ComicVine Local DB Setup
CLU can read ComicVine metadata from a local SQLite database instead of the ComicVine API. Because it's read straight from disk, there are no API rate limits — ideal for tagging a large library quickly.
New in v6.0
Local ComicVine (SQLite) support is new in v6.0.
New in v6.5 — CLU can fetch and update the database for you
You no longer have to download and unpack the database by hand. Point CLU at a path, click Download now, and it does the rest — and it can keep the copy current on its own from then on.
1. Choose a path CLU can reach
Pick a location that is mapped into your CLU container. If you map /config in your Docker setup, /config/comicvine.db is a good choice.
The file doesn't have to exist yet — CLU will create it. It reads the database directly from disk; nothing is uploaded.
Check you have the room first
The download is around 540 MB and unpacks to several GB — on the same volume that will hold your current copy.
Because a replacement is only swapped in once it's fully verified, peak usage is roughly old + new. Make sure the volume has room for both.
2. Configure the provider
In Settings → Metadata Providers, find the ComicVine (Local DB) card and enter the full path in the Database Path field (e.g. /config/comicvine.db).
Click Save .
Docker / headless alternative
Instead of entering the path in the UI, you can set the COMICVINE_DATABASE_PATH environment variable on your CLU container. Saved credentials take priority; the environment variable is the fallback.
3. Download the database
Under the database path field are two controls:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Download now | Fetches, unpacks and verifies the database immediately. This also works as a first download, so it's how you bootstrap a new install — there are no manual steps to do first. |
| Keep this database up to date automatically | Checks for a newer copy every 2 weeks and replaces the file at the path above. |
Progress appears in Active Operations. This runs in the background because it far outlasts a web request — you can navigate away, and closing the tab doesn't cancel it.
When it finishes, click Test . On success you'll see a green Connected badge.
Automatic updates are off by default
A download and disk write of this size must not start unannounced when you upgrade CLU, so the switch ships off.
The Download now button isn't gated — clicking it is a choice you've just made.
An update is a no-op until it succeeds
Nothing replaces your database until the new file has been downloaded, unpacked, checksum-verified against the publisher's own hash, and confirmed to actually be a ComicVine database.
A failed run — a dead mirror, a truncated download, a full disk — leaves your existing file exactly where it was. You can't end up with a half-written database.
Downloading it yourself
If you'd rather fetch it by hand — an air-gapped install, or you already have a copy — you still can. Grab a prebuilt ComicVine SQLite database and drop it at the path you configured above. A community-maintained copy (last updated July 16, 2026) is available here:
https://pixeldrain.com/u/YkFtSLoC
This is the fallback path, not the normal one. Download now is simpler and verifies what it fetches.
4. Order it above the ComicVine API
For the best of both worlds, order ComicVine (Local DB) above the online ComicVine provider in your library's provider priority. CLU will serve metadata from the local database first and fall back to the ComicVine API for anything the local copy is missing (such as very recent releases).
For usage while browsing, see File Management → Adding Metadata.
Fixed in v6.6 — HTML in summaries
The local database stores descriptions as HTML, which used to end up in the <Summary> field. CLU now converts them to plain text when it writes ComicInfo. Files tagged before v6.6 keep their HTML until re-tagged. See Metadata.