About Letterboxd

What is Letterboxd?

Letterboxd is a global social network for grass-roots film discussion and discovery. Use it as a diary to record and share your opinion about films as you watch them, or just to keep track of films you’ve seen in the past. Showcase your favorites on your profile page. Rate, review and tag films as you add them. Find and follow your friends to see what they’re enjoying. Keep a watchlist of films you’d like to see, and create lists/collections on any given topic. We’ve been described as “like GoodReads for movies”.

We have apps for iOS, Android and Apple TV. Paying members get an ad-free experience, personalized all-time and annual stats pages, the option to select and filter by what’s available on their favorite streaming services, watchlist notifications, the ability to filter activity streams by entry type and to clone other members’ lists, and much more. Learn about Pro.

We have apps for iOS, Android and Apple TV. Paying members get an ad-free experience, personalized all-time and annual stats pages, the option to select and filter by what’s available on their favorite streaming services, watchlist notifications, the ability to filter activity streams by entry type and to clone other members’ lists, and much more. Learn about Pro.

Read more about the genesis of Letterboxd and follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Why is it called Letterboxd?

Wikipedia defines letterboxing as the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the original aspect ratio. Generally this is accomplished by adding mattes (or ‘black bars’) above and below the picture area. Letterboxd is named for our love of the widescreen format, and has nothing whatsoever to do with orienteering or that thing in Stand By Me. Here’s some history.

Membership

Do I need to create an account to use this site?

No. You may freely browse all of Letterboxd without an account, but you’ll need to create one if you want to log any films or otherwise participate.

How do I become a member?

Create an account—there is no requirement to be invited by another member.

Create an account in this app or on our website—there is no requirement to be invited by another member.

Does it cost to use this service?

No. Letterboxd will always remain free to use. Some features are only available by upgrading to a Pro or Patron account. See below for more details on upgrading.

Will I be paid for my reviews?

No. We don’t offer payment for reviews, but we’re very happy for our members to build their own paying audience via services such as Patreon.

Do you have a community policy?

Yes. (Also, check out the full legal version.)

How do I close my account?

Instructions for deactivating your Letterboxd account are here.

General use

How should I use Letterboxd?

Short answer: however you like. We invite new members to read our Welcome page, which covers a number of common actions and helpful tips. The easiest interaction is to mark films you’ve seen using the ‘eye’ icon on each poster. You can rate films and perform other actions from the Actions menu on the poster as well. Each film you mark as watched is added to your profile, allowing others to see what you’ve watched, and the site to optionally hide films we know you’ve seen when browsing some pages.

Use the ‘+ Log’ button in the website header or the ‘+’ button in our apps to log a film, including the date you watched it and an optional review. Do this as you watch films (to populate your Diary) or to share your opinion of a film you’ve seen in the past (providing a watched date is optional). When logging/reviewing a film, you can also rate and/or like it, and add tags (for the film itself or to remind you how/with whom you watched it). We provide easy tools for making and sharing lists/collections of films too.

Can I watch films on Letterboxd?

No, we are not a streaming service, but we do link to films on other services.

What’s the difference between marking a film watched and logging it?

Marking a film as ‘watched’ (using the ‘eye’ icon on the film’s poster or controls, or by rating the film if you haven’t already marked it as watched) tells Letterboxd you’ve seen the film at some point in the past. It’s the best way to ‘back-fill’ films on the service, without having to recall exactly when you watched them. Marking films ‘watched’ adds to your overall tally of films, is useful when browsing lists (we show the percentage of each list you’ve watched) and allows you to optionally hide the films you’ve seen when browsing some screens.

Logging a film (via the ‘+ Log’ button) allows you to record that you watched a film on a particular date. Adding films in this manner builds up your Diary (a record of when you saw each film) and the Recent Activity section of your Profile—films are also marked as watched when you log them, if that flag is not already set. A minimum of ten diary entries in a given year is required to generate a Year in Review page (Pro members only), or the email summary that we send in January (to all members who choose to receive our general news emails). Most members keep an up-to-date Diary only from the time they join the site, but it is possible to import your viewing history if you have that data from another app or spreadsheet.

Logging a film (via the ‘+ Log’ button) allows you to record that you watched a film on a particular date. Adding films in this manner builds up your Diary (a record of when you saw each film) and the Recent Activity section of your Profile—films are also marked as watched when you log them, if that flag is not already set. A minimum of ten diary entries in a given year is required to generate a Year in Review screen (Pro members only), or the email summary that we send in January (to all members who choose to receive our general news emails). Most members keep an up-to-date Diary only from the time they join the site, but it is possible to import your viewing history if you have that data from another app or spreadsheet.

Can I remove a film from my watched list?

Yes, you can unmark a film as watched by clicking the green “eye” icon to toggle it off, but you’ll need to remove any diary entries or reviews for the film, as well as its rating (this can be removed on the film’s page).

I’ve been marking films watched instead of logging them to my Diary. How can I fix this?

You can retrospectively add diary entries for films you’ve marked as watched, in order to complete your Diary. If you need the activity dates for when you marked each film, these are included in your account export bundle, which you can download in Settings. (If you’d like to automate this process and you know your way around a computer, grab the relevant CSV file from the export bundle, rename the Date column to Watched Date, and then use our importer to add the diary entries to your account—you’ll have the chance to check them before they’re finalized.)

You can retrospectively add diary entries for films you’ve marked as watched, in order to complete your Diary. If you need the activity dates for when you marked each film, these are included in your account export bundle, which you can download from your Settings screen in our website. (If you’d like to automate this process and you know your way around a computer, grab the relevant CSV file from the export bundle, rename the Date column to Watched Date, and then use our importer to add the diary entries to your account—you’ll have the chance to check them before they’re finalized.)

