Enable local network discovery (GDM)? This enables the media server to discover other servers and players on the local network.

Variable	Type	Default
GdmEnabled	bool	true

WanPerUserStreamCount

Remote streams allowed per user. Maximum number of simultaneous streams each user is allowed when not on the local network.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
WanPerUserStreamCount	int	0	0: Unlimited connections.
			1-20: Max number of connections.

LanNetworksBandwidth

LAN networks bandwidth enforcement. Comma separated list of IP addresses or IP/netmask entries for networks that will be considered to be on the local network when enforcing bandwidth restrictions. If set, all other IP addresses will be considered to be on the external network and will be subject to external network bandwidth restrictions. If left blank, only the server's subnet is considered to be on the local network.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
LanNetworksBandwidth	str	''	{CIDR}: CIDR notation.
			{IP}: IPv4 or IPv6.

MinutesAllowedPaused

Terminate Sessions Paused for Longer Than X (minutes). Terminate any sessions which have been paused for longer than specified amount of time in minutes. Audio-only sessions and live sessions are excluded.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
MinutesAllowedPaused	int	0	0: No limit.

TreatWanIpAsLocal

Treat WAN IP as LAN bandwidth? Treat incoming requests from this network's WAN IP address as LAN requests in terms of bandwidth. This often occurs when DNS rebinding protection is in place and clients on the LAN cannot contact the server directly but instead have to go through the WAN IP address.

Variable	Type	Default
TreatWanIpAsLocal	bool	true

RelayEnabled

Enable Relay? Relay allows connections to the server through a proxy relay when the server is not accessible otherwise. Proxy relay is bandwidth limited.

Variable	Type	Default
RelayEnabled	bool	true

customConnections

Custom server access URLs. Comma separated list of URLs (http or https) which are published up to plex.tv for server discovery.

Variable	Type	Default
customConnections	str	''

allowedNetworks

Comma separated list of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without auth. List of IP addresses or IP/netmask entries for networks that are allowed to access Plex Media Server without logging in. When the server is signed out and this value is set, only localhost and addresses on this list will be allowed.

Any app connecting to the server this way without being signed in will be treated as the admin/owner. That means access to all libraries as well as the ability to change server settings. We strongly encourage using Plex apps that allow signing in to accounts to ensure the highest security for your computer and network.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
allowedNetworks	str	''	{CIDR}: CIDR notation.
			{IP}: IPv4 or IPv6.

WebHooksEnabled

Use webhooks? Allow this server to send events to external services.

Variable	Type	Default
WebHooksEnabled	bool	true

Transcoder

TranscoderQuality

Transcoder quality. Quality profile used by the transcoder.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
TranscoderQuality	int	0	0: Automatic.
			1: Prefer higher speed encoding.
			2: Prefer higher quality encoding.
			3: Make my CPU hurt.

TranscoderTempDirectory

Transcoder temporary directory.

Variable	Type	Default
TranscoderTempDirectory	str	/tmp

DownloadsTempDirectory

Downloads temporary directory.

Variable	Type	Default
DownloadsTempDirectory	str	/tmp

TranscoderThrottleBuffer

Transcoder default throttle buffer (seconds). Number of seconds to buffer before throttling the transcoder. Playback will not start (even with direct streaming) until buffer is full - if playback takes a long time to start, reduce this value.

Variable	Type	Default
TranscoderThrottleBuffer	int	60

TranscoderH264BackgroundPreset

Background transcoding x264 preset. The x264 preset value used for background transcoding (Sync and Media Optimizer). Slower values will result in better video quality and smaller file sizes, but will take significantly longer to complete processing.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
TranscoderH264BackgroundPreset	str	veryfast	ultrafast
			superfast
			veryfast
			faster
			fast
			medium
			slow
			slower
			veryslow

TranscoderToneMapping

Enable HDR tone mapping? Transcoded HDR content will appear highly dimmed and desaturated with this disabled. Additional driver components may be needed to support hardware transcoding with this feature enabled; see our support articles for further details.

AMD iGPU's will pass encoding frames back and forth between iGPU and CPU drastically reducing performance. Recommend disabling for AMD iGPU.

Variable	Type	Default
TranscoderToneMapping	bool	true

TranscoderToneMappingAgorithm

Tonemapping Algorithm. Algorithm to use when performing HDR tone mapping.

