How to Create a TMDB API Key and Add It to Kodi

If a Kodi add-on asks for your own TMDB credential, request one through your TMDB account and enter it in that add-on’s settings. Kodi itself has no system-wide TMDB API-key field, so the add-on must support a custom key. A personal key may help if an add-on relies on a shared credential, but it does not bypass TMDB’s rate limits or guarantee a fix for crashes.

The interface images below are illustrative. TMDB may change its account controls, and Kodi menus vary by skin, device, and add-on.

Before you start

You need a TMDB account and a Kodi add-on that uses TMDB’s API and exposes a setting for a custom credential. TMDB recommends applying from a desktop browser because its API registration flow is not optimized for mobile. The TMDB Getting Started guide explains where to request access and links to the terms you must accept.

TMDB lists two application credentials: an API Key (v3 auth) and an API Read Access Token (v4 auth). TMDB documents both as ways to authenticate API requests, but a particular add-on may accept only one format. Match the credential to the field the add-on actually requests; do not paste a v3 key into a field that specifically asks for a v4 bearer token.

How to create a TMDB API key

1. Create or sign in to your TMDB account. Visit The Movie Database, register if needed, and complete any account verification it requests. Then sign in using a desktop browser.

   

2. Open the API settings page. From your account, open Settings and choose API in the account navigation. The current TMDB documentation describes the API link as part of account settings; its exact placement or wording can change.

   

3. Start an API application request. Follow the API page’s request or create flow. Choose the application type that matches your real use, enter an accurate description of the software and how you plan to use the API, and review the terms and API guidelines before accepting them. Do not use invented contact or project information.

   

4. Wait for TMDB to issue the credentials. Once the application is accepted, return to API settings and review the two entries: API Key (v3 auth) and API Read Access Token (v4 auth). They are separate application credentials. The TMDB authentication guide explains the available methods.

   

5. Copy the credential your add-on requests. If its field says API key, copy the API Key (v3 auth). If it explicitly asks for an API Read Access Token or bearer token, use that v4 value instead. Do not guess between the two, and keep your credential out of public posts and screenshots.

   

How to add the key in Kodi

6. Open Kodi’s Add-ons area. From the home screen, select Add-ons and open the add-on browser or installed add-ons. The names and layout can differ across Kodi versions and skins.

   

7. Open the compatible add-on’s settings. Find the add-on that retrieves movie or TV metadata from TMDB, highlight it, open Kodi’s context menu, and choose Settings. Kodi’s Add-ons documentation describes this route. The context-menu control can have a different name on a remote or device. Confirm that the add-on’s own documentation supports a custom TMDB credential.

   

8. Enter the key and save. Open the add-on’s account, metadata, or API section and locate its TMDB API-key field. Paste the copied value, check that no spaces were added at either end, and select OK or Save. If the add-on asks for a different credential type, use the matching value from TMDB. Restart the add-on only if its documentation says settings take effect after a restart.

   

If the add-on still has errors

• No API-key field: The add-on may not support custom TMDB credentials. Kodi has no global setting that can substitute for the add-on’s own configuration.
• Authentication error: Check that the value was copied completely and that you used the credential type named by the add-on. An API key and an API Read Access Token are different fields in TMDB account settings.
• Rate-limit or connection error: A personal key does not exempt requests from TMDB’s limits. The add-on may still be making too many requests, or TMDB may be temporarily unavailable; review the add-on log and TMDB’s service status before changing more settings.
• Categories still crash: A key cannot repair unrelated add-on code, an outdated metadata integration, or a broken dependency. Update only from a source you trust and follow that add-on’s current documentation. Older guides may mention Covenant or Elysium, but those add-ons have their own settings and version history; their menu paths do not apply to every Kodi add-on.

For non-commercial API use, TMDB’s API FAQ says its data and images must be attributed. It directs commercial projects to contact TMDB about licensing. If you are only configuring an existing add-on, follow the add-on maintainer’s instructions and do not publish your personal credential.