What’s the difference between liking and rating a film?

You can ‘like’ a film any time to show you enjoyed it, which builds up your Profile and Likes pages, or rate films (via the film’s page, or by logging it, or using the Actions menu on any poster) to give your friends a better idea of how much you loved (or hated) it, and they’ll see this on your Ratings page and in their activity feed (if it’s part of a review or diary entry). If you provide ratings for films, you can later sort films by these ratings, useful for making year-end lists. It’s no problem to use both ratings and likes (or neither).

Can I log a film and review it later?

Yes. You may edit a diary entry and/or add a review at any time after logging a film. Go to the diary entry (from the Diary tab in your Films section) and find the option to ‘Add a Review’. Your review will show in your followers’ activity as soon as you save it (if this is the first time you’ve added one), even if your followers already saw activity when you first logged the film.

When I rate a film, do all my ratings for it change?

No. Ratings attached to previous diary entries or reviews are not updated. This allows your rating to change over time, should you log or review a film multiple times, rather than keeping the same rating for the film for all time. Note that each time you add a rating as part of a diary entry/review (or update the rating in an old diary entry/review), your ‘default’ rating for the film is updated to match.

Why is my number of watched films or diary entries incorrect?

We keep temporary caches for many different types of content, including counts of films watched and logged. If one of your totals is incorrect, try saving changes to your Settings page on our website in order to reset your account caches (there is no need to change any settings).

We keep temporary caches for many different types of content, including counts of films watched and logged. If one of your totals is incorrect, try saving changes to your Settings page on our website in order to reset your account caches (there is no need to change any settings).

Why does my films total differ from my diary entries total?

Your ‘Films’ total counts each film once for the period (all time or within a single year), while your ‘Diary Entries’ total counts every individual watch of a film. If you’ve logged any films two or more times within the period, your Diary Entries total will exceed your Films total. (Note that a re-watch will still count towards your ‘Films’ total for the year the first time you watch it during that year, but not on subsequent views.)

Why is a particular actor missing from my most watched stats?

Some cast contributions are internally marked as ‘cameo’ roles, for instance if there is no character name associated with the role or it is listed as ‘uncredited’. These roles do not count towards ‘Most Watched’ stats. (Also known as the ‘Stan Lee Rule’.)

Can Letterboxd generate recommendations for me?

While we view the whole of Letterboxd as one big, organic recommendation engine, we don’t have a section specifically labeled as such. You can, however, use our sorting and filters to find films that may be of interest. For example, this page shows a selection of films you haven’t seen, based on your watched and liked films (you’ll need to use the ‘heart’ icon on a few films to get meaningful results, as this method doesn’t consider your ratings). Many films also have a ‘Similar Films’ list; tapping through to see all similar films for a given title surfaces the themes and ‘nanogenres’ for that title, another great way to discover new films to watch based on your particular areas of interest.

How do I add an avatar image to my account?

You can upload your avatar via the Settings screen of our website. If you have not uploaded an avatar, but have connected your X/Twitter account, or you have a Gravatar attached to your registered Letterboxd email address, we’ll use that image instead. The avatar upload screen allows you to pick which avatar you’d like to use: your uploaded one, an image from X/Twitter or Gravatar, or none.

How do I pin content to my profile?

If you’re a Pro or Patron memberPro or Patron member, you can pin up to two reviews and two lists on your profile by tagging them as profile. Your two most recently tagged reviews and lists are prominently displayed on your profile page. (App support for pinned lists will be added in a future release.)

Why do some member bios appear in the sidebar of their profile on your desktop website?

Bios that are 140 characters or fewer are displayed in the header of the member’s desktop web profile. If a member’s bio exceeds 140 characters, we shift it to the sidebar, so it can be expanded without displacing the page’s main content column.

Can I change my username?

Yes. Free members may change their username a maximum of once per year, and ProPro subscribers (or above) may change theirs once every 30 days. Changes must be performed via the Settings screen on our website. Exceptions to this policy will be considered where privacy concerns or deadnames are involved (please contact support).

My preferred username is showing as unavailable but there is no corresponding profile. Can I have it?

There are a couple reasons why an unavailable username may not have a corresponding profile: we reserve some usernames for our own future possible use; and there are also a number of deactivated accounts that still have their original username attached. Please contact us to see if we can free up a name you’d like to use.

Someone else has registered a username I have a trademark for. Can I have it?

Not necessarily. We have a single username space across all global territories, offered on a first-come, first-served basis. While you’re welcome to send us proof of your trademark, the use of a trademark in a username doesn’t always qualify as a trademark infringement in and of itself, and we aren’t in a position to adjudicate in situations that require a detailed trademark analysis.

Can I control who comments on my content?

Yes. By default anyone can comment on your reviews and lists, but you can update your settings to allow only people you follow to comment, or disable others from commenting at all. You can override your profile default on any individual comment thread if you wish, for example to close comments on a single review but leave others open to replies.

In addition, as a content owner you can also delete comments made by other members on your reviews and lists, and (if you need to) you can block them from commenting on your content in future.

Can I automatically publish my reviews to other sites?

You may auto-publish content from your profile’s RSS feed (namely new diary entries/reviews and lists) to selected third-party services using a service such as IFTTT. IFTTT has example applets for X/Twitter, Tumblr, WordPress and others. Publishing to Facebook is no longer supported due to recent policy changes.

Can I find films I’ve logged but not rated, or other combinations?

