I submitted a new title for inclusion in the database. When will it be added?

Every title submitted to the database has to be approved by our editors, who need to verify that it's eligible for inclusion in the database. Please keep in mind that data in the Internet Movie Database is always subject to change and that we reserve the right to reject, withdraw or delete information at any time.

Eligibility is not the same thing as existence. We are not just trying to verify that a film exists: we need to verify that it fulfills our requirements to be listed, i.e. that it has been completed and released (i.e. shown to the general public) or that there is a preponderance of evidence that it will be completed and released in the near future.

This means that, in most cases, unless a film has been completed and screened, we will not include it in the database. We make an exception only for a few high-profile in production projects, where eligibility is implied or explicitly confirmed by other sources.

If a new title submission is rejected or is kept on hold for some reason (normally because of lack of verification data), the submitter will eventually receive an email notice, which may include suggestions on how to correct the problem.

New titles are usually processed within a few weeks, but may take substantially longer in some cases. See our processing times for current information on our title approval status and on any backlogs or delays.

Due to the massive volumes of credits that they process on a daily basis, our editors are unable to look into the status of a pending new title submission. However, you can easily determine what is going on, because when you submit a new title to IMDb one of three things will usually happen after a few weeks:

  1. you receive a rejection notice. This means that our editors have examined your submission and have determined that it cannot be added at this time. For example, you may have tried to add a student film, a video clip, a stage play, a commercial, an episode of a TV show, or a title that is a duplicate of an existing film already listed in the database. The exact reason for the rejection will normally be included in the email; most common rejection reasons are listed here

  2. you receive an email requesting more information. This means that our editors have examined your submission but were unable to determine whether it's eligible to be included and need more information. Please read the message and follow the instructions to supply evidence of eligibility. Supply additional information, especially links to third party sites where the eligibility of the film can be verified. These may include film festival schedules with details of qualifying screenings or reviews in magazines or newspapers. Click here for instructions on how to add more data to your existing submission.

  3. you receive an email stating that your title submission is still pending but our editors haven't examined it yet. We require a minimum amount of data before even considering a new title for inclusion: attempting to add a new film with only a title and a handful of cast/crew credits is usually not enough. If you want us to examine the title, you need to supply more data -- go back to your original submission and add more details. Some of the best kinds of information to add: release dates (including festival screenings), distributors, and URLs of festival schedules, videos for sale, or reviews at established web sites. If no additional info is supplied within a few days, the title will be automatically rejected.

If you have submitted a title and have not heard back from us, it means that it has not been processed yet. Please do not contact us to inquire about the status of your pending submission or to supply additional information -- our help desk staff can't look up titles or apply changes. You need to find your original title submission in your update history, edit it to include the additional data and resend it through our web form. The more information you send us, the faster/easier it is for us to process the title.

Please also be aware that new titles, after being approved, may initially appear on the site with little or no credits. As explained here, this is normal and is due to the way our data is stored and organized, but all submitted data will eventually show up.

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