Please do read, rather than just saying “that is how it’s always been done” or “but X over at Y does it that way.” In both cases, the established guidelines for StashDB are not being followed on StashDB. If these guidelines are not to be followed, they should be documented with clear reasons. At present, such documentation cannot be provided either via guideline or alternate instructions. The only responses I have received are the two quoted earlier. I admit I have no control over any third-party, community or alternative stash boxes, this pertains solely to StashDB. Additionally, I have been told “everyone does it the same way” and to stop raising concerns, which is incorrect, and can be documented.
I will provide what I have found along with how I reached these conclusions. Any personal comments will be shared at the end. My intention is to remain objective and avoid any perception of bias so that something referencable can be established.
Problem: The data being provided to Stash is incorrect, not sourced from primary references, or discredited by the supporting links provided. Submitting JAV data commonly and frequently violates established guidelines for data submission to Stash.
Guidelies Applicable:
- “Full movies only allowed for JAV releases or western releases available directly from official studio websites.”
- “Submissions that only have 3rd party retailers (Adult DVD Empire, Hot Movies, etc.) or databases (IAFD, Data18, etc.) as their primary sources may not be accepted.”
- “At this time, all professional scenes and stduios must be available digitally from an official studio website or network.”
Contributing to StashDB This is the document all editors are required to read and acknowledge to get edit access.
Common Mistakes: Section 3.) Ineligible movie scenes.
- "All scenes must be sourced from a 1st party digital studio. This means any scenes or movies sourced excusively from a 3rd party retailer for rent or sale … are not eligible for inclusion on StashDB at this time. That also means physical releases (VHD, DVD, BlueRay, etc.) with only 3rd party databases as a source (IAFD, Data18, TPDB, IMDB, etc.) are also not eligible. Requirements for eligibility are explained in more details for both
Full Movie EntriesandSplit Movie Scenes.
Common Mistakes: Section 5.) Exceptions for JAV Content
- "Since JAV is almost exclusively released as full movie downloads, it has been granted and exception under our
Full Movie Entriesguideline. - “We also have specific requirements on the formating of
JAV Names.” (I skipped this as it pertains to performers and seems well regulated.)
As is referenced in this post already on discourse about 3rd party sources it is brought up that the Split Movies Guideline
- “Split scenes are expected to have a first party digital source as its primary source of info. Basically, this means a scene from
Studio Xshould be sourced fromStudioX.com. All info (release date, title, description, scene aliases, etc.) should match the first party digital release when possible. If the scene did not have a first party digital release, then it is not eligible on StasDB at this time.”
Also included in the post there are comments that 3rd party sources should only be used if there is no way to get a primary source.
- “The earliest known release date for a scene is always the preferred scene date.”
Note: Since Japan is unique and does not permit direct sales from the studio’s website, I recommend allowing the authorized distributors linked from the studio s website as an alternative primary source. The distributor could be linked alongside a studio DVD link or serve as the primary digital source for eligibility, validation, and data.
In the scenes I reviewed, studios provided at least one direct link to scenes available for digital purchase. The primary source for all R18.dev data also appears to be FANZA, which was the most frequently supplied studio distributor. So this data could be provided as well.
Summary of guidelines and instructions as I understand them:
- JAV is permitted as a full movie.
- All scenes must originate from a first-party digital release source.
- VHD, DVD, Blu-ray, and other physical media with a third-party database as the source are not permitted.
If I have fundamental misunderstanding of what is written, or if I have missed any instructions or guidelines, please let me know.
Review of Scenes:
I reviewed approximately 70 recent JAV scenes added to the database and identified that they fall into one of four categories:
- Single link to a third-party database (R18.dev) with DVD source, which may contradict the information or fingerprints provided in the edit.
- Single link to a third-party database (R18.dev) with a Pay-Per-View (PPV) or Video-On-Demand (VOD) source.
- One link to a third-party database (R18.dev) source along with one or more links to digital storefronts supplied by the studio, with multiple matching data points. The data provided in the edit aligns with the digital release information.
- One link to a third-party database (R18.dev) with DVD, plus an included comment with a storefront link, updated and added to edit, but no change in data. This is essentially similar to category 1, observed approximately three times.