Yes. The following filters on our website allow members to reduce the set of films shown, both in their own profile and around the site. Use the grey “eye” icon at the top of a poster grid to access the Filters menu (a slash through the icon indicates that one or more filters are active). Some filters are automatically disabled when redundant; for example, you can’t show or hide watched films when looking at your own list of films (by definition, the list of films on your profile is already your watched films).

Account filters

• Show or hide watched films
• Show or hide liked films
• Show or hide rated films
• Show or hide logged films
• Show or hide reviewed films
• Show films in watchlist or Hide films in watchlist
• Show films you own or Hide films you own (for Pro members only, learn more)

Content filters

• Show or hide short films
• Show or hide TV shows
• Hide documentaries
• Hide unreleased titles

Each link above applies the specified filter and cancels any other active filter. You can apply multiple filters by selecting them in the UI, or by chaining query parameters, as follows: ?filters=show-logged+hide-rated. (Options to show documentaries and unreleased titles are not offered as they duplicate existing views.)

What happens when I connect my X/Twitter account?

We request read-only access to your X/Twitter account for three reasons: to fetch your avatar, to make it harder to impersonate other members, and so that we can show a list of your friends on X who also have Letterboxd accounts. We never tweet on your behalf (it’s impossible with read-only access).

What happens when I connect my Facebook account?

We request read-only access to your Facebook account so that we can show a list of your Facebook friends who also have Letterboxd accounts. We never post on your behalf unless you manually share content using our Share options (see below).

As of August 2018, Facebook no longer permits external services to automatically publish content to its users’ timelines. Please use the Share option on a film, review or list to publish it manually to your Facebook timeline.

As of October 2020, Facebook’s permissions model has changed. Only members who have re-authenticated their Facebook account since 15 October 2020 will show in your Facebook friends list.

Can I connect my Netflix account?

No. Netflix closed its public API a few years back, so we removed the account connection option. See the section on importing for alternative ways to import your watch history.

Can I auto-publish Letterboxd activity to my Facebook timeline?

No. Facebook removed these permissions in August 2018 (see above). You may still post activity to your Facebook timeline manually.

Following and blocking

What happens when I follow people?

Letterboxd works like X/Twitter: when you follow other people, you’ll see the films they add or review, the stuff they like, and the comments they make on your other friends’ stuff, appear in your Activity timeline and elsewhere. Members you select to follow are referred to as your ‘friends’ on the platform.

How do I find accounts to follow?

In the Members section, directly from review (and other) pages, via the Following and Follower pages of other members, or by using Find Friends on X/Twitter or Facebook from your Settings page (you’ll need to authorize read-only access to these services first).

In the Members section, directly from review (and other) pages, via the Following and Follower pages of other members, or by using Find Friends on X/Twitter or Facebook from your Settings page on our website (you’ll need to authorize read-only access to these services first).

Can I block another member?

Yes. Use the flag icon on a member’s profile or comment to block or report them (in our apps, go to their profile screen and open the action sheet from the more-options icon). When you block a member, the follower relationship is terminated in both directions, comments they’ve posted on your reviews and lists are hidden for everyone who visits those pages, and their avatar and content (including comments they’ve posted elsewhere) is hidden for you. The blocked member is also prevented from replying to (or liking) any of your content, and you won’t see activity relating to them in your feed.

If you feel that a member’s content is generally inappropriate or otherwise contravenes our Community Policy, we encourage you to report the content via the flag icon, in addition to blocking them.

Blocking a member does not hide your content from them, as Letterboxd does not have private accounts, which would be required to protect your content in this way.

Can I remove another member’s comment from my content?

Yes, you can remove individual comments made by other members on your content, or you can remove all of a member’s comments by blocking them. Learn more.

Reviews and tags

Are there rules concerning what I can say?

Yes. We have a community policy that governs all written contributions to Letterboxd. Please abide by these guidelines, and report any breaches using the flag icon on the respective content.

My review was removed. Do I have any recourse?

At Letterboxd, we strive to create an open, inclusive space for all film lovers, including members from communities that have too often been marginalized or been the recipients of hateful rhetoric. As a result, we moderate with that sensitivity in mind. We have zero tolerance for overt or coded hate speech, racism, white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia or any communication that intends to harm or marginalize a particular group or individual based on any protected attribute (as described here).

Our moderators will remove content that appears to violate or undermine these principles. However, we also acknowledge that we are human, and that our moderation team cannot begin to grasp or encompass the full spectrum of humanity and lived experiences that comprise our wonderful community. We may misinterpret or misunderstand your intent. In our sincere desire to foster inclusiveness, we may inadvertently silence the very voices we most want to hear from.

If your content has been removed and you believe we were in error, please get in touch with all relevant details. Our support crew will let you know if specific changes might result in the reinstatement of your content. We all benefit when we have the opportunity to learn and better understand one another.

How do I apply formatting in my reviews?

We support a limited set of HTML tags on our website for formatting and linking to other content. These are: <strong> or <b> tags for bold text, <em> or <i> tags for italics, <a href="[URL]"> for links and <blockquote> tags for quoting others.

For all of these tags, place an opening tag (eg. <strong>) and its corresponding closing tag (eg. </strong>) on either side of the content you’d like to format. For links, include the URL to link to as the href parameter, and ensure it is surrounded by straight quotes (") rather than smart or curly quotes.

Our native apps provide toolbar buttons for applying formatting while editing content.

Why do my reviews sometimes not appear in Activity?

When logging diary entries for films you watched more than two weeks in the past, we show your followers a maximum of one item per hour, to prevent this activity from saturating their feeds. To avoid followers missing your updates, log watched films in a timely fashion, and add your review later—your review will show in your friends’ activity the first time you save the diary entry with review text.

