[DEPRECATED] Netflix Search Workflow

[Shark.Formax]

Hi all, this is my first workflow, please let me know what you think.

 

Netflix Alfred Workflow

 
Website: https://github.com/dkarter/AlfredNetflixSearchWorkflow
Netflix API (unofficial): https://github.com/dkarter/NetflixScraperAPI
Version: 1.5 (Sept 20, 2014)

License: MIT
Disclaimer: I am not connected and or affiliated with Netflix, this code was written purely for educational purposes and with no other intent, warranty or purpose. Use at your own risk and responsibility.

 

Installation
 
Please use Packal to download the workflow - it will provide AutoUpdate functionality.
http://www.packal.org/workflow/netflix-search

Usage

Searching for a movie/tv-show

 

nf [name of movie]

• Netflix Search Workflow will automatically suggest matching titles.
• Pressing enter (⏎) will open the Netflix player in your browser and start playing the movie
  • If you are opening a previously watched TV show/movie it will continue where you stopped last
• Pressing Command (⌘) and Enter (⏎) will open the movie page which includes synopsis, cover, reviews
  • if the title is a TV show it will allow you to select the episode you would like to watch on that page

 

Searching for an actor/director etc

 

nf ppl [name of person]

• Netflix Search Workflow will automatically suggest matching names based on roles in movies in Netflix.
• Press enter (⏎) to open a page with a list of movies by/with that person

Edited March 4, 2021 by atheos
Add deprecation notice

[mikedvzo]

Workflow returns no results and wen I tried to run it from the command line it says "`open_http': 502 Bad Gateway (OpenURI::HTTPError)"  

 

Looks like netflix_api = 'http://netflix.atr.io' is not valid.  

[Southgirl]

I  also get an error. As soon as I type the first letter of a title, I get Alfred's "Search Google for [x]". I'm on 10.6, btw.

[gnicklaus]

Not to 'Me Too' it, but I'm also not getting any response from this.  It just goes to the fallback search (google in my case).  Hope this can be fixed, looks really useful.

[Shark.Formax]

Thanks for your replies! My Netflix Scraper server was down. It appears to be working now.

[gnicklaus]

Yes, it appears to be working now.  Thanks!

[katie]

Thanks for this workflow! I've been waiting for something like this 

 

I was just wondering which Netflix country this searches? I tried to search for something that I know is listed in Canada, US, and the UK, and I tried switching my VPN to servers in those countries, but it doesn't show up in this workflow. 

 

Is there an easy way to switch the country? It would be great if this could somehow be used to check the availability in different countries.

[Sebastian Daza]

Not working here. I get this: 

 

 

[ERROR: alfred.workflow.input.scriptfilter] Code 1: ./main.rb:27:in `<main>': private method `select' called for nil:NilClass (NoMethodError)

[ERROR: alfred.workflow.input.scriptfilter] Code 1: ./main.rb:27:in `<main>': private method `select' called for nil:NilClass (NoMethodError)

 

Thanks!

[Shark.Formax]

@katie - I've added support for switching the country on the latest version which I will publish today, hope you'll like it.

 

@Sebastian Daza - sorry, I am working on a new version of both the API server and client and managed to break it for users with older version of the workflow. That being said, the good news is that the new version is done! I will upload it today by end of day.

 

Definitely need a better workflow and API versioning to support legacy versions for future releases.

 

If you downloaded the workflow using the Packal workflow you should get the update automatically tonight. Otherwise, watch this thread and I will update when it's ready.

 

Here's a teaser:

[Shark.Formax]

Version 1.5 is out now - http://www.packal.org/workflow/netflix-search

Go check it out.

 

@katie - as of right now to change the country you will have to go into the workflow and modify the script filter as in the screenshot below. If there is more demand I can create an interface for setting it.

 

Double click the highlighted script filter:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/opupksrxgnsr4tx/Screenshot%202014-09-20%2002.10.04.png?dl=0

 

For US (default):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/px9fqxkj3li7vi8/Screenshot%202014-09-20%2002.07.44.png?dl=0

 

For Canada:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dcyfws6592g4czl/Screenshot%202014-09-20%2002.08.21.png?dl=0

 

Please let me know how that's working out for you.

[katie]

Thank you!! That was pretty easy, thanks to your clear instructions, and it's super helpful! I hated waiting to connect to different servers to check if something was available on Netflix. I've duplicated the workflow and changed keywords so I can check both countries 

 

Do you know what other country codes are supported? I tried to use UK or GB based on this wikipedia list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-1_alpha-2 but it doesn't work. 

 

By the way, seeing the different images is awesome! Thanks for the update!!

