Playlist workspace
M3U duplicate remover
Find repeated M3U entries by URL, name or a combined match. Choose which occurrence to keep, review removed entries and download the deduplicated playlist.
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A new copy
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The iiPTV duplicate remover compares channel records in an M3U playlist and groups the entries that match your chosen rule. Review those groups, choose which occurrence to retain and export a shorter catalogue. It does not test the streams or decide whether two programmes are actually identical.
A duplicate remover is useful after combining catalogues, receiving repeated provider exports or finding the same address under several labels. The important decision is what counts as a match. An exact address, a display name and the combination of both answer different questions.
On this page: load a list, choose matching, review survivors, compare an example, save safely, and questions.
Load one catalogue into the duplicate remover
Select an M3U file through the browser's File API, or paste its text. Confirm the imported count before analyzing it. The duplicate remover reads catalogue data locally; it does not request every stream to establish whether the records match. This makes text comparison separate from any later availability check.
If you still need to combine several complete files, start with the playlist merger. It can apply matching while joining the inputs. Return to the duplicate remover when you want a dedicated view of repeated records and more deliberate control over which occurrence survives.
Keep an unmodified source copy. A duplicate remover can make a catalogue easier to navigate, but the original remains useful if a supposedly redundant source turns out to be an intentional backup.
Choose the duplicate remover matching rule
Exact URL
URL mode groups the same complete address. The duplicate remover does not discard authentication parameters or assume that two hostnames are interchangeable. Different signed URLs can therefore remain separate even when they ultimately serve the same channel; that is a limitation of comparing text rather than media identity.
Channel name
Name mode compares display labels, with the available case-sensitive option controlling whether capitalization matters. A duplicate remover can catch repeated labels from different sources, but it can also group distinct regional or language feeds that happen to share a name. Review the candidates before applying the rule.
URL and name together
Combined mode requires both values to match. This duplicate remover rule is narrower than matching either value independently. It keeps entries that share only a name or only an address, which can be useful when preserving different catalogue labels or alternative sources matters more than achieving the smallest possible file.
Review duplicate remover groups before deletion
Choose whether the first or last occurrence should be retained. Order matters because the surviving record supplies its metadata, including group and logo. The duplicate remover cannot know which provider export was maintained better, so arrange your preference deliberately instead of assuming the newest-looking name is more accurate.
Examine the grouped candidates and the expected removal count. A duplicate remover result should be understandable against your original list: which entries matched, which one stayed and why. If name matching unexpectedly collapses many channels, return to a stricter rule before exporting.
Do not remove a lower-bandwidth or backup feed solely because its title looks redundant. A duplicate remover sees text, not the operational role of each source. Use the M3U editor to give important variants distinct names before applying broader name-based matching.
Compare three duplicate remover outcomes
Imagine three records: News One at address A, News Backup at address A and News One at address B. In URL mode, the duplicate remover groups the first two records. In name mode, it groups the first and third. In combined mode, none match because no pair shares both values.
Keeping the first record in URL mode preserves News One; keeping the last preserves News Backup. This duplicate remover example shows how the retention setting changes metadata even when the remaining address is identical. Inspect the chosen group and title before deciding that either output is preferable.
Addresses such as https://example.com/live/a.m3u8 are placeholders, not included broadcasts. Use permitted inputs for real comparisons. The duplicate remover does not verify a subscription or establish that the retained source is more available than the one you removed.
Save duplicate remover results with context
File and pasted-text processing use browser memory without an account. The duplicate remover does not maintain a saved personal cloud catalogue. Download the result before refreshing or closing the page, and record the matching and retention settings if you may need to repeat the operation.
The supported import limits are 5 MiB and 10,000 entries. A bounded preview keeps the page responsive while counts describe the accepted dataset. The duplicate remover is not an unlimited archive service; split oversized work into clearly identified parts and keep the originals for comparison.
Exported records can still contain sensitive addresses, tokens and usernames. Removing repetition does not remove credentials. The Privacy Policy distinguishes local transformation from source requests, page analytics and preferences. Review a duplicate remover screenshot before sending it to support or publishing an issue.
Duplicate remover questions
Does the duplicate remover remove offline channels?
No. Availability is a different check. Use the playlist cleaner to inspect source outcomes and explicitly remove selected failures. Unknown cross-origin results should remain distinguishable from observable HTTP errors, particularly when a source works in a native application.
Can a duplicate remover identify similar spellings?
These rules compare the selected fields, not a channel-identity database. News One and News 1 need not match. Treat automatic spelling guesses cautiously, because a regional edition or another organization may have a similar title.
Can I test the retained records?
Open the result through the one-time in-memory player handoff, then press Play for a supported source. This does not put private addresses into an iiPTV navigation URL or persist the playlist. Keep a downloaded copy for future use and a saved original for reversibility.