Can I review a trailer?

We’d prefer you didn’t. Letterboxd is for reviews of films you’ve seen, not those you want to see. Feel free to use the Report function (flag icon) to alert us to any trailer or other pre-release reviews, which we’ll remove at our discretion.

Can I edit or delete my reviews (and lists)?

Yes. There is an Edit option on each of your reviews and lists. On the web, this option appears in the actions panel on the relevant page. In edit mode, you can make changes to your content and save these to replace the previous version. Older revisions of reviews and lists are not stored when you make updates, so it is not possible to restore an older version. Edit mode also provides a Delete option to remove the review or list.

In our apps, the Edit and Delete options are in the actions menu available from the title bar of a review or list.

I deleted a review (or list). Can I retrieve it?

Yes. Your account export bundle includes all of your deleted content in CSV format. You can retrieve and repost (or import) deleted reviews and lists from your bundle. Starting 1 May 2024, any content you delete will remain in your bundle for 30 days following its deletion, after which time it will be permanently removed from our servers.

You removed a film I reviewed. Is my review lost?

No. See this section for instructions on retrieving reviews for deleted films.

How do tags work?

You can tag films (when adding them to your diary) and curated lists. Use tags as you would on a blog or X/Twitter, to add context to your content. Tags may reflect your own genre taxonomy, an occasion or festival, where/how/with whom you saw a film, the type or style of a list, or anything else you care to use them for. Each diary entry or curated list displays its list of keyword tags, which you can use to cross-reference your own content, your friends’ content, or community-wide.

Can I use unicode tags?

Yes. We support unicode characters in tags and tag URLs. If you mix unicode and latin characters in a single tag, only the latin characters will be used to generate the tag URL, which may cause multiple tags to ‘collapse’ into a single tag for purposes of aggregation.

Can I edit or delete tags en masse?

Yes, paying subscribers can rename and delete tags across all of their diary entries, reviews and lists, from their main Tags page on our desktop website (app support will be added in a future update). Place your pointer over any tag to reveal the Edit and Delete icons. The Edit option lets you rename a single tag across all your tagged content, and can be used to merge two tags (by renaming one tag to the same name as another of your tags)—you’ll be warned if editing a tag will result in a merge, and given the option to cancel or proceed. The Delete option removes a tag from all your tagged content. There is no undo for these actions, so please be careful!

Lists and ownership

What are lists for?

With lists, you can collect and share groups of films (or keep private lists for yourself). All Letterboxd members have a watchlist to collect films they’d like to see. Create as many curated lists as you wish, for favorite genre films, your collection of physical discs, or your favorite heist films.

What’s the difference between my lists and my watchlist?

Your watchlist is where you keep track of films you’d like to watch. It doesn’t have an edit page, but it does have a single-click add/remove toggle on a film’s page (the clock icon), and from the ‘More Options’ menu on any film poster. Films in your watchlist are automatically removed when you mark them as watched, or log, review or rate them. Just like curated lists, you can set your watchlist to be visible to others or private.

When signed in and browsing films on the Letterboxd website (with a non-touch-based device), those that are in your watchlist show with a blue outline when your pointer is placed over the poster, as opposed to the regular green outline.

Can I compare my watchlist with another member’s?

Yes. Visit the other member’s watchlist and filter by ‘In your watchlist’ (to show films you both want to see) or ‘Hide watched films’ (to show films you haven’t seen)—or both! These filters are located in the menu attached to the ‘eye’ icon above the watchlist posters (and in the filters page in our iOS app).

Can I work on a list without others seeing it?

Yes. Deselect the ‘Public’ option when you first save a new list. When you’re ready for others to see it, select the ‘Public’ option and save the list. Your followers will be notified that you’ve published a new list if this is the first time you’ve made it public.

Is there a maximum list size?

No! There used to be an editing limitation of around 3,300 items when using our website, but this has been eliminated. There is a limit to the number of characters in a list title, however (256 characters, or fewer if you use unicode characters).

Is there an easy way to move items in a long list (aside from dragging them)?

Yes. When editing a list on our website, temporarily enable the Ranked List option if it’s not already checked. With this option active, you can click the list position of any film, type in a new position and press Return on your keyboard. The film will move to the new position, and the remaining films in your list will be renumbered accordingly. Once the list is in your desired order, remember to disable the Ranked List option prior to saving (for lists that aren’t ranked).

The list editor also offers a Sort By control that can be used to change the current order of the list prior to saving, based on metadata associated with each film (such as its title or your rating). Note: this option changes the actual order of items in the list, and does not change the default sort order for anyone viewing the list (at present there is no way to change the default viewing mode for a list).

Our apps offer similar reordering options—tap a row in the list while in edit mode to edit its notes and change its position in the list.

How do I keep track of films I own?

We support a special tag to denote digital or physical ownership of films for paid members. Tag one or more of your (public or private) lists with own or owned to indicate you own the films included in the list(s), and two new filters will appear in the Filters menu on most list or grid pages on our website, and in the Filters screen in our apps. These filters let you show or hide films you own while viewing the content in question, and can be used in conjunction with our streaming availability filters. You’ll also see an indication if you own the film in the Where to Watch panel for each film on our website (we’ll bring that to our apps soon).

Posters and backdrops

Can I change a film’s poster or backdrop?

Yes, if you have a Patron (or HQ) subscription, you’ll see a Change Poster / Backdrop option for each film. (Sometimes these are split into two separate options.) In our apps, they live in the film’s action sheet, and on our website they’re on the film’s main page and also in the fly-out menu on its poster. Selecting one of these options opens a modal dialog with multiple tabs: for posters, Popular, TMDb and Posteritati, and for backdrops, Popular and All.

