Audiobookshelf series in the wrong order: sequence numbers that sort correctly

Audiobookshelf sorts the books in a series by their sequence number, and it only reads the number at the start of it. 2 and 2.5 sort fine. 1pt2 counts as 1, and Book 3 counts as 0, so those books end up in the wrong place.

Give every book a plain number, or a decimal for parts, and the series sorts the way you expect.

How does Audiobookshelf sort a series?

Each book in a series has a sequence, the book’s number in that series. It’s stored as text, so it can hold anything you type. To sort, though, Audiobookshelf turns it into a number by reading the digits at the start and ignoring the rest:

Sequence	Sorted as
1	1
2.5	2.5
3.01	3.01
1pt2	1
2a	2
Book 3	0
(empty)	last

Books with no sequence go after the numbered ones.

What sequence numbers should I use?

• Whole books - 1, 2, 3.
• Novellas between books - decimals, such as 2.5 for a story between book 2 and book 3.
• A book split into parts - decimals with two digits, such as 3.01, 3.02, 3.03. A project contributor suggested this in issue #4854, and the owner said decimals will keep working. Two digits matter once you pass nine parts: 3.1 and 3.10 are the same number, but 3.01 to 3.12 sort in order.
• Omnibus or box sets - one number, such as the first book’s. A range like 1-3 sorts as 1.

Avoid words in the sequence. Book 3, Part 1 and short stories all sort as 0, and 2a sorts as 2.

Why did my series name change to “Series #1-3 & short stories”?

That happens when the sequence has a space in it and Audiobookshelf saves the book’s details in its metadata.json file. In that file a series is stored as one line, the name and the sequence joined with #, like Ultramarines #1-3. When Audiobookshelf reads the file again, a sequence with spaces in it becomes part of the series name. So you get a new series called “Ultramarines #1-3 & short stories”.

The project owner explained this in issue #4314, and a contributor’s advice there is to avoid spaces in sequences. The issue is still open in v2.37.1.

To fix a book that got split off:

1. Open the book, click the edit (pencil) button and go to the Details tab.
2. Remove the wrong series and add the right one, with a sequence that has no spaces, such as 1.
3. Save. Audiobookshelf removes the mistaken series once no book is left in it.

Can a book be in more than one series?

Yes. A book can belong to several series, each with its own sequence. For example, a Discworld novel can be book 1 in “Discworld” and book 1 in “Rincewind”. On the Details tab, add each series with its number.

Folder names only give one series, the folder above the book. For a second one, add it in Audiobookshelf. You can also put both in the details saved inside the audio file: set the series tag to Discworld; Rincewind and the series-part tag to 1; 1, with the same number of entries in each. An .opf file (a small file of book details, as Calibre makes) can list several series too. The folder structure guide shows how to put a sequence number in a folder name.

Does SoundLeaf use the same order?

Yes. SoundLeaf sorts a series the same way: by the number at the start of each sequence, numbered books first. Books with the same number, or none, go by year published and then by title. The library browsing guide has more on series in SoundLeaf. If a series looks wrong there, fix the sequence numbers in Audiobookshelf and refresh.