[ChristianOlsen]

Hi atheos

 

Great workflow:)

As katie, i'm not in the US and therefore need to change the country, in my case to DK (Denmark). The normal ISO country code for Denmark is DK, but that doesn't work. Do you know where I can find the country codes used by Netflix?

[Shark.Formax]

There's definitely a way to find out the country code if you have a Netflix account running on this country code but it may be a little complicated.

Essentially you need to monitor the network traffic to Netflix servers when you do an autocomplete search.

 

Since I don't have an account anywhere ohter than the US you will have to figure it out on your computer.

 

I do that using Google Chrome.

 

When you open Netflix right click on the page and select Inspect Element (bottom)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hd0vsnvfi2j2d5z/Screenshot%202014-09-23%2011.01.07.png?dl=0

 

You will then need to select the network tab

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kycjjwvss3550rn/Screenshot%202014-09-23%2011.01.59.png?dl=0

 

1. Clear the network tab.

2. Start typing a movie name

3. Look for the url as in the image below containing instantsearch / autocomplete

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sqi2xm1e3y6rlmb/Netflix-country.png?dl=0

 

Open the headers tab and find the country code in the URL. I think it should be two letter as it is for US and CA but it may be different for other countries.

 

Sorry it's so complicated but I don't work for Netflix and therefore have no access to their internal protocols on how they do things.

If you can't get my instructions to work for you let me know.

Edited September 23, 2014 by atheos

[ChristianOlsen]

There's definitely a way to find out the country code if you have a Netflix account running on this country code but it may be a little complicated.

Essentially you need to monitor the network traffic to Netflix servers when you do an autocomplete search.

 

Since I don't have an account anywhere ohter than the US you will have to figure it out on your computer.

 

I do that using Google Chrome.

 

When you open Netflix right click on the page and select Inspect Element (bottom)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hd0vsnvfi2j2d5z/Screenshot%202014-09-23%2011.01.07.png?dl=0

 

You will then need to select the network tab

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kycjjwvss3550rn/Screenshot%202014-09-23%2011.01.59.png?dl=0

 

1. Clear the network tab.

2. Start typing a movie name

3. Look for the url as in the image below containing instantsearch / autocomplete

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sqi2xm1e3y6rlmb/Netflix-country.png?dl=0

 

Open the headers tab and find the country code in the URL. I think it should be two letter as it is for US and CA but it may be different for other countries.

 

Sorry it's so complicated but I don't work for Netflix and therefore have no access to their internal protocols on how they do things.

If you can't get my instructions to work for you let me know.

Thanks for the nice walk through:)

It seems that the country code for Denmark is DK, but for some reason it doesn't work with your workflow.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5egwd80ytxn5t7j/DK.png?dl=0

 

Any suggestions?

[Shark.Formax]

It seems from your screenshot that Netflix is using a different subdomain for Europe.

It may be possible to implement in my API. I will investigate further and let you know.

[kantine]

hi

 

it is possible that the workflow does not work anymore ?

[Shark.Formax]

my server with the netflix api hack seems to be down. I'll have a look when I get home.

[Shark.Formax]

OK it's up again!

Sorry for the inconvenience. It was some automatic updates to my web host (digital ocean).

 

If you want to help support the increasing hosting costs please use this referral link to digital ocean:

https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=8cd5d34769f8

You will get $10 for free (up to two months of free hosting).

[stijndg]

Hi there,

 

Thanks a lot for this workflow!!! I'm using it from belgium with the code 'BE' and it seems to be working like a charm!

 

Just one question: should it normally be possible to select the episode number within alfred? That doesn't seem to be working, or I'm missing something.

 

But still, thanks!!

[Shark.Formax]

Hi @stijndg,

 

Glad you like the workflow!

 

At the moment when you select a TV series on the workflow it will start playing the episode right where you left off.

If you want to select an episode you can hold ⌘ and press return. This will open the last season you were watching of the series and allow you to select an episode.

 

See this quick video I put together to demonstrate this:

 

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions.

 

- Cheers, DK

Edited March 9, 2015 by atheos

[gandalfsaxe]

Doesn't work now? If I type 'nf', Alfred start the script, but as soon as I typing something more, it switches to standard google search. Any ideas?

[therockmandolinist]

Doesn't work now? If I type 'nf', Alfred start the script, but as soon as I typing something more, it switches to standard google search. Any ideas?

 

I posted same issue on github, creator said he'd work on it soon.

Edited January 29, 2016 by therockmandolinist

[Shark.Formax]

Thanks for the bug report! Netflix changed their internal APIs, and I should have fix to accommodate that change by EOD assuming no complications.

[dustying]

Any updates? Still defaulting to web search after typing anything after the search keyword. 

USA, Latest version from packal, Yosemite.

[gandalfsaxe]

Sadly it doesn't work anymore. It just hangs on searching.