You may select replacement art for the film from any tab by clicking/​tapping the desired poster or backdrop, then saving changes. The poster you select will represent the film for your use of the platform on both app and web, as described below. The backdrop you select will represent the film on the film’s main page, along with your diary entries, reviews, lists (where it is the first film) and profile (where it is the first of your four favorites), and as long as you haven’t disabled backdrops on those content types in Settings. 

If your subscription tier gives access to the custom-poster option, you’ll see four modes available in Settings (and replicated in the Filters menu for ease of access) that govern which poster you see for each film:

• Any: your selection is shown unless you’re viewing the profile or content of another member with a custom selection for the film, in which case their poster takes priority over yours (this is the default mode)
• Theirs: the profile or content owner’s selection is always shown when applicable, with your selections shown otherwise
• Yours: your selection is always shown, including on other members’ content
• None: the feature is disabled and our platform-default poster is always shown

If you do not have access to the custom-poster option, there are two modes that govern which poster you see for each film:

• Enabled: when viewing the profile or content of a member with a custom selection for the film, their poster is shown (this is the default mode)
• Disabled: the platform-default poster is always shown

There are no corresponding modes for backdrops; your selection does not override another member’s backdrop, so you see your own choices on your content, and their choices (or the platform default) on their content.

Patron/HQ members may select one poster and backdrop for each film on our platform, and change this selection as often as they wish, in addition to modifying the poster and/or backdrop on diary entries/reviews, lists and their profile. Our apps support long-pressing a backdrop to change it, for members with access to this feature. See below for notes on image sourcing.

Note: some sections on our website may show an older poster selection for another member due to caching—our caches are cleared in all cases within 24 hours, after which time you’ll see the correct selection.

Can I change a poster or backdrop on a particular list or review, or on my profile, without affecting the film everywhere?

By default, poster and backdrop changes apply platform-wide (as described above) but individual changes are possible in three scenarios: your own review (or diary entry), your own list, and your profile favorites. Look for a checkbox labeled This item only when invoking the modal dialog from these content types—if this option is checked, the customization will only apply to this item. (For lists and favorites, customizing the backdrop on the first film sets it for the list or profile.)

Resetting the poster for a film outside of the item in question will not affect any custom selections made in other reviews, diary entries or lists. To remove an individually customized poster or backdrop, return to the relevant selection dialog and use the Reset for item button in the modal dialog (the This item only option will be checked, indicating the poster or backdrop is customized specifically for this content), then select Save for item.

Can I undo a custom-poster or backdrop selection?

Yes, there is a Reset Poster or Reset Backdrop option in the selection dialog for each film, which reverts your account back to the platform-default poster or backdrop (don’t forget to save your changes after invoking this option). This approach is preferred over manually selecting the platform-default poster or backdrop, as that action still counts as a customization, and your selection won’t change if our default image for the film is changed in future. (In situations where our default poster or backdrop for a given film is no longer available on TMDb—and is therefore not shown as an option in the selection dialog—the only way to restore that selection is via the Reset Poster or Reset Backdrop option.)

The Reset Poster option does not remove cutomizations made inside individual lists (see above). To reset these selections, you must individually edit each list and remove the relevant customized poster(s).

How do I see all the posters and backdrops I’ve customized?

We’ve added Show/hide films you’ve customized filters on the web and in our apps. These will be extended to support backdrops as well. Enable the Show version of the relevant filter while browsing your own watched films, or all films (from the Browse tab/main Films section) to see your full list of customizations.

The above-mentioned filter does not show films that have been individually customized within a single diary entry/review, list or profile (see above). The Change Poster / Backdrop modal dialog on our desktop website has a link to each of your lists that includes an individually customized poster for the film in question.

Can I upload my own poster or backdrop image to Letterboxd?

No (with one exception: HQ accounts can upload a backdrop profile image).

The poster and backdrop images offered on Letterboxd are sourced from TMDb (and Posteritati for additional posters), and there is no option to upload your own image directly to our platform. TMDb accepts user submissions, but please follow the published guidelines when uploading images, as abuse of TMDb’s rules may lead to customization features being suspended on your Letterboxd account. Infringing content includes, but is not limited to, images containing: spoilers, inappropriate nudity, graphic violence, fan art and memes. TMDb submissions can take up to seven hours to appear on Letterboxd due to caching at their end.

What do the poster hover colors on your website mean?

If you’re signed in to our website, the hover color on each of our posters indicates one of three states for the film in question:

• White: you haven’t watched the film
• Green: you have watched the film (this state is triggered when you log, rate, mark as watched or review the film)
• Blue: the film is in your watchlist (this state takes precedence over the film’s watched state)

You may initially see the default (white) hover state for a watched or watchlisted film if the browser hasn’t received information about your watched state yet (this additional data is requested separately, once the base page is loaded). If you’re not signed in, all of the hover states are green.

Pro and Patron subscriptions

Why should I upgrade my account?

Letterboxd is supported by membership fees as our chief source of income. If you enjoy using Letterboxd and want to send a little goodwill our way, this is the best way to do so. The material benefits of upgrading to Pro or Patron are listed here. Big kisses to all subscribers—past, present and future!

Letterboxd is supported by membership fees as our chief source of income. If you enjoy using Letterboxd and want to send a little goodwill our way, this is the best way to do so. The material benefits of upgrading to Pro or Patron are listed here. Big kisses to all subscribers—past, present and future!

How do I upgrade my account?