Upon review and in consideration of the guidelines:
Category 1 directly violates multiple rules; no physical media, only third-party databases, and no digital proof provided.
Category 2 also violates guidelines because it relies solely on a third-party database despite representing a digital release.
Category 3 aligns more closely with the guidelines, although it may not always include the studio link but does feature the authorized distributor link.
Category 4 functions similarly to category 1.
Detailed Scene Data:
I will be using some shorthand to avoid overwhelming with links. Links that can be constructed from fragments will only include the relevant fragment. I selected scenes from ‘created at’ from current time. None of these have been edited, commented on, or voted on by me, ensuring I do not influence or skew data regarding how users submit scenes.
Scene 1)
Stash ID: 019acb38-c7ab-79e9-90ad-d21438ebc9c4
Scene Name: ADN-737
Date: 2025-11-28
PHASH: Duration 02:04:28
Link 1) Studio
Form: DVD
DVD ID: ADN737
Date: 2025-12-2
Duration: 02:00:00 (120 Minutes)
Although this link originates from the studio source, DVD-sourced material is not currently permitted according to guidelines. Additionally, the duration and date do not match the edit data.
Link 2) R18.dev
Fragment: /id=adn00737
Form: VOD
Content ID: ADN00737
Date: 2025-11-28
Duration: 02:04:00 (124 Minutes)
This link provides a digital source with matching duration and the earliest available date as per the guidelines. The information is sourced from a third-party database.
The following link is not provided by the editor; I am providing it now for comparison, from the studio’s website to the distributor’s via a button titled “Buy Videos Download + Streaming”.
Link 1) Sudio VOD Distributor
Studio Distributor: FANZA
Fragment: /?id=adn00737
Form: Digital
Manufacturer ID: ADN-737
Distribution: ADN00737
VOD Date: 2025-11-27
DVD Date: 2025-12-01
VOD Duration: 02:04:00 (124 Minutes)
The digital distributor linked by the studio aligns with the edit data and the third-party database source. If edited it would comply with the guidelines for the earliest release date.
Overall, this scene appears to meet the current guidelines. Submission is based on digital data.
Scene 2)
Stash ID: 1e2bcb56-5255-4a3a-9398-f80618d54c9a
Scene Name: SGKI-002
Date: 2023-11-23
PHASH: Duration 02:30:59 (151 Minutes)
Link 1) R18.dev
Fragment: /id=1sgki002
Form: Mail-Order (DVD)
Content ID: 1sgki002
DVD ID: SGKI-002
Date: 2023-11-23
Duration 02:30:00 (150 Minutes)
Similar to scene 1, sourced from DVD via third-party database. Duration is approximately the same between edit and source.
Link 2) Classified as Studio
The editor indicated this was exclusively for actresses, jav.guru does not appear to be a studio; it looks suspicious and has not been seen in other edits. For now, I am disregarding it, as it also was not found on the Discourse JAV resources.
The following 3 links were not provided by the editor:
Link 1) R18.dev
Fragment: /id=1sgki00002
Form: PPV
Content ID: 1sgki00002
Date: 2023-10-23
Duration: 02:31:00 (151 Minutes)
Third-party database; close duration. Digital distribution date is earlier than the accepted edit.
Link 2) Studio Distributer DVD
Studio Distributor: FANZA
Fragment: /cid=1sgki002
Form: DVD
Content ID: 1sgki002
Date: 2023-11-23
Duration: 02:30:00 (150 Minutes)
It is an affiliated distributor DVD release, not a digital release. Duration does not match.
Link 3) Studio Distributer VOD
Studio Distributor: FANZA
Fragment: /?id=1sgki00002
Form: VOD
Manufacturer ID: SGKI-002
Distribution: 1sgki00002
VOD Date: 2023-10-22
DVD Date: 2023-11-22
Duration: 02:30:00 (150 Minutes)
The VOD release states an earlier DVD release date than the DVD release page. Digital release date is earlier than accepted edit.
This scene does not adhere to the guidelines as written and contains inconsistencies. Submission is based on DVD data.
