Not to state the obvious here, but Netflix has a lot of stuff to watch. So much, in fact, that sites like How-To Geek employ experts like me to help readers sift through it all to help you find something good.
Netflix tries to help, too, in a way, by cleanly laying out its wares on your TV and streaming devices, organizing it all in algorithm-tuned categories, top 10 lists, genres, and more.
And while there are dozens of more basic genres to scroll through, did you know that there are thousands of super-specific “secret” Netflix genre codes you can access to help unearth new shows and movies you may never have heard of? Read on and learn.
What are Netflix’s secret genre codes?
OK, so they’re not really secret, and they’ve been around for ages, but Netflix’s “genre ID codes” are internal codes the streaming giant uses internally to organize its library into thousands of hyper-specific genre categories and combinations. It’s actually a leftover from its DVD-by-mail rental days.
While Netflix doesn’t officially promote or publicize them, they’ve surfaced over the years as numerical codes that have been shared all over the internet. And their scope is broad, with a number for just about every genre of movie and show you can think of. Instead of basic staples such as Action & Adventure, Drama, and Comedy, you can drill down to some tailored specifics like Screwball Comedies, Foreign Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Anime Horror, and many more.
By adding code to the end of a Netflix URL (which we explore below), a vast range of new and unique combinations becomes available.
Why these hidden Netflix codes are so useful
If you’re an avid Netflix user, even if you’ve been great at adding to your watchlist (a.k.a. My List) to help train your recommendations to serve up things that you like, you may still feel like it’s lacking in new and interesting things to watch. Netflix’s home page and UI can often feel limited, confined to your algorithm, with no customization tools (a feature we’d love to see them add).
Learning to use these Netflix genre codes can help you search for and discover new movies and shows specific to your wants and needs, and that are buried by the recommendation system. Utilizing the codes will jump you right to those available titles. And while it does have some limitations, I’ve found it easy to do and helpful in discovery.
How to use Netflix genre codes (the best method)
Now for the easy part. Netflix says that there are 36,000 of these secret codes available, and using them is easy-peasy. First, you need a resource for finding the codes, and luckily, there are loads out there. One of my favorites is from the folks at What’s On Netflix.com, which has a searchable list with links. But a simple Google search will unearth many more. Additionally, there are some good Chrome extensions, such as All Netflix Categories, that can be added right to your Chrome browser, giving you a dropdown to linkable code URLs.
For the manual way, exploring Netflix codes must be done with a web browser—this cannot be done using the Netflix app on your phone, smart TV, or streaming device. Armed with the codes, here’s what to do.
- Fire up your web browser of choice.
- Type “netflix.com/browse/genre/”.
- Add the code after the slash—example, “netflix.com/browse/genre/81552046” for some excellent suggestions for “Witchcraft & the Dark Arts.”
- Once the Netflix page loads in your browser, you can browse through the titles normally.
Bookmark your favorite secret genres for future and regular browsing.
The workaround: Use codes in your browser, then sync to your TV
As mentioned above, unfortunately, using Netflix codes only works in a web browser. So how do you get all this great new stuff on your Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, or smart TV? Here’s the trick.
- Follow the steps above to find and browse the categories you want.
- When you find something you like, add it to your “My List.”
- This can be really efficient, making it easy to add a lot of new things to watch, quickly.
- When done, open the Netflix app on your TV, streaming device, phone, or tablet.
- Go to your “My List”—everything you added from the secret genre will be there instantly to watch.
Doing this on a desktop browser is highly recommended. Unfortunately, using Netflix code URLs on a smartphone browser automatically opens the Netflix app, rendering them useless. A workaround is to use a private browsing window or the “Request Desktop Site” in Safari, for example. This forces it to stay in the browser, but you won’t be able to log in to Netflix to add titles to your My List this way.
Some useful Netflix genre codes to get you started
As mentioned above, there are more than 36,000 of these genre codes, delivering all kinds of specific recommendations for your unique tastes—or tastes you don’t even know you have yet. Here’s a list of some of my favorites, and some of the more interesting of them you can check out for yourself.
I recommend checking the code lists you find online (there are many) for new categories as Netflix updates them.
I’d heard of these secret Netflix genre codes for ages, but never really utilized them. Now that I have, it’s really helped me find a ton of new stuff to watch that I don’t think I’d have found by using Netflix’s own categories and genres. I like how I can browse the lists of codes and really zero in on ones that speak to my interests.
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Two or four
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