How to auto-approve trusted users for media hosts in 2026

Learn how low maintenance media hosts can auto-approve trusted users to reduce manual work while keeping control over their media library.

By VLClean · 2026-11-11

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

Set up a request system that identifies trusted users and applies your approval rules to their requests. Check how each tool handles trusted users before choosing one, and keep a manual review step for anyone you do not trust yet. The key is defining who counts as trusted and what limits apply.

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

Low maintenance media hosts should set up Radarr and Sonarr before enabling auto-approval if those programs are part of how titles are added. Decide which friends or family members count as trusted users based on how often they request and whether their choices match the server's content focus. Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many media hosts run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. Have Radarr and Sonarr ready if they are part of the way requested titles are added. Choose a request method and check how it identifies users and applies different rules for trusted versus new requesters. Write down the approval rules so both you and your viewers know what happens after a request is sent. Keep the rules simple, such as a monthly request limit for trusted users and a review step for everyone else.

Step by step

Pick one place where friends and family will send requests, such as a request website or a shared message thread, and tell everyone to use only that place. 2. Define which users are trusted and what auto-approval means for them, such as skipping manual review up to a monthly limit. 3. Set up the approval rules for trusted users in your chosen request tool, so their requests follow the review path you want within the set limit. If the tool cannot apply rules by user, check each request yourself and record the decision. 4. Write a short note for viewers that says who can request, what auto-approval covers, and how they will hear that a title was added. 5. Send the note and the request location to the friends and family you want to allow, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it. 6. Look through new requests on a regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and delete the ones you do not. 7. 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 a hosted website that works with 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] 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] A request form lets people submit movie or show titles through the chosen form, and you decide which requests to approve. A shared request list lets people add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list. Askarr does not identify trusted users or auto-approve requests, so check how any tool handles trusted users before choosing one. 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 choosing a tool without checking how it fits the current way movies and shows are added to the media library. The request process should be clear for both the people sending titles and the person managing the server. 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 media hosts handle trusted users for movie and show requests?

A media host can choose a request method that identifies users, define who counts as trusted, and set approval rules such as a monthly limit. The important parts are giving viewers a clear place to request movies and shows and keeping the review process easy to follow for non-trusted users. Askarr does not identify trusted users or auto-approve requests, so check how a tool handles that before choosing one.

Can a request tool work with Radarr and Sonarr for trusted users?

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 one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. ^[1]

Does Askarr require changes to the media server?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed. ^[1]

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

Friends and family 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 should be checked before choosing a request tool for auto-approval?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, updates, trusted users, and the process for adding movies and shows. Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. ^[1] Compare those details with the way the media server 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)