Build Your Own Private Movie Catalog in Minutes 🎬
TMDB Movie Importer lets you import detailed movie information from The Movie Database (TMDB) directly into your WordPress site — no manual data entry required. Perfect for movie bloggers, collectors, and anyone who wants a clean, searchable film archive.
Why I built it: TMDB has watch tracking features, but you don’t actually own that data. I wanted a private, self-hosted way to track the movies I’ve watched over the years in one place — and quickly check if I’d already seen something — without broadcasting my viewing habits. This plugin became part of my digital legacy and a simple “already watched?” lookup tool.
🎬 See it in action:
https://mikeitguy.com/life-in-the-movies/
Key Features âś…
- 1-Click Import from TMDB: Search and import titles instantly with posters, overviews, and release dates.
- Custom Movie Post Type: Automatically organizes movies separate from your blog posts.
- Dynamic Movie Catalog: Shortcode instructions are included in the README after purchase.
- Auto-Poster Download: Downloads and sets the TMDB poster as the featured image automatically.
- Ratings & Watch Dates: Track when you watched it and give your own 0–5 rating.
- Trailer Integration: Add YouTube, Vimeo, or local trailer links for each movie.
- “Where to Watch” Field: Show where each movie is available (Netflix, Disney+, Blu-ray, etc.).
- SEO-Friendly: Imported content is stored as native WordPress posts for better indexing.
- Theme Compatibility: Works well with Astra, Kadence, OceanWP, and most modern themes.
Shortcode Usage đź§©
Shortcode instructions are included in the README after purchase.
🎬 See it in action here: https://mikeitguy.com/life-in-the-movies/
Technical Requirements 🛠️
- WordPress: 5.8 or newer (tested up to WordPress 6.9)
- PHP: 7.4 or newer (tested on PHP 8.2)
- MySQL / MariaDB: Standard hosting environment (MySQL 5.7+ / MariaDB 10.3+)
- Plugin dependencies: None (standalone). Requires: free TMDB API key + outbound HTTPS (cURL).
- Editor: Gutenberg or Classic Editor (both supported)
- Hosting: Must support HTTPS and outbound cURL requests (required for TMDB API calls)
- TMDB API Key: Free from TMDB (instructions included in
readme.txt)
Note: Some hosting environments use aggressive caching. If a newly imported movie doesn’t appear immediately on mobile, clear your site/server cache or exclude your catalog page from caching.
Perfect For 🎯
- Movie reviewers and film bloggers
- Entertainment or media sites
- Collectors tracking watched history
- Anyone building a movie portfolio or archive
What’s Included 📦
- Plugin ZIP:
tmdb-movie-importer.zip - Documentation:
readme.txt+CHANGELOG.md - Updates: All updates within the 1.x series are included with purchase
License & Use đź”’
This purchase includes one personal-use license for a single site.
Please do not redistribute the plugin files. Updates and support are tied to your purchase email.
Coming Soon 📺
A full “How to Use TMDB Movie Importer” tutorial video on the Mike the IT Guy STX YouTube channel.
Subscribe so you don’t miss it!


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