How to manage who can request titles for TrueNAS media hosts in 2026

Learn how TrueNAS media hosts can collect movie and show requests from a chosen group and keep who submits them under control.

By VLClean · 2026-11-04

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

TrueNAS media hosts can control who requests titles by setting a single request location, naming who is allowed to submit, and reviewing each request before anything is added. The process needs a clear set of rules and a trusted place where friends and family send their movie or show ideas.

Option	Request method	Cost details
Askarr	Search 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]
Request form	A request form lets viewers send movie or show titles to you directly.	not published
Shared request list	People add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.	not published

What you need before you start

TrueNAS media hosts that want to control who can request titles need a clear idea of what belongs in the library and who gets to ask for new movies and shows. Decide which friends or family members can send requests, because the request process only works when everyone knows the rules from the start.

Prepare a list of the titles or content types that are allowed, so people know whether they can ask for any movie or show or only certain kinds. Keep the request rules simple and write them down before sharing the request location.

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many TrueNAS owners run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. Have Radarr and Sonarr set up and running if you want requested titles to be added to the library through them. Decide who will review requests before anything is added.

Choose where people will send requests. The choice can be a request tool, a form, or another method that gives viewers a clear place to submit titles.

Step by step

Pick one place where people will send requests, and tell everyone to use only that place.

Decide who is allowed to request titles. Write down the names of the people who can submit movies and shows, so anyone outside the list knows requests are not open to them.

Write down who looks at each request and whether a title needs your approval before it is added to the library.

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.

Send the note and the request location only to the chosen people, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it.

Look through new requests on a regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and delete the ones you do not.

Ask a few viewers after the first week what confused them, and edit your note to fix those points.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. 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 and Sonarr add it. ^[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]

The Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Askarr also allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. ^[1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. ^[1] Nothing is installed. ^[1]

For a form-based option, viewers type a movie or show title into a form you control, and you review each entry. For a shared list option, viewers add their movie or show ideas to a list you keep, and you work through the additions.

Before choosing a tool, check how it handles title searches, approvals, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow.

Common mistakes to avoid

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

Avoid leaving the request list open to everyone. If the goal is to control who can request titles, tell people who can submit and keep the request location within that group.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it fits the current way movies and shows are added to the TrueNAS library. The request process should be clear for both the people sending titles and the person managing the host.

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 TrueNAS media hosts let people request titles?

A TrueNAS media host owner can choose a request method, decide who can submit titles, and explain what happens after a request is sent. Reviewing each request before anything is added keeps the library under your control. Setting who can request before sharing the location keeps the list with the intended group.

Can a request tool work with Radarr and Sonarr on TrueNAS?

Check how each request tool handles 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 once as an import list, and they read your requests from it. ^[1]

Does Askarr require changes to a TrueNAS host?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed. ^[1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. ^[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 owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted to find the title. ^[1] The Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1]

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

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 TrueNAS library is managed before choosing a request method.

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

Try Askarr

Sources

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