You can upgrade your account (or gift a subscription to another member) on our website, or upgrade your account directly in our iOS app (you’ll see a banner at the top of the first tab). All subscriptions are charged annually; there is no monthly option. There is no need to upgrade in both places; upgrading your account using either option covers you for all use of our website and apps on that account.

You can upgrade your account directly in our iOS app (tap the banner at the top of the first tab). All subscriptions are charged annually; there is no monthly option. Upgrading your account via iOS also covers you for all use of our website and other apps on that account.

Do I need to subscribe in the app and on the web?

No! Whether you subscribe in our iOS app or via our website, you are covered for all use of the service. There is no harm in switching payment methods at the end of your subscription period (don’t forget to turn off auto-renewal first!).

What happens when my subscription expires?

If your subscription expires, all stats pages disappear from your account, and you’ll lose access to any Pro- or Patron-level features that were enabled for you, such as the ability to select and filter by your favorite streaming services (including notifications when films arrive on your favorite services) or to clone lists. If you’ve used Pro- or Patron-level features during your subscription period to alter your account (for example, to change your username more frequently than once per year), these changes will remain in place, but you’ll be unable to use the features again until you renew. As a free member you’ll also see third-party advertising in our website and apps.

If your subscription expires, and you lose your stats pages, you can restore them in full by renewing at any time—nothing is lost that can’t be restored by renewing.

Can I transfer a subscription between accounts?

Yes, this option is available on our website. Look for the ‘kebab’ menu (three vertical dots) to the right-hand side of your active subscription, then select the ‘Transfer Subscription’ option and follow the directions. You may not transfer a subscription to an account that already has an active subscription, and you must transfer before you deactivate an account. We require you to enter the password for both accounts, because this mechanism transfers the payment authority to the new account, including the ability to upgrade and/or change the stored payment details. See below for information on giving a subscription as a gift.

If I’m not satisfied with Pro, will you refund me?

Yes, if you aren’t happy with your upgrade we will refund your Paddle (web) or Google payment during the first 30 days of your subscription. Please contact us to request a refund. If your subscription is via Apple in-app purchase, you’ll need to contact Apple support as we are unable to issue refunds for Apple payments ourselves. This offer is limited to one refund per account.

How do I upgrade to HQ tier?

HQ tier is in private beta at this time. Please contact us for details and admission.

Notifications and newsletters

What notifications does Letterboxd send?

You can select the following notification types (in Settings or via our apps):

You can select the following notification types (in the Notifications tab in Settings, available from your profile screen):

• New followers (email, push)
• New comments in subscribed threads—use the bell icon to subscribe (email, push)
• New likes for your reviews and lists (push only)
• General service and account alerts (email, push)

Members can also subscribe to a weekly digest and/or monthly newsletter via email.

New: we’ve added watchlist notifications (email and/or push) to alert our paid members when a film that’s in their watchlist arrives on one or more of their favorite services. See below for details.

Can I get notified when films in my watchlist are ready to watch?

Yes, paying members have the option of being notified (once per day via email and/or push notification) if a film in their watchlist arrives on one (or more) of their favorite streaming services. You must have at least one favorite service selected, and at least one relevant film in your watchlist in order to receive this type of notification.

The notification settings are split into three tiers, based on the type of new availability: i.e. whether the film is available to buy, rent or stream. We do our best to combine push notifications into a single alert, where it makes sense (for example, when a single film arrives on multiple services).

Watchlist alerts are powered by data from JustWatch, and may lag updates to its service by up to 24 hours. Because we receive updates once new films are available, we are unable to offer alerts when films are due to leave their respective services (we aren’t warned ahead of time for removals).

Why am I receiving notifications for someone else’s content?

When you comment on another member’s review or list, you are automatically opted in to receive push or email notifications (according to your Settings) for subsequent comments in the same thread. If you do not wish to receive comments for a particular thread, press the bell icon above the thread to mute notifications for that thread.

Why am I not receiving Letterboxd emails, despite being subscribed?

There are several reasons why email might not arrive, but the most common is due to failed email authentication. Letterboxd uses technologies (including Sender Policy Framework or SPF) to ensure that only we are legitimately able to send email from the letterboxd.com domain. Most large email providers respect SPF headers, and refuse to deliver email that did not originate from our servers. If you have configured an address to “forward” mail on your behalf (say, from iCloud to Hotmail, or similar), the receiving party may reject the email as it has come from the forwarding party, rather than directly from Letterboxd. The solution is to change the email address on your Letterboxd profile to the final receiving address (in this example, your Hotmail account), thus avoiding the forwarding step.

Average ratings

How is the average rating calculated for a film?

We use a weighted calculation to compute the average rating for each film, rather than using the true mean value of all the ratings cast. Only one rating is considered per member (this is the most recent rating cast by the member for the film).

The ‘weighted’ part of the calculation refers to the mechanism we use to compute the average rating. Every rating cast after a film’s release is considered, with weightings applied based on the number or ratings received for the film, and other heuristics. For example, a film with only a handful of five-star ratings has its average weighted down to account for its lower volume of ratings compared to a film with tens or hundreds of thousands of ratings. Our approach also identifies unusual patterns of rating activity, and accounts for these in the final score. We do not disclose the specifics of our approach to protect its integrity.

What does Letterboxd do about campaigns designed to manipulate a film’s rating up or down?

Our weighted-average calculations are formulated to reduce the effects of unusual rating patterns, and to accurately represent the global consensus for each film. We do not disclose the specific details of this approach in order to protect its integrity, and we may make changes to the approach from time to time, to ensure its effectiveness. While you’re welcome to report a member who has, for example, cast a single five-star (or half-star) vote for a particular film as part of an online campaign, our approach is designed to ensure that such ratings have no bearing on the film’s weighted average.

