How to add missing franchise entries to a download queue

Find missing franchise titles, compare the library with the marathon plan, and choose a clear way to add the gaps to a download queue.

By VLClean · 2026-11-06

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

Start with the franchise viewing order, compare it with the library and current queue, then add the missing titles through the chosen download method. Keep a checklist of what is queued and what is ready before sharing the marathon schedule.

Option	How to use it	What to check
Watcharr	Paste a public IMDb list to get a movie link for Radarr and a show link for Sonarr. ^[1]	Check the reported shows that Watcharr could not match and skipped. ^[1]
Manual queue entry	Search for each approved missing title in the download app already in use, then add the chosen match.	Compare the full title, release year and edition with the marathon checklist.
Shared marathon checklist	Record missing entries in a shared checklist, then have the queue manager add approved titles.	Agree on who updates the checklist and who changes the queue.

What you need before you start

Prepare a franchise checklist before touching the queue. Include the intended viewing order, the full title of each entry, and its release year where similar names could cause confusion. Decide whether the marathon includes only the main films or also shows, specials, remakes and other extras.

Compare that checklist with the library and the current download queue. Mark entries as available, already queued or still missing. Keep uncertain matches separate until the title and edition have been checked. A title on the plan should not be treated as ready simply because its name appears in a search.

Have the download tools ready if they are part of the way titles are added to the library. Decide who will review titles before anything is added. For a shared marathon, agree on who maintains the checklist and who changes the queue.

Prepare a short note explaining which additions belong in the marathon. Keep the rules simple, including how suggested changes will be reviewed. Choose where those suggestions will be recorded so the person managing downloads can find them.

Step by step

Set the scope of the marathon. Write down the entries in the intended viewing order and distinguish required titles from optional extras. Settle questions about remakes, specials and related shows before adding anything, so the queue follows an agreed plan rather than an expanding collection of suggestions.

Check the library against the plan. Search by the full title and release year where names are similar. Inspect the edition when that matters to the viewing order. Mark confirmed matches as available, and leave uncertain matches pending until the identity of the entry is clear.

Inspect the current queue before creating additions. Match its entries against the same checklist and mark titles that are already waiting. Check an unclear queue entry before submitting another copy. Keep the distinction between available and queued visible, because the viewing schedule needs to reflect what can actually be watched.

Choose how missing entries will be submitted. Use manual entry, a shared checklist for the queue manager, or a list method whose requirements have been checked. Before relying on a list, establish how it reaches the apps used to manage movies and shows and where to review the resulting entries.

Review each missing title before adding it. Confirm its full name, release year and whether it is a movie or show. Check the intended edition where relevant. If the result is uncertain, record the question on the checklist and resolve it before allowing that entry into the marathon queue.

Add the approved missing entries through the chosen method. If that method passes a list to another app, inspect the receiving app afterward. Confirm which titles actually appear in the expected queue, and investigate unresolved entries. Update the checklist as additions are confirmed so other planners can follow progress.

Check readiness before fixing the viewing schedule. Review queued entries and confirm that completed additions appear in the library as intended. Keep unresolved gaps visible and adjust the marathon plan where necessary. When somebody suggests another entry, run it through the same library and queue checks before adding it.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site, VLClean, and turns a public IMDb list into a movie link for Radarr and a show link for Sonarr. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] A bookmark clicked inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list using that app's access key, without sending the key anywhere else. ^[1] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into a Radarr link and a Sonarr link for the household, with repeated titles included only once. ^[1]

For manual queue entry, work down the checklist of missing titles, search in the download app already in use, and add each approved match. Keep a note beside each title as it is added, then inspect the queue before moving on. Use the full title and release year when reviewing similar results, and leave an uncertain match pending until its identity is clear. Record any edition choice that another planner might otherwise question.

For a shared marathon checklist, record suggested additions before the person managing the queue acts on them. Include the title, its place in the viewing order, and whether it is required or optional. Have the designated queue manager mark additions as queued or available so other planners can check progress before suggesting the same title again. Keep questions beside the relevant entry so they can be resolved before submission.

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

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid adding titles from a franchise name without checking the individual entry. Similar names, reissues and alternate editions can confuse the checklist. Match the full title and release year, and keep a note explaining any deliberate choice of edition.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it fits the current way movies and shows are added to the library. The queue process should be clear for both the people suggesting titles and the person managing downloads. Keep approval rules visible alongside the checklist.

Avoid forgetting to review the checklist after setup. A list can become harder to manage if old or unwanted entries are left without attention. Clear entries that no longer belong in the plan, and check whether a late addition changes the intended viewing order.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people. Also check the actual library before sending a final viewing schedule; a plan or queue entry alone should not be treated as confirmation that an entry is ready to watch.

Frequently asked questions

How does Watcharr turn a franchise list into Radarr and Sonarr links?

Paste a public IMDb list into Watcharr to get a link for Radarr containing the movies and a link for Sonarr containing the shows. ^[1] Before using a franchise list, compare it with the intended viewing order and the library. Keep notes about alternate editions and optional extras so each missing entry can be reviewed.

Does Watcharr require an account or an installation?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] Signing in enables it to re-read a list about every 15 minutes and warn when a list fails three reads in a row. ^[1] Check whether the marathon needs an ongoing list or simply a review of the titles currently missing.

Can Watcharr combine IMDb lists for a household?

Signed-in Watcharr users can combine several IMDb lists into a link for Radarr and a link for Sonarr for the household. ^[1] A title appearing on multiple lists is included only once. ^[1] Agree on which franchise entries belong in the marathon before combining the planning lists, and keep the intended viewing order in the checklist.

How often do Radarr and Sonarr check Watcharr links?

Radarr checks its Watcharr link at a minimum interval of 15 minutes, and Sonarr at a minimum interval of 5 minutes. ^[1] For signed-in users, Watcharr re-reads the IMDb list about every 15 minutes. ^[1] Check the actual queue and library before the marathon; those intervals should not be used as a promise that a title will be ready.

How does Watcharr handle failed reads and unmatched shows?

If a list read fails, Watcharr's links keep providing the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1] Watcharr tells you which shows it could not match and skipped. ^[1] Review skipped titles against the marathon checklist, then check them individually before deciding how to handle the gaps. Keep unresolved entries visible so they are not mistaken for completed additions.

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)