Info

XML var IS mis-spelled.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
TranscoderToneMappingAgorithm	str	hable	linear: Stretch entire reference gamut to a linear multiple of display.
			gamma: Fit a logarithmic transfer between the tone curves.
			clip: Hard-clip any out-of-range values. Use it for perfect color accuracy for in-range values, while distorting out-of-range values.
			reinhard: Preserve overall image brightness with a simple curve, using nonlinear contrast, which results in flattening details and degrading color accuracy.
			hable: Preserve both dark and bright details better than reinhard, at the cost of slightly darkening everything. Use it when detail preservation is more important than color and brightness accuracy.
			mobius: Smoothly map out-of-range values, while retaining contrast and colors for in-range material as much as possible. Use it when color accuracy is more important than detail preservation.

TranscoderCanOnlyRemuxVideo

Disable video stream transcoding? Disable transcoding of the video stream in transcoder operations. With this set, the transcoder may still transcode audio as well as remux video.

Variable	Type	Default
TranscoderCanOnlyRemuxVideo	bool	false

HardwareAcceleratedCodecs

Use hardware acceleration when available? Plex Media Server will attempt to use hardware-accelerated video codecs when encoding and decoding video. Hardware acceleration can make transcoding faster and allow more simultaneous video transcodes, but it can also reduce video quality and compatibility.

Variable	Type	Default
HardwareAcceleratedCodecs	bool	true

HardwareAcceleratedEncoders

Use hardware-accelerated video encoding? If hardware acceleration is enabled, this controls whether it's used for encoding, in addition to decoding.

Variable	Type	Default
HardwareAcceleratedEncoders	bool	true

TranscoderHEVCEncoding

Enable HEVC video Encoding (experimental)? Enable transcoding using the HEVC codec if it is supported by the client.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
TranscoderHEVCEncoding	str	always	never: Never use HEVC video encoding.
			hevc-sources: Encode HEVC sources only.
			always: Always use HEVC video encoding.

TranscoderHEVCOptimize

Enable HEVC Optimization (experimental)? If available, enable use of HEVC while optimizing your media.

Variable	Type	Default
TranscoderHEVCOptimize	bool	false

HardwareDevicePath

Hardware transcoding device. The GPU or other hardware device that will be used for transcoding. Path is automatically generated when device is set in WebUI.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
HardwareDevicePath	str	''	'': Auto device or auto-generated Plex value (default).
			{PCI_ID}@{DEVICE_ID}: Hardware address '10de:1eb1:10de:12a0@0000:42:00.0'.

TranscodeCountLimit

Maximum simultaneous video transcodes. Limit the number of simultaneous video transcode streams server can utilize.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
TranscodeCountLimit	int	0	0: Unlimited connections (default).
			1-20: Max number of connections.

_CPU-TranscodeCountLimit

Maximum simultaneous CPU transcodes. Limit the number of simultaneous video transcode streams your server can utilize on your CPU.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
_CPU-TranscodeCountLimit	int	0	0: Unlimited connections.
			1-20: Max number of connections.

OptimizerTranscodeCountLimit

Maximum simultaneous background video transcodes. Limit the number of simultaneous video transcode your server can utilize for the optimizer and downloads.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
OptimizerTranscodeCountLimit	int	0	0: Unlimited connections.
			1-20: Max number of connections.

DLNA

DlnaEnabled

Enable the DLNA server? This allows the server to stream media to DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) devices.

Variable	Type	Default
DlnaEnabled	bool	false

DlnaClientPreferences

DLNA client preferences. These should generally not be altered.

Variable	Type	Default
DlnaClientPreferences	str	''

DlnaReportTimeline

DLNA server timeline reporting? Enable the DLNA server to report timelines for video play activity.

Variable	Type	Default
DlnaReportTimeline	bool	true

DlnaDefaultProtocolInfo

DLNA default protocol info. Protocol info string used in GetProtocolInfo responses by the DLNA server. Comma separated list of protocols.

Variable	Type	Default
DlnaDefaultProtocolInfo	str	http-get::video/mpeg:,http-get::video/mp4:,http-get::video/vnd.dlna.mpeg-tts:,http-get::video/avi:,http-get::video/x-matroska:,http-get::video/x-ms-wmv:,http-get::video/wtv:,http-get::audio/mpeg:,http-get::audio/mp3:,http-get::audio/mp4:,http-get::audio/x-ms-wma,http-get::audio/wav:,http-get::audio/L16:,http-get:image/jpeg:,http-get:image/png:,http-get:image/gif:,http-get:image/tiff:

DlnaDeviceDiscoveryInterval

DLNA media renderer discovery interval (seconds). Number of seconds between DLNA media renderer discovery requests.