Data and privacy

Are my profile, reviews and lists publicly visible?

Yes (with the exception of any list or watchlist you’ve set as private). Since the launch of our public beta, all content (excluding private lists) is visible by any visitor to the site, and to search engines. If you would like your content hidden from search engines, please contact support.

Does the site have protected/private accounts?

Not at this time. If there’s sufficient demand, these may be added in future as a paid option.

Can I get a copy of my account data?

Yes, there’s an account export option in Settings that bundles your entire account (including deleted content, and reviews for deleted films) into a single zip file of CSV documents.

Yes, there’s an account export option in your Settings screen on our website that bundles your entire account (including deleted content, and reviews for deleted films) into a single zip file of CSV documents.

You removed a film. Can I get my review back?

Yes, we include all your published and deleted reviews in our account export bundle (available in Settings). Reviews that you have deleted are included in the deleted folder, and reviews for deleted films are included in the main reviews.csv file.

Yes, we include all your published and deleted reviews in our account export bundle (available from your Settings screen on our website). Reviews that you have deleted are included in the deleted folder, and reviews for deleted films are included in the main reviews.csv file.

What happens when I delete content from my account?

Deleted content appears in your data export bundle. Starting 1 May 2024, all deleted content will be permanently removed from our servers 30 days after it is deleted. Please contact support to recover a review or list within 30 days of deleting it.

Importing data

Can I import films, ratings or lists from other services?

Yes. Importing is free for all members, and there are three ways to import:

1. Use the ‘Import your data’ link in Settings (also available here) to import films, ratings, diary entries, reviews and more into your account using the Letterboxd CSV format. Our importer is compatible with the export format used by IMDb, and can be made to work with other export files by editing the column headers in those files to match the ones we expect.
2. Use the ‘Import your data’ link in your Settings screen on our website to import films, ratings, diary entries, reviews and more into your account using the Letterboxd CSV format. Our importer is compatible with the export format used by IMDb, and can be made to work with other export files by editing the column headers in those files to match the ones we expect.
3. Import directly to a list using the above CSV approach, with support for both IMDb and Delicious Library formats (you’ll need to use their export functions first, see below).
4. Import directly to your watchlist using the above CSV approach.

When performing an import, you’ll be able to check and fix any mis-matched titles before confirming the changes, and to select relevant options depending upon import type, such as whether you’d like all imported titles to be marked as watched, or all existing titles in a list to be removed first, as part of the process.

To export a list from IMDb, go to your Lists page, find and open the specific list, scroll to the bottom and click ‘Export this list’. You’ll receive a CSV file which you can import via the edit page of an existing list, or as part of creating a new list. For more information, see our Migrating from IMDb guide.

To export from Delicious Library (version 2 or 3), use the File > Export > Export to Another Application… option. Select the shelf or library to export, select the ‘XML’ output format, and click ‘Export…’ to select the output file name and location. You’ll receive an XML file which you can import via the edit page of an existing list, or when creating a new list.

Netflix no longer provides an API to directly import your viewing history, but there are user scripts like this one that could be made to work with the CSV import facility described above.

If you use Flixster, there’s a handy guide to exporting your ratings via its API.

I can’t import very large files. Is there a size limit?

Yes. There is a maximum upload file size limit of 1 MB. Try breaking larger files into smaller chunks (but remember to include the header row at the top of each file).

Film data

Where does Letterboxd get its film data from?

Letterboxd sources all film-related data from The Movie Database, a crowd-sourced database of film-related information. Read more on our film data page, and please report any duplicate or non-film content to us using the Report option on each film’s page.

How do I add or update a film’s details?

You’ll need to create an account at TMDb, and follow their guidelines for adding or updating film details. Changes to TMDb’s data will become visible on Letterboxd within 30 hours, or you can use the shortcut described on our film data page to import brand new entries.

Why is the release year for a film different from its release date in my country?

We display the earliest-known release date for each film (according to TMDb), including premieres and festival screenings. This is the same approach used by IMDb.

Why does a film on TMDb have a different poster?

To maintain a consistent user experience, we lock the posters of popular films from being updated once they are released. If you spot a released film with an incorrect or inferior poster, please let us know and we’ll consider updating it (due to the volume of requests we are not able to respond individually to poster requests). Posters for unreleased films are updated regularly based on TMDb user votes.

I see a film entry on TMDb, why isn’t it on Letterboxd?

We import all non-compilation titles and some adult titles from TMDb’s Movies section daily, and we manually add limited and miniseries from its TV section. If a film has not been imported, chances are it’s marked as ‘Video’ or is a TV entry, or it is marked as ‘Adult’ but doesn’t meet our criteria for import. The Video tag on TMDb is mostly for compilations (such as collections of exercise or music videos) and the Adult tag is for pornographic material. We do import entries marked ‘Video’ if they have a theatrical release date listed. If an entry has been miscategorized according to TMDb’s guidelines, change the appropriate setting at TMDb and we’ll restore the film on our next scheduled import (TMDb’s API has a six-hour cache and we import once per day, so the update process may take up to 30 hours).

If you find a non-compilation or qualifying adult entry on TMDb that doesn’t appear on Letterboxd, please email details (including the TMDb URL) to  and request a manual import.

How do I report duplicate films in your database?

Duplicate film entries are sometimes created in TMDb, which means they end up on our service as well. If/when the duplicate is removed from TMDb, we retain it as it may have been logged or reviewed by our members. If you spot a duplicate, use the Report function on the film’s page (web and iOS app) and we’ll merge the duplicate(s) into a single entry in our database (we take care to move all member activity related to the duplicate film onto the correct entry). When reporting duplicate entries, please include the URL of the correct entry, as this speeds up the process for our moderators.

