Improve anikoto backup search fallback

- prefer the canonical queued title for anikoto-cli backup searches instead of relying only on the ani-cli source query
- retry backup searches with alternate title variants when AniList misses the first lookup
- bump the project version to 0.46.4 and document the fix in the changelog and README

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.46.4 - 2026-07-09
+
+- Improved backup `anikoto-cli` search handling by preferring the canonical queued title over provider-specific source overrides and retrying with alternate title variants when AniList search misses the first query.
+
 ## 0.46.3 - 2026-07-09
 
 - Fixed backup `anikoto-cli` queue runs to force `fzf` into exact-match auto-select mode, which keeps the fallback downloader non-interactive inside the background worker instead of failing with `nothing selected` and `inappropriate ioctl for device`.

README.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 Local web UI for a system-wide `ani-cli` install.
 
-Current version: `0.46.3`
+Current version: `0.46.4`
 
 ## What it does
 
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ Docker notes:
 - When enabled, any failed `ani-cli` queue job automatically retries with `anikoto-cli`
 - `anikoto-cli` ignores the saved quality setting, so backup attempts use the source's default stream quality
 - Backup retries now auto-select the queued anime title non-interactively so the fallback works inside the background download worker
+- Backup retries also prefer the canonical queued anime title and can try alternate title variants if a source-specific search name does not exist on AniList
 
 ### Jellyfin handoff
 

VERSION

@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.46.3
+0.46.4

app_support.py

@@ -1161,7 +1161,8 @@ def build_job(payload, config):
     }
 
 
-def command_for_job(job, downloader="ani-cli"):
+def command_for_job(job, downloader="ani-cli", query_override=None):
+    search_query = str(query_override or job.get("query") or job.get("title") or "").strip()
     if str(downloader or "ani-cli").strip().lower() == "anikoto-cli":
         command = [
             ANIKOTO_CLI,
@@ -1173,7 +1174,7 @@ def command_for_job(job, downloader="ani-cli"):
             command.append("--dub")
         else:
             command.append("--sub")
-        command.append(job["query"])
+        command.append(search_query)
         return command
 
     command = [
@@ -1186,5 +1187,5 @@ def command_for_job(job, downloader="ani-cli"):
     ]
     if job["mode"] == "dub":
         command.append("--dub")
-    command.append(job["query"])
+    command.append(search_query)
     return command

queue_jobs.py

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ from app_support import (
     sh_quote,
     strip_control,
 )
+from title_matching import title_lookup_queries
 
 
 LOG_PERSIST_INTERVAL_SECONDS = 0.75
@@ -1347,10 +1348,19 @@ class DownloadQueue:
             attempts.append(("anikoto-cli", lambda job: command_for_job(job, downloader="anikoto-cli")))
         return attempts
 
-    def _attempt_env(self, base_env, job, downloader_name):
+    def _backup_search_queries(self, job):
+        queries = []
+        for value in (job.get("title"), job.get("query"), job.get("anime_name")):
+            for candidate in title_lookup_queries(value):
+                text = str(candidate or "").strip()
+                if text and text not in queries:
+                    queries.append(text)
+        return queries or [str(job.get("query") or job.get("title") or "").strip()]
+
+    def _attempt_env(self, base_env, downloader_name, search_query):
         attempt_env = dict(base_env)
         if downloader_name == "anikoto-cli":
-            query = str(job.get("query") or job.get("title") or "").strip()
+            query = str(search_query or "").strip()
             if query:
                 # Force fzf into non-interactive exact-match mode so backup downloads
                 # can auto-select the intended anime inside the queue worker.
@@ -1451,7 +1461,6 @@ class DownloadQueue:
             download_succeeded = False
 
             for attempt_index, (downloader_name, command_builder) in enumerate(attempts):
-                command = command_builder(job)
                 if attempt_index > 0:
                     self._cleanup_staging_dir(job)
                     staging_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -1461,6 +1470,21 @@ class DownloadQueue:
                     self._append_log(job, "Backup downloader anikoto-cli is not installed or not executable.")
                     continue
 
+                search_queries = [str(job.get("query") or "").strip()]
+                if downloader_name == "anikoto-cli":
+                    search_queries = self._backup_search_queries(job)
+
+                for query_index, search_query in enumerate(search_queries):
+                    if downloader_name == "anikoto-cli" and query_index > 0:
+                        self._cleanup_staging_dir(job)
+                        staging_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+                        self._append_log(job, f"Trying alternate anikoto-cli search query: {search_query}")
+
+                    command = command_builder(job) if downloader_name != "anikoto-cli" else command_for_job(
+                        job,
+                        downloader="anikoto-cli",
+                        query_override=search_query,
+                    )
                     with self.lock:
                         job["command"] = printable_command(command)
                         job["updated_at"] = now_iso()
@@ -1468,7 +1492,7 @@ class DownloadQueue:
                     self._append_log(job, f"Launching {downloader_name}: {job['command']}")
 
                     try:
-                    attempt_env = self._attempt_env(env, job, downloader_name)
+                        attempt_env = self._attempt_env(env, downloader_name, search_query)
                         process = subprocess.Popen(
                             command,
                             cwd=str(PROJECT_ROOT),
@@ -1535,6 +1559,8 @@ class DownloadQueue:
                         except Exception as exc:
                             watchlist_sync_error = exc
                     break
+                if canceled or download_succeeded:
+                    break
 
             with self.lock:
                 job["exit_code"] = last_exit_code

test_app.py

@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ class DownloadQueueWorkerFailureTests(unittest.TestCase):
             },
             start_worker=False,
         )
-        job = queue.add({"query": "Queue Show", "title": "Queue Show", "season": "1", "episodes": "1"})
+        job = queue.add({"query": "Queue Source", "title": "Queue Show", "season": "1", "episodes": "1"})
 
         class FailedProc:
             pid = 1111
@@ -721,6 +721,7 @@ class DownloadQueueWorkerFailureTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("--exact", popen_calls[1]["env"]["FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS"])
         self.assertIn("--select-1", popen_calls[1]["env"]["FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS"])
         self.assertIn("Queue Show", popen_calls[1]["env"]["FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS"])
+        self.assertEqual(popen_calls[1]["command"][-1], "Queue Show")
 
     def test_run_job_marks_post_start_exception_failed_without_killing_worker_state(self):
         queue = APP.DownloadQueue(lambda: {"mode": "sub", "quality": "best", "download_dir": "/tmp/example"}, start_worker=False)