ComicInfo.xml in CBZ files

ComicInfo.xml is a metadata file that the ComicRack program wrote into comic archives, and that most comic readers and library managers (Komga, Kavita, ComicTagger and others) now read and write. It sits in the root of the archive. Its schema was never formally published by ComicRack; the Anansi Project keeps it on GitHub as version 1.0, 2.0 and a 2.1 draft. This page follows the 2.1 draft and says which elements it added.

The file

The root element is ComicInfo, with no namespace (files often declare xmlns:xsi and xmlns:xsd because .NET wrote them). Every child is optional and appears at most once, in the order below. A reader should treat a missing element as its default, which means “unknown”.

Elements

#	Element	Type	Default	Meaning
1	`Title`	text	empty	The title of this issue or book.
2	`Series`	text	empty	The series name.
3	`Number`	text	empty	The issue number, as text so that `1.5` or `Annual 1` are possible.
4	`Count`	integer	−1	The total number of issues in the series.
5	`Volume`	integer	−1	The volume, often the year the series started.
6	`AlternateSeries`	text	empty	Another series the issue belongs to, such as a crossover.
7	`AlternateNumber`	text	empty	Its number in that series.
8	`AlternateCount`	integer	−1	The issue count of that series.
9	`Summary`	text	empty	A synopsis.
10	`Notes`	text	empty	Free notes, often written by tagging tools.
11	`Year`	integer	−1	Year of publication.
12	`Month`	integer	−1	Month, 1 to 12.
13	`Day`	integer	−1	Day of the month.
14	`Writer`	text	empty	Writers, comma separated, as are all the people fields.
15	`Penciller`	text	empty	Pencillers.
16	`Inker`	text	empty	Inkers.
17	`Colorist`	text	empty	Colourists.
18	`Letterer`	text	empty	Letterers.
19	`CoverArtist`	text	empty	Cover artists.
20	`Editor`	text	empty	Editors.
21	`Translator`	text	empty	Translators. Added in 2.1.
22	`Publisher`	text	empty	The publisher.
23	`Imprint`	text	empty	The publisher’s imprint.
24	`Genre`	text	empty	Genres, comma separated.
25	`Tags`	text	empty	Tags, comma separated. Added in 2.1.
26	`Web`	text	empty	Web addresses about the issue, separated by spaces.
27	`PageCount`	integer	0	The number of pages.
28	`LanguageISO`	text	empty	The language, as a code such as `en` or `ja`.
29	`Format`	text	empty	The edition’s format, such as `Trade Paperback`, `Annual` or `Digital`.
30	`BlackAndWhite`	YesNo	`Unknown`	Whether the comic is black and white.
31	`Manga`	Manga	`Unknown`	Whether it is manga, and its reading direction.
32	`Characters`	text	empty	Characters, comma separated.
33	`Teams`	text	empty	Teams.
34	`Locations`	text	empty	Places.
35	`ScanInformation`	text	empty	Who scanned it and how.
36	`StoryArc`	text	empty	Story arcs, comma separated.
37	`StoryArcNumber`	text	empty	The issue’s place in each story arc, in the same order. Added in 2.1.
38	`SeriesGroup`	text	empty	A group of series, such as a franchise.
39	`AgeRating`	AgeRating	`Unknown`	The age rating.
40	`Pages`	list of Page	none	Information on each page.
41	`CommunityRating`	decimal 0–5, one decimal place	none	A rating out of 5.
42	`MainCharacterOrTeam`	text	empty	The main character or team.
43	`Review`	text	empty	A review.
44	`GTIN`	text	empty	A Global Trade Item Number: an ISBN, EAN or UPC. Added in 2.1.

Version 1.0 had fewer of these elements. Because every element is optional and readers ignore what they do not know, files of all versions can be read the same way.

YesNo

Value	Meaning
`Unknown`	Not known (default).
`No`	No.
`Yes`	Yes.

Manga

Value	Meaning
`Unknown`	Not known (default).
`No`	Not manga.
`Yes`	Manga, read left to right.
`YesAndRightToLeft`	Manga read right to left: readers turn pages the other way.

AgeRating

A mix of ratings from different systems, as ComicRack offered them:

Value	Value	Value
`Unknown` (default)	`Everyone`	`PG`
`Adults Only 18+`	`Everyone 10+`	`R18+`
`Early Childhood`	`G`	`Rating Pending`
`Kids to Adults`	`M`	`Teen`
`MA15+`	`Mature 17+`	`X18+`

Pages

Pages holds one empty Page element per image in the archive. Attributes:

Attribute	Type	Default	Meaning
`Image`	integer	required	The image’s position in the archive’s page order, from 0.
`Type`	list of page types	`Story`	What the page is: see below. Several types may be given, separated by spaces.
`DoublePage`	boolean	`false`	The image is a two-page spread.
`ImageSize`	integer	0	The image file’s size in bytes.
`Key`	text	empty	A key identifying the image, used by ComicRack’s cache.
`Bookmark`	text	empty	A bookmark name for the page.
`ImageWidth`	integer	−1	The width in pixels.
`ImageHeight`	integer	−1	The height in pixels.

Page type	Meaning
`FrontCover`	The front cover; readers use the first one as the thumbnail.
`InnerCover`	An inside cover.
`Roundup`	A recap of earlier issues.
`Story`	A story page (default).
`Advertisement`	An advert.
`Editorial`	An editorial page.
`Letters`	Readers’ letters.
`Preview`	A preview of another comic.
`BackCover`	The back cover.
`Other`	Anything else.
`Deleted`	A page the reader should not show.

Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ComicInfo xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
           xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <Title>The Long Night</Title>
  <Series>Harbour Lights</Series>
  <Number>3</Number>
  <Count>12</Count>
  <Year>2024</Year>
  <Month>5</Month>
  <Writer>Ana Ruiz</Writer>
  <Penciller>Tom Hale, Jo Park</Penciller>
  <PageCount>24</PageCount>
  <LanguageISO>en</LanguageISO>
  <Manga>No</Manga>
  <Pages>
    <Page Image="0" Type="FrontCover" ImageWidth="1988" ImageHeight="3056"/>
    <Page Image="11" DoublePage="true"/>
    <Page Image="23" Type="BackCover"/>
  </Pages>
</ComicInfo>

.CBZ File Format – ComicInfo.xml