Should I report non-film content?

Yes. Please use the Report function on a film’s page (web or iOS) to report non-film content such as returning TV series (some exceptions are listed below). These will be removed at Letterboxd’s discretion. You may also use the Report function to report inappropriate content throughout the site, including reviews of trailers.

Do you support TV shows?

No, we do not support ‘returning’ TV shows. For historic reasons, we support a small selection of television content that was originally allowed by TMDb in its Movies section (limited or miniseries, TV movies) as well as some notable exceptions like Black Mirror episodes and shows that were initially marketed as limited series but subsequently given second seasons (like Big Little Lies). TMDb has since moved this content to a new TV section; as a result, some films on Letterboxd link to TV entries instead of movies (so that we continue to receive content updates).

We reserve the right to remove television-related content from our service at any time. If we remove content that you have reviewed, your review will disappear from the site, but will always be available in your account export bundle in Settings.

We reserve the right to remove television-related content from Letterboxd at any time, without warning. If we remove content that you have reviewed, your review will disappear from the site, but will always be available in your account export bundle in your Settings screen on our website.

What happened to the PPV and wrestling entries?

These were (mostly) removed from the site as the result of a policy change at TMDb. PPV and similar events are now classified as ‘Video’ content (a designation mostly used for compilations of content including music and exercise videos), and we do not import such entries. Your reviews for deleted content are included in your account export bundle (available in Settings).

These were (mostly) removed from the site as the result of a policy change at TMDb. PPV and similar events are now classified as ‘Video’ content (a designation mostly used for compilations of content including music and exercise videos), and we do not import such entries. Your reviews for deleted content are included in your account export bundle (available in your Settings screen on our website).

Apps and API

Do you have mobile apps or an API?

Yes. We have iOS, Android and Apple TV apps that offer a subset of the website’s features. We are working towards the release of a public API and if you have a specific project in mind, you may apply for beta access.

Does Letterboxd work with Apple’s Shortcuts app?

Yes. We support Siri Shortcuts (look in the Settings screen of our iOS app) as well as x-callback-url for several common actions, which means you can script our app using the Shortcuts app (previously named Workflow). See Github for documentation and sample workflows.

My Android app won’t connect or shows errors. Is there a fix?

If your Android app shows failure messages when you’re trying to perform actions, please try emptying the local Letterboxd app cache in Android’s Settings area. You may also need to sign out, then sign in again after emptying the cache. If this solution doesn’t remedy the issue, please try deleting and reinstalling the app from the Play Store.

Please also note that our API authentication layer requires that your device’s time and time zone match each other. If your country or area has changed or cancelled its daylight savings approach, you’ll need to change your device time zone to that of a location with the correct time, rather than manually adjusting your device’s local time by an hour.

Why don’t images load on my Android (or other old) device?

Our CDN provider requires TLS 1.2 to load image assets. Some older devices (including several Android handsets) don’t support this security protocol and therefore aren’t able to load our image assets. Please contact your handset or tablet manufacturer for upgraded OS libraries that support this security protocol.

When I first opened your iOS app, it showed me a full-screen poster view. How can I get back to that?

This mode is called Carousel view, and is available in our apps when viewing a list or any of the sections in the Search/Browse by tab. Depending on the view you’re in, Carousel view can be launched from an icon (it’s a “coverflow”-style depiction of three posters, with the center poster in front) or from the ellipsis menu if you’re on a list (as “View in Carousel mode”). Carousel mode can be used in conjunction with sorting and filters; for example: engage the Hide watched films filter to skip films you’ve already marked or logged.

Miscellaneous

Someone else has access to my account. Have you been hacked?

No. The most common method used by an attacker to gain access to another person’s account (on any online service that supports sign-ins) is to find the account owner’s credentials in a “data leak” and use them to change the account password and/or delete the account. Data leaks can occur when an online service’s servers or datastore are compromised by an attacker, and the contents published online. The best defense against such an attack is to use unique, complex passwords for each different service you join.

Letterboxd requires the account password for email address changes and account deactivations, among other actions. If you believe your Letterboxd account has been compromised by an attacker, please get in touch with us at your earliest convenience and we will do our best to restore access for you. (In cases where permanent deletion has been requested and actioned for a deactivated account, we are unable to restore access.)

Can I embed content from Letterboxd into my site?

We have previously conducted a pilot program where selected partners were able to show a summary of Letterboxd activity for a film on their websites. Recent changes to browser security policy have limited our ability to customize content embeds, because we can no longer determine if the visitor to the third-party website is signed in to a Letterboxd account (required to show their rating or their friends’ activity, etc). We are not accepting new content-embed partners at this time. It’s possible we might look at embeddable reviews and/or lists in the future, but this facility is not available today.

Can I use your logo on my site, video or elsewhere?

Yes, provided you do so respectfully. You’ll find versions for download here.

Why is the logo on your website bleeding?

What started as a Hallowe’en gag is now a permanent feature: if you browse the Horror genre on our site, or visit the profile of a Pro member that mentions #horror in their bio, or you just live horror, you’ll see this effect.

Why doesn’t Letterboxd support old browsers?

It takes time and effort to support legacy browsers, and we’d rather spend that time watching films.

Letterboxd is missing a vital feature! Who should I tell?

Please direct your feedback here. We are continually improving our platform and would welcome your thoughts on the service’s future direction.

Where should I report a security vulnerability?

Please email us if you have discovered a security flaw in Letterboxd.