Variable	Type	Default
DlnaDeviceDiscoveryInterval	int	60

DlnaAnnouncementLeaseTime

DLNA server announcement lease time (seconds). Duration in seconds of DLNA Server SSDP announcement lease time.

Variable	Type	Default
DlnaAnnouncementLeaseTime	int	1800

DlnaDescriptionIcons

DLNA server description icons. Icons offered by DLNA server when devices request server description. Comma separated lists separated by semicolons.

Variable	Type	Default
DlnaDescriptionIcons	str	png,jpeg;260x260,120x120,48x48

Scheduled Tasks

ButlerStartHour

Time at which tasks start to run (24 hour clock). The time at which the server starts running background maintenance tasks.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
ButlerStartHour	int	2	0: Midnight.

ButlerEndHour

Time at which tasks stop running (24 hour clock). The time at which the background maintenance tasks stop running.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
ButlerEndHour	int	5	0: Midnight.

ButlerTaskBackupDatabase

Backup database every three days?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskBackupDatabase	bool	true

ButlerDatabaseBackupPath

Backup directory.

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerDatabaseBackupPath	str	/var/lib/plex/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Databases

ButlerTaskOptimizeDatabase

Optimize database every week?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskOptimizeDatabase	bool	true

ButlerTaskCleanOldBundles

Remove old bundles every week?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskCleanOldBundles	bool	true

ButlerTaskCleanOldCacheFiles

Remove old cache files every week?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskCleanOldCacheFiles	bool	true

ButlerTaskRefreshLocalMedia

Refresh local metadata every three days?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskRefreshLocalMedia	bool	true

ButlerTaskRefreshLibraries

Update all libraries during maintenance?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskRefreshLibraries	bool	false

ButlerTaskUpgradeMediaAnalysis

Upgrade media analysis during maintenance?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskUpgradeMediaAnalysis	bool	true

ButlerTaskRefreshPeriodicMetadata

Refresh library metadata periodically?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskRefreshPeriodicMetadata	bool	true

ButlerTaskDeepMediaAnalysis

Perform extensive media analysis during maintenance?

Variable	Type	Default
ButlerTaskDeepMediaAnalysis	bool	true

Extras

CinemaTrailersType

Choose Cinema Trailers from?

Variable	Type	Default	Values
CinemaTrailersType	bool	true	False: All movies.
			True: Only unwatched movies (default).

CinemaTrailersFromLibrary

Include Cinema Trailers from movies in my library?

Variable	Type	Default
CinemaTrailersFromLibrary	bool	true

CinemaTrailersFromTheater

Include Cinema Trailers from new and upcoming movies in theaters? PlexPass entitlement only.

Variable	Type	Default
CinemaTrailersFromTheater	bool	false

CinemaTrailersFromBluRay

Include Cinema Trailers from new and upcoming movies on Blu-ray? PlexPass entitlement only.

Variable	Type	Default
CinemaTrailersFromBluRay	bool	false

CinemaTrailersIncludeEnglish

Always include English language Cinema Trailers? For trailers of movies not in my library.

Variable	Type	Default
CinemaTrailersIncludeEnglish	bool	true

CinemaTrailersPrerollID

Movie pre-roll videos. List of absolute paths to videos for pre-roll before playing a movie.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
CinemaTrailersPrerollID	str	''	Comma separated list will play all videos before movie.
			semi-colon separated list will play one random video before movie.

GlobalMusicVideoPath

Global music videos path.

Variable	Type	Default
GlobalMusicVideoPath	str	''

Libraries

MergedRecentlyAdded

Merge Recently Added items? Recently Added items from the same media type will be combined together on Home for libraries Recommended to Home. Only content from libraries pinned to the app sidebar will appear in Merged Recently Added recommendations.

Variable	Type	Default
MergedRecentlyAdded	bool	false

Live TV & DVR

If you have a tuner card, please help out by working with the author and providing anonymous configuration information to codify options.

