--- {"title": "Avoid a separate web interface for Matrix chat users in 2026", "description": "Learn how Matrix chat users can request movies and shows without setting up a separate web interface, with steps and options to compare.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-avoid-setting-up-a-separate-web-interface-for-matrix-chat-users/", "date": "2026-11-06"} --- Learn how Matrix chat users can request movies and shows without setting up a separate web interface, with steps and options to compare. A hosted request website avoids a separate web interface, because the people in your chat use one place to send requests. Askarr is a hosted site that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] | 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] | | Other request tools | Check how the tool handles requests, approvals, and updates. | Other request tools' fee details are not published. | ## What you need before you start Matrix chat users need a few things ready before anyone sends a request. Start with a list of the movies and shows already on your server, so members know what is available. Decide which people in your chat may send requests and which kinds of titles are accepted. Have Radarr and Sonarr ready if they are part of how requested titles reach your library. Radarr is a free helper program that finds and adds movies, and Sonarr does the same for shows. Decide who reviews each request before anything is added. Choose the one place where requests will go. It can be a request website or another method that gives members one clear spot to submit titles, so nobody has to set up a separate web interface on their own device. ## Step by step 1. Pick one request place for your chat members, such as a single shared link or a hosted request website, and tell everyone to use only that place. 2. Write down who reviews each request and whether a title needs your approval before it is added. 3. Write a short note for members that says who can request and what kinds of titles are accepted. 4. Share the note and the link in your chat room, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to send it. 5. Review new requests on one regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and remove the ones you do not. 6. After the first week, ask a few members what confused them, and update 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 site that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time 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] Members search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back, so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can be pasted to find a title. [^1] The dashboard can be tried with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [^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] No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing a tool, check how it handles requests, approvals, updates, and how a request moves into your library. ## Common mistakes to avoid Avoid sharing a request link without explaining the rules. Members need to know what types of titles can be requested and who decides what gets added. Avoid choosing a tool before checking how it fits the way movies and shows already reach your library. The process should be clear both to the people sending titles and to the person managing the server. Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. A request list becomes harder to manage when old or unwanted requests are left without attention. Avoid skipping the account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before you share the link with anyone. ## Frequently asked questions ### How can Matrix chat users avoid setting up a separate web interface? Use one request place that members can reach without installing anything. Askarr is a hosted site that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Members search for a movie or show and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] Agree on who approves requests before you share the link, so the process stays easy to follow for everyone in the chat. ### Does Askarr connect into Radarr and Sonarr? You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time 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] Radarr and Sonarr tell the site when a title is added and downloaded. [^1] Review these points against how much access you are comfortable sharing before you start. ### Does Askarr have a free plan? Yes. 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] Compare these limits with how many titles your chat members usually ask for before you choose a plan. ### Can Askarr be tried before signing up? You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [^1] This lets you see the request screens before you share anything with your chat members. Use the demo to decide whether the layout suits your members, then set up the real account when you are ready. Askarr's plans also include a request history with live status, which you can review once you sign up. [^1] ### What should be checked before choosing a request tool for Matrix chat users? Check how a tool handles requests, approvals, updates, and how a request moves into your library. No facts about other tools were provided here, so compare each option on those points. For Askarr, the Free plan allows 10 requests a month. [^1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Write your answers down so the choice rests on your own chat members and server. The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] - [Visit Askarr](/go/start) ## Sources [^1]: Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)