If utilized to their fullest, these files can be used to maintain the entire server's collections and metadata, and can be used as a backup for these in the event of a restore requirement.
Collections, templates, metadata, and dynamic collections are defined within one or more Metadata files, which are linked to libraries in the [Libraries Attribute](../config/libraries.md#metadata-path) within the [Configuration File](../config/configuration.md).
| [`templates`](templates) | contains definitions of templates that can be leveraged by multiple collections |
| [`external_templates`](templates.md#external-templates) | contains [path types](../config/paths) that point to external templates that can be leveraged by multiple collections |
* Example Metadata Files can be found in the [Plex Meta Manager Configs Repository](https://github.com/meisnate12/Plex-Meta-Manager-Configs/tree/master/PMM)
Each collection requires its own section within the `collections` attribute and unlike playlists, collections can be built using as many Builders as needed.
Builders use third-party services to source items to be added to the collection. Multiple builders can be used in the same collection from a variety of sources listed below.
Plex Meta Manager can automatically update items in Plex [Movie](metadata/movie), [Show](metadata/movie), and [Music](metadata/movie) Libraries based on what's defined within the `metadata` attribute.
Each metadata requires its own section within the `metadata` attribute. Each item is defined by the mapping name which must be the same as the item name in the library unless an `alt_title` is specified.
YAML files cannot have two items with the same mapping name so if you have two movies with the same name you define each one with a name of your choosing. Then use the `title` attribute to specify the real title and the `year` attribute to specify which of the multiple movies is for this mapping.
```yaml
metadata:
Godzilla1:
title: Godzilla
year: 1954
content_rating: R
Godzilla2:
title: Godzilla
year: 1998
content_rating: PG-13
```
### Alt Title
To define an alternative title that the item may be called when searching use `alt_title`. When a title is found matching `alt_title` then the name of the itme will be changed to match the mapping name or `title` if specified.
For Example, the 2007 movie Halloween shares a name with another movie in the Halloween franchise so this changes the title to `Halloween (Rob Zombie)` if the title is currently Halloween.