Scene 3)
Stash ID: 019ab510-89c5-738c-bc44-0e928f166e18
Scene Name: SNOS-002
Date: 2025-11-25
PHASH: Duration 02:20:03 (140 Minutes)
Link 1) R18.dev
Fragment: /id=snos002
Form: Mail-Order (DVD)
Content ID: snos002
Date: 2025-11-25
Duration: 02:20:00 (140 Minutes)
Data is sourced from DVD information via third-party database.
The following 2 links were not provided by the editor:
Link 1) R18.dev
Fragment: /id=snos00002
Form: PPV
Content ID: snos00002
Date: 2025-11-21
Duration: 02:20:00 (140 Minutes)
This is from a third-party database, which is digital. There is a minor date discrepancy, but it is still earlier than the accepted edit.
Link 2) Studio Distributer VOD
Studio Distributor: FANZA
Fragment: /?id=snos00002
Form: VOD
Manufacturer ID: SNOS-002
Distribution: snos00002
VOD Date: 2025-11-20
DVD Date: 2025-11-24
Duration: 02:20:00 (140 Minutes)
The scene is based solely on third-party DVD data and does not adhere to established guidelines. The distributors release dates for DVD or VOD do not match the submitted data.
Scene 4)
Stash ID: 019ab510-89c5-738c-bc44-0e928f166e18
Scene Name: IBW-518Z
Date: 2015-09-11
PHASH: Duration 02:53:36 (173 Minutes)
Link 1) R18.dev
Fragment: /id=504ibw00518z
Form: PPV
Content ID: 504ibw00518z
Date: 2015-09-11
Duration: 02:53:00 (173 Minutes)
Single source to digital release information via third-party database.
The following link wwas not provided by the editor:
Link 1) Studio Distributer VOD
Studio Distributor: FANZA
Fragment:/?id=504ibw00518z
Form: VOD
Manufacturer ID: IBW-518Z
Distribution: 504ibw00518z
VOD Date: 2015-09-10
DVD Date: 2015-10-26
Duration: 02:53:00 (173 Minutes)
Scene information is based on digital release data. It is also solely sourced from a third-party database which is not following currently accepted guidelines. Release dates all conflict.
Scene 5)
Stash ID: 019ac848-e91d-7a61-abe5-65b7cc93b19e
Scene Name: JUQ-455
Date: 2023-12-26
PHASH: Duration 01:58:29 (118 Minutes)
Link 1) R18.dev
Fragment: /id=juq455
Form: Mail-Order (DVD)
Content ID: juq455
Date: 2023-12-26
Duration: 02:00:00 (120 Minutes)
Third-party database DVD source with a slightly different duration.
2 Links supplied by me for this analysis:
Link 1) R18.dev
Fragment: /id=juq00455
Form: PPV
Content ID: juq00455
Date: 2023-12-22
Duration: 01:58:00 (118 Minutes)
Third-party database, digital format, duration matches.
1 Link supplied by me for this analysis:
Link 1) Studio Distributer VOD
Studio Distributor: FANZA
Fragment: /?id=juq00455
Form: VOD
Manufacturer ID: JUQ-455
Distribution: juq00455
VOD Date: 2023-12-21
DVD Date: 2023-12-25
Duration: 01:58:00 (118 Minutes)
Digital format, all dates differ from accepted edit.
Scene 6)
Bonus scene because it was approved the day I wrote this draft.
Stash ID: 019adbd2-b3c5-7131-b932-1edbd80f4fd3
Scene Name: A nest of drug-induced sex “I love Japanese dick” Scandinavian beauties get FUCKed hard at my place!! Melody Hina Marks
Date: 2025-09-13
PHASH: Duration 02:34:19 (154 Minutes)
Link 1) Studio Link
Fragment: N/A Scene name may be FJIN-098
Form: Digital Release (First-party too)
Content ID: fjin00098
Date: 2025-09-16
Duration: 02:34:00 (154 Minutes)
First-party Digital Release. Date does not match, studio cites earlier date.
1 Link supplied by me for this analysis:
Link 1) R18.dev
Studio Distributor: FANZA
Fragment: /?id=fjin00098
Form: VOD
Content ID: fjin00098
Date: 2025-09-13
Duration: 02:34:00 (154 Minutes)
Date matches, not included in edit.
