Skip to content

Getting Started

Jump to bottom
J_Brns edited this page Mar 11, 2026 · 4 revisions

Getting Started

Welcome to NeXroll! This guide walks you through setting up NeXroll for the first time.

Step 1: Install NeXroll

If you haven't installed NeXroll yet, see the Installation Guide.

Once installed, open NeXroll in your browser:

  • Local: http://localhost:9393
  • Remote: http://your-server-ip:9393

Step 2: Set Up Authentication (Optional)

If you want to secure access to NeXroll:

  1. Go to Settings → Authentication
  2. Enable Username/Password Authentication
  3. Create an Admin account
  4. From now on, a login page will appear before accessing NeXroll

You can also generate API Keys for external integrations. See Configuration - Authentication for details.

Step 3: Connect to Your Media Server

Connecting to Plex

  1. Go to the Connect tab
  2. Enter your Plex URL (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:32400)
  3. Enter your Plex Token
    • Find your token: Open Plex Web → View XML → Look for X-Plex-Token in the URL
    • Or use the Plex Token Finder
  4. Click Test Connection
  5. If successful, click Save

Connecting to Jellyfin

  1. Go to the Connect tab
  2. Enter your Jellyfin URL (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8096)
  3. Enter your API Key
    • In Jellyfin: Dashboard → API Keys → Create
  4. Click Test Connection
  5. If successful, click Save

Jellyfin also requires the NeXroll Intros plugin to play prerolls. See the full Jellyfin Setup guide for plugin installation and Cinema Mode configuration.

Connecting to Emby

  1. Go to the Connect tab
  2. Enter your Emby URL (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8096)
  3. Enter your API Key
    • In Emby: Settings → API Keys → New API Key
  4. Click Connect

Emby also requires the NeXroll Intros plugin and Cinema Mode enabled. See the full Emby Setup guide for plugin installation and Cinema Mode configuration.

Step 4: Install Media Server Plugin (Jellyfin/Emby Only)

If you're using Jellyfin or Emby, you need to install the NeXroll Intros plugin on your media server for prerolls to play.

NeXroll can auto-detect and configure the plugin from the Connect tab — look for the Plugin Detection panel.

Plex users: No plugin needed. NeXroll applies prerolls directly via the Plex API.

Step 5: Configure Path Mappings

If NeXroll and your media server see files at different paths (common with Docker), set up path mappings:

  1. Go to Settings → Path Mappings
  2. Add a mapping:
    • NeXroll Path: Where NeXroll sees prerolls (e.g., /data/prerolls)
    • Media Server Path: Where Plex/Jellyfin/Emby sees the same files (e.g., /media/prerolls)
  3. Click Save

See Path Mappings for detailed examples.

Step 6: Add Your Prerolls

Upload Prerolls

  1. Go to the Dashboard → Add Prerolls page
  2. Click Upload
  3. Select video files (MP4, MKV, etc.)
  4. Optionally assign to a category
  5. Click Upload

Import an Existing Folder

If you already have a folder of preroll videos:

  1. Go to Dashboard → Add Prerolls
  2. Use the Import Folder section
  3. Browse to or enter the path of your preroll folder
  4. NeXroll will register the existing files without moving them

Organize with Categories

Categories help organize prerolls by theme:

  1. Go to Dashboard → Categories
  2. Click New Category
  3. Enter a name (e.g., "Christmas", "Halloween", "General")
  4. Save the category
  5. Assign prerolls to categories using the searchable thumbnail grid

Step 7: Apply Prerolls

Quick Apply (Manual — Plex Only)

Apply a category's prerolls to Plex immediately:

  1. Go to Dashboard → Categories
  2. Find your category
  3. Click Apply to Plex

Plex will now use those prerolls!

Jellyfin/Emby users: The NeXroll Intros plugin automatically fetches active prerolls at playback time — no manual "apply" step is needed. Just make sure the plugin is configured and you have an active category, schedule, or filler set.

Scheduled (Automatic)

Set up schedules to automatically change prerolls:

  1. Go to Schedules
  2. Click New Schedule
  3. Configure:
    • Name: "Christmas 2025"
    • Category: Select the category
    • Date Range: Dec 1 - Dec 25
    • Mode: Exclusive or Blend
  4. Save the schedule

NeXroll automatically applies the right prerolls based on your schedules.

Step 8: Set Up NeX-Up (Optional)

NeX-Up brings a movie theater "Coming Soon" experience to your server:

  1. Go to NeX-Up → Connections
  2. Connect Radarr and/or Sonarr with their URL and API key
  3. Click Sync to discover upcoming releases
  4. Go to NeX-Up → Settings to upload YouTube cookies for reliable downloads
  5. Download trailers for upcoming content
  6. Use the Generator tab to create Coming Soon intro videos or Coming Soon Lists

See NeX-Up Guide for the full setup.

Step 9: Verify It Works

Plex

  1. Open Plex and play any movie
  2. Your preroll should play before the movie starts

Jellyfin

  1. Play any movie in Jellyfin
  2. A preroll should play before the movie
  3. Check Jellyfin logs for "NeXroll" messages if troubleshooting

Emby

  1. Play any movie in Emby
  2. A preroll should play before the movie
  3. If not, verify Cinema Mode is enabled and "Include trailers from my movies in my library" is checked
  4. Run "Refresh Custom Intros" from Scheduled Tasks if needed

If it doesn't work:

  • Check Troubleshooting
  • Verify path mappings
  • Ensure your media server can access the preroll files
  • For Jellyfin/Emby: Verify the NeXroll Intros plugin is installed and configured

What's Next?

Now that you're set up, explore more features:

Quick Tips

Keep Prerolls Short

  • 10-30 seconds is ideal
  • Max 2-3 prerolls per viewing

Use Descriptive Names

  • Name prerolls clearly: Christmas_Snow_2024.mp4
  • Makes organizing easier

Test Before Holidays

  • Set up schedules early
  • Test that prerolls play correctly

Back Up Your Config

  • Use Settings → System & Files Backup for a complete backup
  • Includes database, prerolls, and thumbnails

NeXroll Wiki

Getting Started

Media Server Setup

Features

Reference

Links

Clone this wiki locally