Best practices

Recommended default

Use these defaults unless you have a reason to deviate.

CrossWatch (CW) is safest when you start small and keep runs predictable.

Default setup (recommended)

• Direction: Media server -> tracker
• Watchlist: start one-way. Can be one-way or two-way.
• History: do a one-way seed once. Then disable History and use scrobbling.
• Ratings: keep one-way (Media server -> tracker)
• Progress: keep one-way (Media server -> tracker)

Do not switch to tracker -> media server unless you have a clear reason.

Trackers often(always) contain items your server does not have..

For most setups, only sync data into a media server when the item already exists in that library.

Related: Trackers vs. Media Servers and Tracker to Media Server

CW supports real bidirectional synchronization. Changes on either platform can sync in both directions. That adds flexibility. It also adds risk. Because both sides can introduce changes, you are more likely to see:

• conflicts, duplicate items, unintended overwrites, propagated deletions

Use bidirectional (two-way) sync carefully.

It may look like the better option. For most users, one-way sync is still the safer and more predictable

Metadata agents (recommended)

Good metadata is the difference between stable ID matching and messy title guessing.

Use these defaults:

• Plex Media Server: use the default Plex Movie and Plex TV Series metadata agents.
• Emby and Jellyfin: use TMDb metadata.

For AniList pairs specific pairs, enable Anime ID Mapping.

Guide: Anime ID Mapping

Changing pairs and resets

Do not constantly tweak direction, mode, or enabled features. If you do, reset state so planning recalculates cleanly.

When to rebuild sync state and retry provider items

Run Rebuild sync state and Retry provider items when you make a major sync change or the next plan looks unsafe.

Common triggers:

• You switch one-way ↔ two-way
• You change library filters or whitelists on an active pair
• You update CW and the first plan looks wrong
• You backfill history with old dates and the provider uses delta reads
• You see an unexpected large remove plan