Complete tutorial covering every method to map an external EPG URL to your raw M3U playlist — from tvg-id editing to TiviMate's built-in EPG assignment.
Last updated: June 2026 · ~10 minute read
EPG stands for Electronic Program Guide — the grid of TV shows and schedules that tells you what's playing on each channel. In IPTV, EPG data is delivered as an XML file hosted at a URL (like https://example.com/epg.xml).
A raw M3U playlist contains a list of channels, each with a tvg-id, tvg-name, and tvg-logo attribute. The EPG XML file also references channels by their channel id. For EPG to display correctly, the tvg-id in the M3U must match the channel id in the EPG XML.
When you get a raw M3U from a provider, the tvg-ids may use custom naming that doesn't align with your EPG source. You need to map the external EPG URL so that each channel in the M3U points to the correct EPG data.
Here's the core issue: channel names in the EPG XML must match channel names in the M3U playlist. If they don't, you'll see "No Information" or wrong show listings.
For example, your M3U might list a channel as:
But your EPG XML uses the ID ESPN.us. The mismatch means you get no EPG data. Mapping solves this by aligning the two sources.
Tools: m3u.guide, M3U4U alternatives, strim
Online M3U editors let you upload or paste your raw M3U, then manually map each channel's tvg-id to match an external EPG source. These tools provide a visual interface for matching channels without editing files by hand.
Manual editing with Notepad++ or any text editor
Open your raw M3U file in a text editor and modify the tvg-id="..." attribute on each channel line to match the channel ID from your EPG XML source. This gives you full control but requires manual work for large playlists.
Tip: Use find-and-replace with regex in Notepad++ or VS Code to batch-rename tvg-ids. Save the edited file and point your IPTV player to the modified M3U.
No file editing required — assign EPG directly inside TiviMate
TiviMate includes a powerful EPG assignment feature that lets you map channels manually or search for EPG sources without ever touching the M3U file. This is the easiest method for Firestick and Android TV users.
Follow these steps to assign EPG data to channels in TiviMate using an external EPG URL.
Open TiviMate and navigate to any channel that shows "No Information" in the EPG. Press and hold the OK/Select button on your remote until the context menu appears.
From the context menu, select Channel Options, then choose Assign EPG. This opens the EPG assignment screen where you can search for the correct guide data.
Use the search field to type the channel name (e.g., "CNN", "ESPN", "BBC"). TiviMate will show matching results from the EPG source you have configured in your playlist settings.
Browse the search results and select the EPG entry that matches your channel. If you have multiple EPG URLs configured, TiviMate will show sources from all of them. Confirm your selection.
Go through each channel that lacks EPG data and repeat steps 1–4. You can speed this up by using the Assign EPG for All option if available, or batch-mapping channels with similar names.
Pro tip: Before starting, go to Settings > EPG > EPG Sources and make sure your external EPG URL is added and has finished updating. TiviMate will only show channels from EPG sources that have been successfully loaded.
For IPTV Smarters Pro, EPG is typically mapped automatically if you use Xtream Codes API login. When you log in via Xtream Codes (rather than uploading an M3U file), the API delivers channel and EPG data together, so the mapping is handled server-side.
If you are using M3U URL login in IPTV Smarters, you can add an EPG URL in Settings > EPG > Add EPG URL. The app will attempt to auto-map channels based on tvg-id matching. For channels that still show "No Info", you can manually assign EPG by long-pressing the channel and selecting EPG options.
.xml or .xml.gz.
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