How to reduce manual additions for media automation users in 2026

Learn how media automation users can reduce manual additions by sending requests that Radarr and Sonarr add on their own.

By VLClean · 2026-10-26

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

Media automation users can reduce manual additions by preparing their library workflow, choosing a request method, and sending title requests that their own Radarr and Sonarr add to the library on their own.

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	People submit movie or show titles through the chosen form.	not published
Shared request list	People add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.	not published

What you need before you start

Make sure the library workflow already uses Radarr and Sonarr to find and add media, and decide which people or what kinds of titles can be added through requests.

Prepare the titles or types of content that are allowed, so requests fit the collection. Keep the request rules simple, such as whether any title can be requested or only certain types of movies and shows.

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many media automation users run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. Have them ready if they are part of the way requested titles get added to the library. Decide who reviews requests before anything is added.

Choose where requests will be sent. The choice can be a request tool, a form, or another method that gives a clear place to submit titles. The point is to keep additions flowing from one place instead of entering every title by hand.

Step by step

Pick one place to send title requests, such as a request tool or a shared list, and use only that place for additions. A single spot keeps movies and shows from being added in several scattered places.

Write down who reviews each request and whether a title needs approval before your Radarr or Sonarr adds it. Knowing the review owner keeps the flow from stalling.

Write a short note for anyone who may request titles, covering what kinds of titles are accepted and how they will hear that a title was added. Clear rules cut down on back and forth messages.

Share the note and the request location with everyone you want to allow, with two lines on how to find a title and how to submit it. Short instructions get people started quickly.

Review new requests on a regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and remove the ones you do not. A fixed review time stops a request list from piling up.

After the first week, ask a few requesters what confused them and fix those points in the note. Small edits make the process easier to keep using over time.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] A movie or show is requested on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1]

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time as an import list, and they then 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] A title can also be found by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. ^[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 the library workflow.

Common mistakes to avoid

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

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

Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. A request list becomes harder to manage if old or unwanted requests are left without attention, and that adds manual work again.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before using it, so the request flow does not create new chores.

Frequently asked questions

How can media automation users reduce manual additions?

Media automation users reduce manual additions by sending title requests through one clear place and letting their own automation add them. The main parts are choosing a request method, deciding who can submit titles, and keeping a regular review step. When Radarr and Sonarr already handle finding and adding movies and shows, requests move titles in without the owner entering each one by hand.

Can a request tool work with Radarr and Sonarr?

Check how each request tool handles Radarr and Sonarr before choosing one. Askarr is a hosted website that works with 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] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. ^[1]

Does Askarr require changes to the existing setup?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed. ^[1] It is added to Radarr and Sonarr one time as an import list, and they then read requests from it. ^[1] A bookmark run on the Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. ^[1]

How can titles be found when requesting with Askarr?

A movie or show is searched for on Askarr and requested, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted to find the title. ^[1] The site then shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1]

What should be checked before choosing a request tool?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, updates, and the process for adding movies and shows, so additions stay automatic instead of manual. Askarr's plans include a 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 media library is managed before choosing a request tool.

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)