With so much of 2020 spent in lockdown, many of us have spent far more time than usual scrolling through Netflix for things to watch.

By now many of us will have exhausted the many TV shows and movies on offer and will be looking for our next favourite show.

Netflix uses an algorithm to suggest something you might enjoy based on what you have watched in the past but if you fancy a change from the norm it can be more difficult to find exactly what you are looking for.

The streaming site have a list of codes that are available which list a plethora of genres including Anime, cult movies and Military documentaries.

Netflix genre codes or commonly referred to as “secret codes” allow users to further refine searches into certain categories. Netflix is sometimes hard to navigate with close to 6,000 titles on the US Netflix and many other regions coming close too.

How to access the 'hidden' area of Netflix

All viewers need to do is type the name of the category into the search bar on their browser or app, and the related ones will appear. Alternatively, you can add a code to the URL – for example, http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/XXXX – to be shown a different selection. 

Even better news, there are more than 3,000 categories to look through.

Here are just some of the many codes on offer:

  • Action & Adventure: 1365
  • Anime: 7424
  • British programmes: 52117
  • Children & Family: 783
  • Classic: 31574
  • Comedies: 6548
  • Comedy films: 6548
  • Documentaries: 6839
  • Dramas: 5763
  • Horror: 8711
  • Music: 1701
  • Romantic: 8883
  • Sci-fi & Fantasy: 1492
  • Sports: 4370
  • Thrillers: 8933
  • TV Shows: 83

Will the Netflix category codes work for those using the streaming service on mobile?

In short, no. According to What's On Netflix, the mobile applications aren’t built with the genre features enabled, unfortunately.

Are there Netflix genre codes for 4K & 3D titles?

Sadly not. There are no specific genre codes for these two types. 

How to access the full list of 3,000 Netflix codes

The full list can be accessed by visiting independent site What's on Netflix.