DvrIncrementalEpgLoader

Enable incremental DVR electronic program guides loader? PlexPass entitlement only.

Variable	Type	Default
DvrIncrementalEpgLoader	bool	false

Identifiers

Auto-generated Plex options to uniquely identifier a Plex server. Carry these settings over to new installations to retain Plex server identification.

MachineIdentifier

Variable	Type	Default
MachineIdentifier	str	{AUTO}

ProcessedMachineIdentifier

Variable	Type	Default
ProcessedMachineIdentifier	str	{AUTO}

AnonymousMachineIdentifier

Variable	Type	Default
AnonymousMachineIdentifier	str	{AUTO}

Stateful

Not user configurable.

Configuration options here are not found directly in the server UI. These are generally updated/added automatically during Plex usage, but may be set after initial Plex execution. These are kept to document variables in case future releases migrate these to configurable values or migrated into the DB directly.

Changing these values have no effect.

AcceptedEULA

Accept Plex EULA? Plex cannot be used without accepting the EULA.

Variable	Type	Default
AcceptedEULA	bool	true

CertificateUUID

Let's Encrypt certificate UUID. Plex automatically creates and distributes certificates to support it's own HTTPS by default scheme. These are automatically issued on first install.

Do NOT use your own Let's Encrypt material.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
CertificateUUID	str	''	{UUIDv4}: UUIDv4a, generated random data.

CertificateVersion

Let's Encrypt certificate version.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
CertificateVersion	str	3	1: TLSv1.1.
			2: TLSv1.2.
			3: TLSv1.3.

collectUsageData

Collect usage data? Sends usage data to plex. This has been deprecated in lieu of other mechanisms now, however this is kept in case any edge cases still use this variable. This is no longer configurable in the WebUI.

Variable	Type	Default
collectUsageData	bool	true

GlobalMusicVideoPathMigrated

Global music video paths migrated from legacy config? Old Plex installs tracked music videos separately from other media; these are now integrated and tracked in Plex DB. This should always be true unless OldestPreviousVersion=legacy.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
GlobalMusicVideoPathMigrated	bool	true	False: Force Plex to migrate music video paths on next start.
			True: Paths already migrated or auto-generated Plex value (default).

LanguageInCloud

Use plex cloud settings for language options? This overrides local settings in the Language section. Now force enabled by plex.

Variable	Type	Default
LanguageInCloud	bool	true

LastAutomaticMappedPort

Last port automatically mapped with PublishServerOnPlexOnlineKey.

Variable	Type	Default
LastAutomaticMappedPort	int	0

MetricsEpoch

Use year 2038+ safe epochs for timestamps? Old Plex installs used unix timestamp epochs which will generate errors after 2038. This should always be true unless plex_cfg_oldest_previous_version=legacy.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
MetricsEpoch	int	1	1: Use 2038 safe epochs or auto-generated Plex value.
			0: Use unix timestamp.

OldestPreviousVersion

Oldest previously installed plex version. Version is set on initial Plex installation.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
OldestPreviousVersion	str	''	'': auto-generated Plex value.
			legacy: Legacy plex install (1st gen plex >10 years ago).
			{VERSION}: Last installed plex version (e.g. '1.28.2.6106-44a5bbd28').

PubSubServer

Plex pubsub server IP.

Variable	Type	Default
PubSubServer	str	184.105.148.115

PubSubServerPing

Latest plex pubsub server ping.

Variable	Type	Default
PubSubServerPing	int	65

PubSubServerRegion

Plex pubsub server region.

Variable	Type	Default
PubSubServerRegion	str	sjc

Service

PlexOnlineUsername

Plex username.

Variable	Type	Default
PlexOnlineUsername	str	''

PlexOnlineMail

Plex user email.

Variable	Type	Default
PlexOnlineMail	str	''

PlexOnlineToken

Plex user access token.

A new plex install (or one requiring a new access token after revocation) requires the initial manual setup process to be run locally. Use a SSH tunnel to access the server-side configuration page.

ssh -L 32400:localhost:32400 {plex_host}

Then connect to http://localhost:32400/web and obtain token:

1. Select media libraries to use.
2. Sign-in on server: upper right ➔ sign-in.
3. Select server and claim: claim now ➔ claim server.
4. Update PlexOnlineToken with new token in found in /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Preferences.xml.

