Why can't I add a show that has not ended to Completed?
How Simkl Handles Watchlists For Ongoing Shows Automatically?
When you finish watching all episodes of a show that hasn’t been officially marked as Ended, Simkl keeps it in your Watching list and shows an alert message explaining why.
Sometimes a series finishes airing all episodes that have been produced but remains listed as Returning or Ongoing in Simkl’s database, which means that the show has not officially ended and might have new episodes added.
This can also sometimes happen if external data sources like TVDB or AniDB haven’t yet updated the show’s official status to “Ended” or "Cancelled". In these cases, please check the sources and update it there first.
To avoid incorrectly marking the show as completed, Simkl displays this message when you mark the final episode as watched:
“This show is still airing, so we're keeping it in your ‘Watching’ list and marked all aired episodes as watched. You will receive notifications when new episodes air in your Watching list.”
This ensures your lists stay accurate while the database awaits confirmation on whether the series is renewed, cancelled, or officially concluded.
Watchlists and Custom ListsWhen You’ll See This Message
This pop-up appears if:
You’ve marked all current aired episodes as watched,
The show’s status is “Returning”, “Continuing”, or “Ongoing”.
The show’s year range ends with “Now” (e.g., 2021–Now)
There’s no official information yet confirming that the show has ended, been cancelled, or completed.
Typical cases:
A popular show has finished its latest season, but there’s no renewal or cancellation news yet.
A streaming platform is silent about future seasons.
TVDB/AniDB hasn’t yet updated the status from “Continuing” to “Ended.”
If you believe the show has ended but it hasn’t been updated yet, you can:
Suggest or update the show status on TVDB, or
Report it via Simkl’s feedback form or Discord community if the data needs to be updated on Simkl's side.
What Simkl Does Automatically?
When you finish watching all episodes of a show that’s still marked as Returning or Ongoing, Simkl steps in to handle everything behind the scenes; no manual cleanup or moving between watchlists is required.
Instead of letting your watchlist become outdated or inaccurate, the system intelligently keeps the series in your Watching list and manages its progress for you.
Here’s what happens automatically:
a) Keeps the show in your Watching list
The show stays active in your Watching section so you can continue receiving updates. This helps if the show suddenly announces a new season or special episode later. Example: Blue Eye Samurai (2023–Now) stays in Watching until Netflix officially declares whether a Season 2 will happen.
b) Marks all currently aired episodes as watched
Simkl automatically marks every episode that has already aired as watched. You’ll never lose progress, even if the next season takes years to arrive. Example: If you’ve watched all episodes of Lupin or Arcane, Simkl marks everything up to the latest released episode and waits for the next batch.
c) Sends you notifications when new episodes are released
The moment new content becomes available, such as a surprise Christmas special, OVA, or post-finale episode, you’ll get notified automatically. Example: Ted Lasso and Vinland Saga fans got notifications when special episodes or additional content dropped unexpectedly.
d) Displays upcoming or unaired episodes on your dashboard
Any future or scheduled episodes will appear in your Watching dashboard, giving you a heads-up about planned releases or possible delays.
Example: For Wednesday (2022–Now), you’ll see placeholder slots for upcoming Season 2 episodes as soon as they’re added to the database.
e) Syncs automatically when TVDB or AniDB refreshes
Simkl periodically syncs with its data sources, such as TVDB (for live-action) and AniDB (for anime). When they confirm an update like “Show ended” or “Season 3 announced” your watchlist refreshes automatically to reflect that change.
Example: If Tokyo Revengers is finally marked as ended on AniDB, Simkl will instantly move it out of Watching during the next update cycle to your Completed watchlist.
This entire system prevents confusion and keeps your profile perfectly aligned with official episode data from trusted databases.
When the Show Officially Ends....
Once the official data sources (TVDB or AniDB) confirm that a show has truly ended, Simkl automatically adjusts your lists, ensuring everything stays up to date with zero manual work.
Move it automatically from Watching → Completed.
Stop sending new episode notifications.
Keep your full episode history intact in your profile.
You don’t need to do anything manually; it updates automatically during the next database refresh.
Why This Matters
Prevents incorrect watchlist movement for ongoing or uncertain series.
Ensures you don’t miss late-announced renewals or specials.
Keeps your tracking consistent with official sources.
Reduces manual maintenance, Simkl updates automatically once official data changes.
Notes
This feature applies to TV Shows and Anime listed as Returning, Continuing, or Ongoing.
It does not affect Movies or Limited Series, which end after one release cycle.
You can still manually archive or move a show if you wish, but once official data updates, Simkl will automatically correct the list to match.
Database refreshes occur periodically and automatically; there’s no need to trigger them manually. However, you can do a data refresh using the REFRESH DATA button on the show manually.
If you notice incorrect show status, you can suggest an update directly on TVDB or report it via Simkl’s support channels or click the REFRESH DATA button.
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