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How to automate download requests from dashboards for homelab hobbyists in 2026

Learn how homelab hobbyists can automate download requests from their dashboards with practical steps and a look at Askarr.

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VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Homelab hobbyists automate download requests by preparing their download workflow, choosing a request method, and making requested titles flow into their existing Radarr and Sonarr tools.

OptionRequest methodCost details
AskarrSearch for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1]The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [1]
Request formPeople submit movie or show titles through the chosen form.not published
Shared request listPeople add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.not published

What you need before you start

To automate download requests, first make sure the movie and show adders you already run are working, because those are the tools that actually bring a requested title into the library. Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many homelab owners run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library, so have them ready as the place requested titles land.

Decide who may send requests, and whether a title needs approval before anything is added. Write down what kinds of titles are acceptable so people know what fits the setup.

Choose where requests will be made. The choice can be a request dashboard, a form, or another method that gives people a clear place to submit titles. Confirm that the chosen method and your movie and show tools can hand titles from one to the other before you set anything up.

Keep the rules simple, such as whether people can ask for any title or only certain types of movies and shows, and say who reviews each request.

Step by step

  1. Pick one place where download requests will be made, such as a request dashboard or a shared message thread, and tell everyone to use only that place.
  1. Write down who looks at each request and whether a title needs approval before it is added to the library.
  1. Make sure requested titles can move from the chosen place into the movie and show tools that add them, and test that path with one real request before telling anyone else.
  1. Write a short note for the people requesting that says who can send a request, what kinds of titles are accepted, and how they will hear that a title was added.
  1. Send the note and the request location to the people you want to allow, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it.
  1. Look through new requests on a regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and delete the ones you do not.
  1. Ask a few people after the first week what confused them, and edit your note to fix those points.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] Askarr can be used by searching for a movie or show on Askarr and requesting it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1]

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time as an import list, and they then pick up your requests from it. [1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1]

The Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [1] Askarr also allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. [1]

Askarr plans include a request history with live status. [1] Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [1] The Pro plan has no monthly request limit. [1]

No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing a tool, check how it handles title searches, approvals, updates, and the way requests move into your movie and show tools.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid setting up a request method without explaining the rules. People need to know what types of titles can be requested and who decides what gets added.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it hands requested titles to the movie and show adders you run. The request path should be clear for both the people sending titles and the person managing the homelab.

Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. A request list can become harder to manage if old or unwanted requests are left without attention.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people.

Frequently asked questions

How can homelab hobbyists automate download requests from their dashboards?

A homelab hobbyist can pick one request method, decide who can submit titles, and explain what happens after a request is sent. The important parts are giving people a clear place to make requests and making sure requested titles move into the movie and show tools that add them to the library.

Can a request tool move requests into Radarr and Sonarr?

Check how each request tool hands titles to Radarr and Sonarr before choosing one. Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time as an import list, and they then pick up your requests from it. [1]

Does Askarr require an installed app on the homelab?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] Nothing is installed. [1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1]

How do people find movies and shows to request with Askarr?

People can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and the hobbyist's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted to find the title. [1] A bookmark run on the Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for the hobbyist. [1]

What should be checked before choosing a request tool for a homelab?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, updates, and the process for adding movies and shows. Askarr plans list 'Request history with live status', which the source gives without naming a plan, so check the plan page for which ones include it. [1] Compare those details with the way the homelab's downloads are managed before choosing a request method. [1]

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1]

Try Askarr

Sources

  1. Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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