Never scroll aimlessly again: Use Netflix secret codes to find what to watch now

We’ve all been there: Popcorn’s popped, bottle of wine is opened and movie night is ready to commence. Except … Netflix is showing you the same 10 movies you’ve been seeing for months.

Many people would quit at this point — research suggests most viewers give up looking after about seven minutes — but not you. (At least not anymore.)

If you’ve found yourself frustrated by Netflix’s genre categories, there is a nice loophole that will show you fresh content. Netflix has hundreds of secret codes you can use to find movies you don’t normally see in the app. 

How to use Netflix codes

Using Netflix’s list of genre codes is incredibly easy. Once you find which one you want to explore, just tag the string of numbers onto the end of the following URL: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/. 

In the mood for a critically-acclaimed emotional independent drama? Just type in “http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/6541” in your web browser. You can also simply click the link on the genres we list in this article. Just make sure you’re logged in to your Netflix account before you do. 

Unfortunately, there’s no way to input these Netflix codes into the Netflix app on your streaming device or smart TV. You’ll have to browse genres on your laptop, tablet or smartphone, then look up the movie separately in the app. 

To go straight to the codes in each genre, click the links below:

List of Netflix codes by genre

Action and adventure

Animation

Art house and indie

Children and family

Comedy

Cult movies

Documentaries

Drama

Faith and spirituality

Horror

International

Music

Romance

Sci-Fi and fantasy

Sports

Thrillers

TV shows

What’s next?

Now that you’ve unlocked the Netflix codes and have some new genres to work with, all that’s left to do is to start streaming. For more of the best tips and tricks of the streaming world, bookmark our Resource Center page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.