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How Proxmox homelab admins can link movie and show requests to Radarr and Sonarr

Set up a place for homelab requests that hands titles to Radarr and Sonarr, with steps and tool options.

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

Proxmox homelab admins can link requests to Radarr and Sonarr by preparing the request path, choosing a link method, and telling viewers where to send movie and show titles.

OptionRequest methodCost details
AskarrYou request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr or Sonarr add 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 formViewers can send movie or show titles through a form.not published
Shared request listViewers can suggest titles in a list the homelab owner keeps.not published

What you need before you start

Before linking requests to Radarr and Sonarr, make sure both programs are running on the homelab and can already add titles to the library on their own, so a request has a clear place to land.

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many homelab admins run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. Have both ready, and confirm that the account which manages the library can accept an incoming request list for movies and one for shows.

Decide who can send requests, such as family members or other homelab users, and which titles or types of content they may ask for, so a note to viewers is easy to write.

Choose where requests will be collected before you start. The choice can be a dedicated request website or a simpler method such as a form or a shared list, as long as it gives viewers one clear place to submit titles.

Write down who reviews each request and whether a title needs approval before it is added. That decision keeps the linking step predictable once requests start to arrive.

Step by step

  1. Pick one place where family and friends will send requests, such as a request website, a form, or a shared list, and tell everyone to use only that place.
  1. Decide how each request reaches your library. If the method is a request website that connects to your programs, set it up once to feed new requests into Radarr and Sonarr. If the method is a form or a list, plan who moves each accepted title into the library by hand.
  1. Set up the request list so it is recognized by both programs. A list that feeds one program only covers one kind of content, so confirm requests for movies go to the movie program and requests for shows go to the show program.
  1. Confirm the link is live by sending one test request and checking that the title appears as a new entry in the right program.
  1. Write a short note for viewers that says who can request, what kinds of titles are accepted, and how they will hear that a title was added or downloaded.
  1. Send the note and the request location to the family members and homelab users you want to allow, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it.
  1. Review new requests on a regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and remove the ones you do not.
  1. Ask a few viewers after the first week what confused them, and edit the note to fix those points.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1]

You request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr or Sonarr add it. [1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr once as an import list, and they read your requests from it. [1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1]

A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [1] You can paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title. [1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1]

Askarr has three plans, named Free, Plus and Pro. 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] 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]

Before choosing a tool, check how it moves requests into Radarr and Sonarr, how it handles title searches, approval, and update notifications, and whether it needs any changes to the homelab.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid linking a request site to only one of the programs. Movies and shows live in separate programs, so a link that feeds only the movie program leaves show requests with no path, and the other way around.

Avoid skipping the test request after the link is set up. Without one test request, a broken connection goes unnoticed until a real viewer sends a title that never appears.

Avoid sharing the request location without explaining the rules. Viewers need to know what kinds of titles they can ask for and who decides what gets added.

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

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

Frequently asked questions

How can Proxmox homelab admins link requests to Radarr and Sonarr?

A homelab admin picks one place where viewers send requests, sets that place to feed new titles to the movie and show programs, and confirms the link with a test request. Radarr and Sonarr must already be able to add titles on their own. Askarr links by being added once as an import list. [1]

Does Askarr require changes to the Proxmox homelab?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [1] A bookmark run on the Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [1]

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

Viewers can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted to find the title. [1]

What do Askarr plans cost?

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] Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [1]

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

Check how a tool moves requests into Radarr and Sonarr, how it handles title searches, approval, and update notifications, and whether it needs any changes to the homelab. Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [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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