Import an Existing Library

Import an existing library

If you already maintain a library somewhere else, treat migration as a review workflow instead of a one-click finish line. The goal is to bring useful structure forward while taking advantage of the parts of Cove that go further.

What to bring first

Start with the information that is hardest to rebuild manually:

media records and paths
titles and descriptions
performers, studios, and tags
groups or collections
URLs and source references

Do not assume every old workflow maps perfectly. A migration is usually most successful when you import the useful structure, then adopt Cove-native features such as segments, dynamic groups, richer permissions, and contextual tagging afterward.

Recommended migration flow

Back up the current library before touching anything.
Install Cove and run a clean first scan on the same media paths if possible.
Import the existing metadata and relationships.
Review a representative sample before trusting the whole result.
Rebuild higher-value recurring views as saved filters or dynamic groups.
Add Cove-native workflows only after the base library looks trustworthy.

What to review after import

duplicate or moved paths
missing performers, studios, or tags
unexpected tag normalization or alias differences
group membership that does not match the old library
metadata that should now be handled through provenance-aware workflows

What usually improves after the move

People usually migrate because they want a higher ceiling than their old setup provided. After the import, the biggest gains tend to be:

richer search and filter workflows
contextual tagging and timing-aware organization
dynamic groups and watch-state views
audio and text support in the same library
users, roles, content rules, and share links
downloaders, scrapers, and a deeper extension surface

Use the rest of the user docs to make those workflows native to the new library instead of forcing Cove to behave exactly like the old one forever.