Supported Formats
Shisho has native support for four main-file formats. See Reading and Playback for the in-app readers, Metadata for the fields Shisho manages, and Getting Started for library setup.
Capability Matrix
| Format | Import | Metadata Extraction | In-App Reader or Player | Generated Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPUB | Yes | Package metadata, navigation, and embedded cover data | EPUB reader | EPUB with supported current metadata applied |
| CBZ | Yes | ComicInfo.xml, page images, and detected chapters | Comic reader | CBZ with supported current metadata applied |
| M4B | Yes | Audiobook metadata, chapters, audio details, and embedded cover data | Audiobook player | M4B with supported current metadata applied |
| Yes | Document metadata, page count, bookmarks, and a rendered cover | PDF reader | PDF with supported current metadata and bookmarks applied |
Generated downloads are format-specific. Each format can represent a different set of metadata, so Shisho cannot write every database field or replace a cover in every generated file. The source file is not modified.
Downloads are sent with the format's media type, whatever the server's operating system knows about file extensions: application/epub+zip for EPUB and KePub, application/vnd.comicbook+zip for CBZ, audio/mp4 for M4B, and application/pdf for PDF. Kobo Sync downloads are sent as application/octet-stream. Other files, such as supplements, are typed by their extension.
The OPDS, eReader, Kobo Sync, and Share Link downloads send the original file when a generated one cannot be made: for a supplement, a format only a plugin can read, a KePub request for M4B or PDF, or a file whose contents Shisho cannot rewrite, such as a damaged EPUB. The failure is written to the server log. A source file Shisho cannot read, for example because of its permissions, fails the download with an error instead. In the web app, a failed download reports an error, and Download Original sends the file as it is. See Troubleshooting.
CBR is not a native format. Using Plugins may add parsers or converters for CBR and other formats.
CBZ Page Images
Native CBZ parsing recognizes these page image formats:
- PNG
- JPEG (
.jpgand.jpeg) - WebP
- GIF
PDF Bookmarks
Scanning a PDF turns its bookmarks into chapters, flattened into a single list. A bookmark that does not point at a page is skipped. Its nested bookmarks are still imported when they point at pages.
KePub Generation
Shisho can generate Kobo-optimized KePub downloads from EPUB and CBZ only. M4B and PDF remain in their native formats. See Kobo Sync, eReader Browser, and OPDS Catalog for device delivery options.
Audiobook Browser Compatibility
Most M4B files use AAC-LC or HE-AAC and play in current browsers. xHE-AAC playback is more limited: use Safari or an iOS browser for Shisho's direct audio stream. Firefox cannot play xHE-AAC, and Chrome does not support it in this progressive-streaming setup. In a browser that cannot play the file, the player shows a warning suggesting Safari, though its controls stay available. If broad browser playback matters, encode audiobooks as AAC-LC or HE-AAC.