IMDb

IMDb
Type	website
Shortcut	WP:IMDB
Status	Generally unreliable
Deprecated	no
Blacklisted	no
Recency	2020
Domain imdb.com
	In source code; External links in articles; Spamcheck tool
RfC
Link	Rfc
Date	2019

This page is a test version of a potential new layout for the Perennial sources project. It is a demo and not part of the live listings. See Talk.

This source in a nutshell: IMDb is considered

generally unreliable. See § Summary.

IMDb is a source that has been repeatedly discussed at the Reliable sources noticeboard. This page collects and links information about previous discussions and current consensus, and summarizes it here for convenience.

Summary

The content on IMDb is user-generated, and the site is considered unreliable by a majority of editors. WP:Citing IMDb describes two exceptions. Although certain content on the site is reviewed by staff, editors criticize the quality of IMDb's fact-checking. A number of editors have pointed out that IMDb content has been copied from other sites, including Wikipedia, and that there have been a number of notable hoaxes in the past. The use of IMDb as an external link is generally considered appropriate (see WP:IMDB-EL).

Excerpt

IMDb, formerly known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biographies, plot summaries, trivia, ratings, and fan and critical reviews. As of September 2025, IMDb ranks as the 40th most visited website in the world and the 35th in the United States.

Discussions

Links

Recency

2020

Rfcs

2019 Rfc

Notes

References

Original table row for comparison

(remove this when this source page is ready to go live)

Perennial sources
Source	Status (legend)	Discussions			Use
Source	Status (legend)	List	Last	Summary	Use
IMDb (Internet Movie Database) WP:IMDBWP:IMDB 📌		2019	2020	The content on IMDb is user-generated, and the site is considered unreliable by a majority of editors. WP:Citing IMDb describes two exceptions. Although certain content on the site is reviewed by staff, editors criticize the quality of IMDb's fact-checking. A number of editors have pointed out that IMDb content has been copied from other sites, including Wikipedia, and that there have been a number of notable hoaxes in the past. The use of IMDb as an external link is generally considered appropriate (see WP:IMDB-EL).	1