Enable Secure Server Connection

1. Ensure 32400 is forwarded from the router.
2. Enable DNS Rebinding on router.

Variable	Type	Default
PlexOnlineToken	str	''

PlexOnlineHome

Use this server as user home (default) server?

Variable	Type	Default
PlexOnlineHome	bool	true

Experimental Settings

Additional settings in Preferences.xml that are typically hidden from users.

All options are not configured in Preferences unless explicitly set. Any option that is promoted (e.g. added to the UI) are actively migrated to standardized sections.

Only set these options when explicitly fixing an issue.

AlbumSort

Album sort. A field:direction value for the default album sort. 'year', 'title', etc. PMS 1.4.1+ has UI setting per library/per artist.

Variable	Type	Default
AlbumSort	str	year:desc

ArticleStrings

Article strings. A comma-separated list of words considered to be grammatical articles, which are removed in sort titles.

Variable	Type	Default
ArticleStrings	str	the, das, der, a, an, el, la

BackgroundTranscodeLowPriority

Background transcode low priority. Makes background transcodes have a lower priority than active streaming when enabled.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
BackgroundTranscodeLowPriority	str	1	1: Enabled.
			0: Disabled.

DlnaPlatinumLoggingLevel

DLNA platinum logging level. Sets level for the separate 'Neptune DLNA'.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
DlnaPlatinumLoggingLevel	str	OFF	OFF: Disabled.
			ON: Enabled.

enableLocalSecurity

Enable local security. Determines whether Plex Media Server must be claimed/signed-in to access it.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
enableLocalSecurity	int	1	1: Enabled.
			0: Disabled.

GenerateBIFFrameInterval

Generate BIF frame interval. For video preview thumbnails, sets how often (in seconds) we create the thumbnail. This directly affects library scanning performance and storage space. A more reasonable value if there are freezes during scanning is the scrub interval for the player used (10-15).

Variable	Type	Default
GenerateBIFFrameInterval	int	2

GenerateBIFKeyframesOnly

Generate BIF keyframes only. When generating video preview thumbnails for playback, only look at keyframes in the video. Greatly speeds up processing and reduces CPU usage.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
GenerateBIFKeyframesOnly	int	1	1: Enabled.
			0: Disabled.

LocalAppDataPath

local appdata path. Set the location of of the Plex Media Server data directory (Windows only).

Variable	Type	Default
LocalAppDataPath	str	C:\Users{USER}\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server

LogMemoryUse

Log memory use. Set Plex Media Server to log memory use and the system total used memory in Plex Media Server logs. A server restart is required for the change to take effect. Not recommended for normal usage. Requires PMS v1.20.2 or newer. Not available for FreeBSD or NVIDIA SHIELD.

Variable	Type	Default
LogMemoryUse	int	0: Disabled.
		1: Enabled.

LogNumFiles

Log num files. Number of past log files to retain.

Variable	Type	Default
LogNumFiles	int	5

LongRunningJobThreads

Long running job threads. Sets how many threads can be used for long-running jobs, such as Sonic Analysis (Default is half the total threads for the processor).

Variable	Type	Default
LongRunningJobThreads	int	4

RadioDaysSinceLastPlayed

Radio days since last played. When playing a Radio or Smart Shuffle, Plex prefers to include tracks that have not been played recently. This sets that recent period (default is 2).

Variable	Type	Default
RadioDaysSinceLastPlayed	int	2

RadioDirectoryLimit

Radio directory limit. Controls how many genre, style, or mood radios are exposed, on clients that support those radio types.

Variable	Type	Default
RadioDirectoryLimit	int	50

TranscoderDefaultDuration

Transcoder default duration. Duration in minutes to use when transcoding something with an unknown duration (120 is the default if nothing set).

Variable	Type	Default
TranscoderDefaultDuration	int	120

TranscoderH264OptionsOverride

Transcoder H264 options override. The x264 preset to use when transcoding.

Variable	Type	Default
TranscoderH264OptionsOverride	str	veryfast

TranscoderLogLevel

Transcoder log level. The log level for the Plex transcoder itself.

Variable	Type	Default	Values
TranscoderLogLevel	str	error	error
			verbose

TranscoderPhotoFileSizeLimitMiB

Transcoder photo file size limit MiB. Maximum photo size to be tagged or transcoded (in mebibytes).

Variable	Type	Default
TranscoderPhotoFileSizeLimitMiB	int	100