All of this scene is wrong.
Why highlight these six recently submitted scenes? The purpose is to demonstrate that data submission is inconsistent, which challenges the argument of “we always do it this way” and the claim that “everyone follows the same process regardless of guidelines.”
I made an effort to avoid selecting the same editor multiple times for these examples. Even submissions from the same submitter may have different provenance data, so it is not always guaranteed whether the content is DVD or VOD.
Compared to other common scene rejections in the queue:
- Edits to update scenes from digital release information to DVD release information from Data18 (Third-Party Database) - Rejected
- New scene additions with only Data18 (Third-Party Database) as the source - Rejected
- Edits to update scenes from digital release information to DVD release information from IAFD (Third-Party Database) - Rejected
- Edits to update scenes from studio information to alterate information from TPDB (Third-Party Database) - Rejected
- Scene additions without primary digital release information - Rejected
This raises several fundamental questions.
-
Where is the exception in the guidelines that permits using only third-party databases as the primary source in StashDB for JAV?
-
In scenarios such as scene 6, why is the third-party source given priority despite both being digital releases with the same content code? Compounded by the fact that not all data sources are included in the edit.
This situation is essentially already akin to scraping TPDB without validation and submitting that data to StashDB, which, as discussed here, is already a last resort option.
- Where is the exception stating that JAV entries on StashDB are limited exclusively to DVD-based releases?
The guidelines for StashDB already specify “digital release information only,” with no exceptions. I have provided multiple recent examples demonstrating that this rule is not always strictly applied.
Combining these points, the initial instructions to all StashDB editors indicate that “Physical releases (VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, etc.) with only third-party databases as sources (IAFD, Data18, TPDB, IMDB, etc.) are also not eligible.”
- Where is the justification or exception to this instruction, considering it was provided to every editor upon application and is expected to be followed?
*===========
Personal Thoughts:
The community scrapers are generally regarded as the authoritative source for standardizing scene information. I have no issues with any data returned from these scrapers that everyone is expected to utilize. This includes data such as titles, studios, descriptions, and other related information.
Since the “DVD Information Only” approach is not consistently followed, there is no need to make a special exception. The data for VOD/PPV is readily accessible.
For example, the primary source of data on StashDB appears to be R18.dev. Switching from DVD to VOD typically requires about four clicks or keystrokes. (More recently, VOD releases also feature the landscape covers preferred on StashDB, whereas the R18.dev links for DVDs display studio portrait covers.)
Oh R18.dev adding two zero’s into the fragment is all it takes.
DVD/MAIL-ORDER:
/?id=juq455
PPV/VOD:
/?id=juq00455
All it takes. I’ve only seen it not work once, and that was a scene for which I couldn’t find a digital release for released circa 2010.
Clarification: Considering the challenges related to JAV data, particularly the need for a Japanese IP to access most studios and distributors. I do not support banning the use of R18.dev as a primary source. Instead, data from R18 should be supplemented or replaced with information from other sources, since it is a third-party database. Similar to any other third-party source used on StashDB. The same logic applies to replacing DVD data with VOD data.
R18.dev primarily scrapes FANZA, so it is a scrape of a storefront.
Since I personally have accounts with three of the distributors, I use the same approach with their links as well, they are all very formulaic. I understand that most people may not have that level of access, and while editors are expected to put in some effort. I do recognize that, R18.dev is convenient because editors can insert the content code, accept the first result, and avoid pushback from the edit queue even if there are obvious errors. This might be due to R18.dev source, being JAV, or reliance “The Community,” which is often cited as the ultimate authority to shutdown questions. Despite “The Community’s” inconsistent behavior and enforcement of what “The Community” says is right. (From what I can tell it is based on a pirate site?) As I mentioned earlier, this discussion is about StashDB and its community, which are expected to adhere to certain standards of quality and consistency.
Ultimately, since the StashDB community is held to higher standards, JAV content on StashDB should be maintained to the same level of quality and consistency as content from all other studios and follow the established guidelines.
*edited to fix some formatting errors, edit 2 and 3 were to correct an odd hyperlink to other disource topics. Converted some more items to links and removed them at the end per request. I missed a link.
