About scan scripts

Scan scripts are called when a new file is found in the incoming nzb directory (option NzbDir). If a file is being added via web-interface or via RPC-API from a third-party app the file is saved into nzb directory and then processed. NZBGet loads only files with nzb-extension but it calls the scan scripts for every file found in the nzb directory. This allows for example for scan scripts which unpack zip-files containing nzb-files.

To activate a scan script or multiple scripts put them into ScriptDir, then choose them in option Extensions (ScanScript in older NZBGet versions).

Writing scan scripts

Scan scripts are a kind of Extension scripts.

Please read Extension scripts for general information about extension scripts first!

This document describes the unique features of scan scripts.

Configuration options

Like other extension scripts the scan scripts get NZBGet configuration options (env. vars with prefix NZBOP_) and Script configuration options (env. vars with prefix NZBPO_) passed. In addition the information about the file currently being scanned is passed as well:

File information

• NZBNP_DIRECTORY - Path to directory, where file is located. It is a directory specified by the option NzbDir or a subdirectory.
• NZBNP_FILENAME - Name of file to be processed.
• NZBNP_NZBNAME - Nzb-name (without path but with extension). The script can rename the file if needed.
• NZBNP_URL - URL this nzb-file was downloaded from.
• NZBNP_CATEGORY - Category of nzb-file. The script can change this setting (see later).
• NZBNP_PRIORITY - Priority of nzb-file. The script can change this setting (see later).
• NZBNP_TOP - Flag indicating that the file will be added to the top of queue: 0 or 1. The script can change this setting (see later).
• NZBNP_PAUSED - Flag indicating that the file will be added as paused: 0 or 1. The script can change this setting (see later).
• NZBNP_DUPEKEY - Duplicate key (see RSS). The script can change this setting (see later).
• NZBNP_DUPESCORE - Duplicate score (see RSS). The script can change this setting (see later).
• NZBNP_DUPEMODE - Duplicate mode, one of SCORE, ALL, FORCE (see RSS). The script can change this setting (see later).

Control commands

Scan scripts can change nzb-name, category, priority, post-processing parameters and top-/paused-flags of the nzb-file by printing special messages into standard output (which is processed by NZBGet).

To change nzb-name use following syntax:

echo "[NZB] NZBNAME=my download";

To change category:

echo "[NZB] CATEGORY=my category";

To change priority:

echo "[NZB] PRIORITY=signed_integer_value";

For example: to set priority higher than normal:

echo "[NZB] PRIORITY=50";

Another example: use a negative value for “lower than normal” priority:

echo "[NZB] PRIORITY=-100";

Although priority can be any integer value, the web-interface operates with six predefined priorities: *-100 - very low priority; *-50 - low priority; *0 - normal priority (default); *50 - high priority; *100 - very high priority; *900 - force priority.

Downloads with priorities equal to or greater than 900 are downloaded and post-processed even if the program is in paused state (force mode).

To change duplicate key:

echo "[NZB] DUPEKEY=tv show s01e02";

To change duplicate score:

echo "[NZB] DUPESCORE=integer_value";

To change duplicate mode:

echo "[NZB] DUPEMODE=(SCORE|ALL|FORCE)";

To assign post-processing parameters:

echo "[NZB] NZBPR_myvar=my value";

The prefix “NZBPR_” will be removed. In this example a post-processing parameter with name “myvar” and value “my value” will be associated with nzb-file.

To change top-flag (nzb-file will be added to the top of queue):

echo "[NZB] TOP=1";

To change paused-flag (nzb-file will be added in paused state):

echo "[NZB] PAUSED=1";

Scan scripts can delete processed file, rename it or move somewhere. After the calling of the script the file will be either added to queue (if it was an nzb-file) or renamed by adding the extension “.processed”.

NOTE: Files with extensions “.processed”, “.queued” and “.error” are skipped during the directory scanning.

NOTE: Files with extension “.nzb_processed” are not passed to scan-script before adding to queue. This feature allows scan-script to prevent the scanning of nzb-files extracted from archives, if they were already processed by the script.

NOTE: Files added via RPC calls in particular from web-interface are saved into incoming nzb-directory and then processed by the script.