Calibre (2025): Organize, Convert & Sync eBooks

Master Calibre for a clean, searchable library; batch-edit metadata & covers; convert formats; and sync to Kindle/Kobo. We’ll cover essential UI, smart plugins, and command-line power for automation.

LibraryConversionMetadata2025

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Formats

EPUB, AZW3, MOBI, PDF…

Conversion breadthWide

Automation

CLI & scheduling

Batch workflowsStrong

Library Hygiene

Duplicates & tags

Cleanup toolsRobust

What is Calibre?

Calibre is an open-source eBook manager that unifies your library across formats and devices. It fetches metadata, normalizes filenames, converts between formats, fixes broken TOCs, and sends books to your device or cloud.

2025 highlights

Better device profiles, cleaner conversions for complex EPUBs, and a thriving plugin ecosystem keep Calibre relevant for very large personal libraries and reading workflows.

Install Calibre (Windows / macOS / Linux)

Windows installer

Official .exe

Download the installer from calibre-ebook.com.
Run the installer, accept defaults.
Launch Calibre and pick your device profile (e.g., Kindle, Kobo).

Tip

Store the library on a fast local disk (SSD) for quicker searches and conversions.

Organize your library

Tags & series

Batch edits

Select multiple books → Edit metadata (bulk).
Normalize series naming: Author — Series #.
Use Saved Searches (e.g., tags:=ToRead).

Duplicates & structure

Library hygiene

Check for duplicates via advanced search & size.
Set filename templates (Preferences → Adding books).
Back up the library folder regularly.

Pro tip

Keep a small “quarantine” library to test conversions and plugin changes before applying to the main library.

Edit metadata & covers

Manual & fetched

Authors, titles, series, tags

Double-click a field or open Edit metadata. Fetch metadata/covers from trusted sources, then review before saving.

Quality

Occasionally fetched data is noisy. Curate series and titles to keep device lists tidy.

Covers

Dimensions & compression

Prefer medium-sized covers (e.g., 1200px height). Oversized images bloat files and can slow older e-readers.

Heads-up

When exporting images for covers, remove hidden camera data (EXIF/GPS) to avoid leaking locations in shared files.

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Convert formats with Calibre

EPUB → AZW3/MOBI

Device-friendly

Select book → Convert books → Output AZW3 or MOBI.
Tweak fonts/margins; enable structure detection for TOC.
Start conversion, then send to device.

# CLI example (ebook-convert is part of Calibre)
/usr/bin/ebook-convert "in.epub" "out.azw3" --embed-all-fonts --mobi-file-type=both --pretty-print

PDF specifics

Expect trade-offs

PDF is fixed-layout; conversions may require manual cleanup. For reflowable output, try higher quality sources if possible.

ebook-convert "in.pdf" "out.epub" --pdf-page-numbers --enable-heuristics --asciiize --remove-paragraph-spacing

Conversion checklist

Choose the right device profile for better output defaults
Embed fonts only when needed (file size)
Inspect the generated TOC and headings
Test on the actual e-reader before batch converting

Send to devices (Kindle, Kobo)

USB connect

Collections & formats

Connect via USB; Calibre detects the device.
Right-click → Send to device with preferred format.
Manage collections/tags per device where supported.

Kindle email

Personal documents

Set your approved Kindle email in Amazon account.
Configure Calibre email sending (SMTP) to that address.
Use EPUB/AZW3 per current Kindle support.

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Calibre command-line automation

Import & convert

Bulk jobs

# Add a folder of books
calibredb add --with-library "/path/Calibre Library" /path/new_books/*.epub

# Convert all EPUBs to AZW3 (bash loop)
for f in /path/new_books/*.epub; do
  out="\${f%.epub}.azw3"
  ebook-convert "$f" "$out" --embed-all-fonts --pretty-print
done

Schedule

Use cron (Linux/macOS) or Task Scheduler (Windows) to run nightly conversions or metadata fetches.

calibredb queries

Search & export

# Find unread (example tag)
calibredb list --with-library "/path/Calibre Library" --search "tags:=ToRead"

# Export to a folder by format
calibredb export --to-dir /export/azw3 --formats azw3 --with-library "/path/Calibre Library" 1-9999

Covers & images: quick privacy tip

Before you share eBook covers, author photos, or reading notes that include images, scrub hidden EXIF/GPS and device traces. It’s a simple step to prevent accidental location or camera leaks in public files.

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FAQ

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Keep your library clean & private

Calibre keeps books organized and portable. For images you share alongside your library, remove hidden EXIF/GPS first.

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