A film credit is what appears in the released film’s opening or end titles; an IMDb credit is a record in IMDb’s database. The production’s released version determines what viewers see, while IMDb decides what its database accepts and how it displays it. IMDb aims to reflect on-screen credits, but its eligibility, verification, category, and ordering rules mean its listing may not match a poster, opening card, or the film’s full billing.
What counts as a film credit—and what counts as an IMDb credit?
A film credit is part of the film itself: a name and role presented in its opening or end titles. The released version is the primary evidence of what appeared on screen.
An IMDb credit is a database entry connecting a person to a title and a role. It may be based on the film’s credits, but IMDb applies its own rules to decide whether to include the entry and how to display it. The two records therefore serve different purposes: one is the production’s on-screen billing; the other is a searchable database representation.
Who controls each listing?
The released film controls what viewers see
The production’s released version establishes the film’s on-screen credits. Contracts or applicable guild and union arrangements may also govern what credit someone was owed, but the rules depend on the job, agreement, territory, and circumstances. There is no single universal body that controls every film credit.
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IMDb controls its database record
IMDb’s editors review additions and corrections submitted through its contribution system. IMDb may check a listing against the released work, and says it can remove credits that routine review cannot verify. IMDb determines its own database contents and presentation; it does not determine what a production contract required.
Why can an IMDb credit differ from the film’s billing?
The source being compared may differ
IMDb says its aim is generally to reflect the most complete on-screen credit listing, often the end titles. A poster or opening card may show a different selection or billing arrangement. Comparing one of those materials with IMDb is not necessarily comparing like with like.
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences calls a film’s complete front-and-end screen credits “legal billing” in its 92nd General Entry Submission Requirements. The document says to upload credits “that appeared on the film itself,” not outside sources such as IMDb. For an awards submission, the film’s own credits—not its IMDb page—are the requested evidence.
IMDb has eligibility rules
Under IMDb’s usual credited-status policy, a person’s name must appear in the original released version’s opening or end titles. Work performed or a contractual entitlement to credit does not, by itself, establish an IMDb on-screen credit if the name does not appear there. Later home-video-only additions and credits in deleted scenes do not qualify under the normal policy. Some uncredited work can be submitted separately, subject to IMDb’s additional guidelines and editor discretion.
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Database order is not always screen or advertising order
IMDb’s order numbers control how credits display within a title. Its rules vary by category: cast and writers may be arranged to reflect on-screen order, while most other categories generally appear alphabetically. A person’s filmography titles are ordered automatically according to release dates. As a result, an IMDb page may not reproduce the order seen in advertising or every aspect of the film’s presentation.
| Question | Film’s on-screen credit | IMDb credit |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | A name and role shown in the released film’s opening or end titles. | A database entry linking a person to a title and role. |
| Who controls it? | The production establishes the released version; contractual and guild or union rules may also apply. | IMDb controls its database, with submissions reviewed under its rules. |
| What determines inclusion? | What appears in the released version, alongside any applicable production obligations. | IMDb’s eligibility rules and its review of submitted evidence. |
| How is it ordered? | As presented by the production in the film. | By IMDb’s category-specific display rules; cast and writers may follow screen order, while most other categories are generally alphabetical. |
| What is it best for? | Evidence of what was billed on screen. | A searchable, linked filmography record. |
How to correct an inaccurate IMDb credit
- Check the released film. Review the relevant opening or end titles and note the name, role, and order as they appear.
- Open the relevant IMDb title or name page. Use IMDb’s contribution or edit interface to submit an addition or correction.
- Provide supporting information. Follow IMDb’s category and eligibility guidance, include relevant evidence, and track the submission through IMDb’s contribution system.
- Review the outcome. IMDb editors may accept or decline a submission; a contribution is not guaranteed to be published. If it is declined, check the stated reason against the evidence and the applicable rules.
If the dispute is about a credit promised by a contract that never appeared in the released film, treat that as a separate production or contractual matter. An IMDb correction request cannot resolve what a production owed under an agreement.
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