Setting Up Plex Collections for a Netflix-Like Experience

Your Plex library has 2,000 movies. Finding something to watch means endless scrolling through an alphabetical list. Netflix solves this with curated rows — “Action Thrillers,” “90s Comedies,” “Trending Now.” Plex can do the same thing with Collections.

This guide shows you how to set up Collections that make your library feel like a premium streaming service instead of a filing cabinet.

What Are Plex Collections?

Collections group related items in your library under a single banner. They can be manually curated (“Date Night Movies”) or automatically generated based on rules (“All Christopher Nolan Films”).

Collections appear as a scrollable row on your library’s home screen, complete with custom artwork. Multiple collections together create that Netflix-like browsing experience.

Manual vs Smart Collections

Manual Collections

You hand-pick every item. Best for curated, personal lists:

• “Weekend Comfort Movies”
• “Best Documentaries”
• “Kids Can Watch These”
• “Halloween Marathon”

To create: select multiple items in your library → right-click → “Add to Collection” → type a collection name.

Smart Collections

Automatically populated based on filters. They update themselves as you add new content. Much more powerful:

• Genre = “Sci-Fi” AND Rating > 7.0
• Director = “Denis Villeneuve”
• Year > 2020 AND Genre = “Horror”
• Resolution = “4K” AND HDR = true

To create: Library → Advanced Filters → set your criteria → Save as Smart Collection.

Setting Up Collection Display Modes

Go to your library → Manage Library → Edit → Advanced. The key settings:

Collections Display

• Disabled: Collections exist but don’t show up in the library view
• Hide items in collections: Movies in a collection only appear under that collection, not in the main library. Reduces clutter but can hide things.
• Show collections and their items: Both the collection and individual movies appear. This is what most people want — collections as an additional browsing layer.

Collection Sort Order

Collections themselves can be sorted by title, date added, or custom order. For a Netflix-like layout, arrange your best collections first using custom order.

The Best Collections to Create

Here’s a starter set that works well for most libraries:

Franchise Collections

Group movie series together. Plex can auto-create these if you enable the “Plex Movie” agent’s collection settings:

• Marvel Cinematic Universe
• Star Wars
• The Lord of the Rings
• Harry Potter
• Mission: Impossible

Mood/Occasion Collections (Manual)

• “Comfort Picks” — feel-good movies for bad days
• “Date Night” — crowd-pleasers, nothing too risky
• “Late Night Thrillers” — intense, can’t-sleep viewing
• “Background Noise” — rewatchable, low-attention shows

Smart Collections by Quality

• “4K HDR Showcase” — Resolution = 4K, HDR = true
• “Dolby Atmos” — Audio channels > 6
• “Critically Acclaimed” — Rating > 8.0

Custom Collection Artwork

Default collection posters are auto-generated mosaics of the contained items. They look decent but generic. For a polished look:

1. Click on the collection → Edit → Poster
2. Upload a custom image (recommended: 1000x1500 pixels)
3. Sites like ThePosterDB and Mediux have matching collection poster sets
4. For consistency, use posters from the same artist/set across all collections

Using Kometa (Plex Meta Manager) for Automation

Kometa (formerly Plex Meta Manager) is the power tool for collections. It can:

• Auto-create collections from TMDb, IMDb, Trakt, and Letterboxd lists
• Apply matching poster sets automatically
• Create “Trending This Week” and “Popular on Trakt” dynamic collections
• Schedule collection updates (daily, weekly)
• Manage overlays (4K badges, HDR labels, Dolby Atmos icons on posters)

Kometa runs as a Docker container alongside Plex. The initial config takes some effort, but once set up it keeps your library looking professional with zero maintenance.

Collection Tips and Pitfalls

• Don’t over-collect: 10-15 well-curated collections beat 50 random ones. Too many collections make browsing worse, not better.
• Name consistently: “The Batman Collection” and “Batman Movies” will confuse users. Pick a naming convention and stick to it.
• Test on clients: Collections display differently on Apple TV, Roku, and the web. Check the experience on whatever your household primarily uses.
• Seasonal rotation: Create holiday collections (Christmas Movies, Halloween Horror) and pin them to the top during the season, then unpin after.

TV Show Collections

Collections work for TV too, though they’re less common. Good use cases:

• “Shared Universe” — group all Star Trek series, all Arrowverse shows
• “Short & Sweet” — limited series under 10 episodes
• “Currently Watching” — manual collection for what’s in rotation