---
title: "anilist-to-mal"
description: "Populate MyAnimeList manga from your AniList list (status + chapter progress)."
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://manifold.jfa.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# anilist-to-mal

```sh
manifold migrate anilist-to-mal [flags]
```

One-shot **list → list** importer: reads your AniList manga library and writes
matching entries onto MAL (`status`, `is_rereading`, and `num_chapters_read`).
Anime is never touched. The registry and continuous MAL backup projector are
not involved.

MAL is a disposable downstream backup. Prefer wiping MAL first, then importing
from AniList while every other MAL writer stays disconnected.

## Prerequisites

1. [`login anilist`](/cli/login/anilist) and [`login mal`](/cli/login/mal)
2. Pause or disconnect every MAL writer (including Manifold's MAL backup)
3. Optional clean slate: [`mal wipe manga --apply --backup-paused`](/cli/mal/wipe-manga)
4. Dry-run this command, review unmatched titles, then `--apply`

## Flags

### `--anilist-token <token>`

Optional AniList access token override. Resolve order: flag →
`MANIFOLD_ANILIST_TOKEN` → `login anilist` keychain.

Example:

```sh
manifold login anilist
manifold migrate anilist-to-mal
```

### `--mal-token <token>`

Optional MAL access token override. Resolve order: flag → `MANIFOLD_MAL_TOKEN`
→ `login mal` keychain. A supplied token does not refresh.

### `--apply`

Write list status and chapter progress to MAL. Without this flag the command
only reports matches.

- Default: `false`

Example:

```sh
manifold migrate anilist-to-mal --apply --backup-paused
```

### `--backup-paused`

Acknowledge that every other MAL writer is paused or disconnected. **Required
with `--apply`.** When `MANIFOLD_TOKEN` is set, the command also GETs
`/v1/auth/mal` and **refuses `--apply`** while Manifold's backup connection is
still active. `--backup-paused` does not bypass that check.

### `--skip-progress`

Do not seed `num_chapters_read` from AniList progress. Status (and reread flag)
still write.

- Default: `false`

### `--limit <n>`

Only process the first N AniList entries after export. Useful for smoke dry
runs on large libraries.

### `--api-origin <url>` / `--api-token <token>`

Personal API origin and token for the backup-connection check. Fall back to
`MANIFOLD_API_ORIGIN` and `MANIFOLD_TOKEN`.

## Matching

1. **AniList `idMal`** when the media carries a MAL cross-link
2. **Title search** via the public MAL client id (`MANIFOLD_MAL_CLIENT_ID` or
   the client id stored in the keychain session): unique exact normalized title
   (including synonyms), then a unique conservative partial. MAL accepts
   search `q` only when it is **3–64** characters — shorter titles are
   skipped, longer ones are truncated for the query. Search failures count
   as `errors` on the progress line (no per-error console spam) and stay
   unmatched; they do not abort the run.
3. Ambiguous or empty candidate sets stay **unmatched** — never forced

## Status map

| AniList   | MAL                             |
| --------- | ------------------------------- |
| CURRENT   | `reading`                       |
| PLANNING  | `plan_to_read`                  |
| COMPLETED | `completed`                     |
| DROPPED   | `dropped`                       |
| PAUSED    | `on_hold`                       |
| REPEATING | `reading` + `is_rereading=true` |

Chapter progress floors to an integer and becomes `num_chapters_read` unless
`--skip-progress` is set.

## Behaviour

- Dry-run by default; no MAL PATCH until `--apply --backup-paused`
- Title search and list writes both pace at **1.5 s** between HTTP calls
  (~40/min floor; same as wipe). 429/5xx retry up to three times.
- Per-entry write failures are reported; successful entries still commit
- Exit code `1` when any entry is unmatched or fails to write
- Does not change tracker authority, registry bindings, or the continuous
  backup projector (which remains status-only after reconnect)

## Typical flow

```sh
manifold login anilist
manifold login mal
# disconnect Manifold MAL backup in admin / credentials
bun run manifold mal wipe manga --apply --backup-paused
bun run manifold migrate anilist-to-mal
bun run manifold migrate anilist-to-mal --apply --backup-paused
# reconnect MAL backup only after the import looks right
```

Source: https://manifold.jfa.dev/cli/migrate/anilist-to-mal/index.mdx