How to build lists from public lists for TMDB rating collectors

Learn how TMDB rating collectors can build lists from public lists, with setup steps, tool options, and common mistakes to avoid.

By VLClean · 2026-11-01

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

Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into two links, one for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] No other tools are compared on this page, so check how each one handles lists before you choose.

Option	What it does	Cost details
Watcharr	One public IMDb list becomes one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows. ^[1]	The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] Commercial use is not licensed. ^[1]
Other tools for public lists	not published	not published

What you need before you start

Have the list ready before you build anything. Find the public IMDb list you want to use and open it in a private browser window to confirm that anyone can see it.

Decide whether the list holds movies, shows, or both. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] Watcharr also sorts movies and shows into separate links, so a mixed list is split for you. ^[1]

If you plan to send the list to the Radarr or Sonarr apps, have them open and know where their list settings are. Decide who in your household should see the results, and whether the list is for you alone or for everyone who uses the same apps.

Step by step

Open the public list on IMDb and copy its address from the browser's address bar.
Open the address in a private browser window to check that it loads without signing in.
Decide which titles you want from the list: movies, shows, or both.
Paste the list address into the tool you chose and wait for it to read the list.
Look at any titles the tool could not match, and decide whether to add them by hand.
Copy the link the tool gives for each kind of title into the app that will use it.
Write down which IMDb list each link came from, so you can find it again later.
Check the result after the first refresh, and fix any titles that are missing.

Watcharr, as one example, gives each list a link built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] If you sign in, it re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. ^[1]

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site.

Watcharr takes one public IMDb list and gives you one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's access key without sending it anywhere else. ^[1]

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title on two lists is added only once. ^[1] You can paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. ^[1] The code can be read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and older versions remain under MIT. ^[1]

No facts about other tools are given on this page. Before you choose one, check how it reads a public list, what it does with shows it cannot match, how often it refreshes the list, and whether it can send the list to the app you use.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid pasting a list that is not public. Watcharr works with public lists, so check the list's visibility before you paste it. ^[1]

Avoid expecting a change on IMDb to appear the moment you save it. Updates follow a schedule, so give the links time to refresh. ^[1]

Avoid assuming every show will appear in your app. Shows that cannot be matched are skipped, so read the list of skipped titles after each run. ^[1]

Avoid mixing up links from lists with similar names. Keep a note of which IMDb list each link came from, because the links are built from the list's id. ^[1]

Avoid skipping the check after setup. A quick look at the first results tells you whether the list, the links and the apps are working together.

Frequently asked questions

Does Watcharr need an account to build lists from public IMDb lists?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] If you sign in, it re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. ^[1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. ^[1]

Can Watcharr combine several public IMDb lists into one link?

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. ^[1] A title that appears on two lists is added only once. ^[1] Before you combine lists, check that each one is public, so that every list can be read when Watcharr refreshes the links.

How often does Watcharr re-read a public IMDb list?

Radarr checks each Watcharr link every 15 minutes, and Sonarr checks it every 5. ^[1] For a signed-in list, Watcharr re-reads it about every 15 minutes. ^[1] Do not expect a change on IMDb to appear the moment you save it, because the links update on that schedule.

What does Watcharr do when a public IMDb list cannot be read?

If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1] The warning is part of the signed-in re-read: if a list fails three reads in a row, Watcharr warns you. ^[1] Check the warning first, then confirm that the IMDb list is still public and open it in a private browser window.

Can Watcharr read IMDb lists from the phone site or from other languages?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] Keep the list's address in your notes so you can paste it again if you need to rebuild the links.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. ^[1]

Try Watcharr

Sources

Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)