---
{"title": "How to Check Plex Requests Still Reach Downloads", "description": "Learn how to check that Plex movie and show requests still reach Radarr and Sonarr, spot problems, and keep the request process working.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-check-that-requests-still-reach-the-download-apps-for-plex-pass-lifetime-owners/", "date": "2026-11-11"}
---
Learn how to check that Plex movie and show requests still reach Radarr and Sonarr, spot problems, and keep the request process working.

To check that movie and show requests still reach the download apps, follow a request from the request page to Radarr or Sonarr, then check whether the title was added and downloaded. Keep the request rules clear, check the status shown to viewers, and investigate any request that stops moving through the process. Askarr provides a request history with live status and uses a report from Radarr and Sonarr to show when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] [^1]

| Option | How it handles requests | Cost details |
|---|---|---|
| Askarr | You request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. [^1] | The Free plan costs $0 and includes 10 requests a month. [^1] |
| Request form | People submit movie or show titles through the form the server owner chooses. | not published |
| Shared request list | People add movie or show ideas to the server owner's shared list. | not published |

## What you need before you start

Long-time Plex owners should start by checking the current way movies and shows move into the Plex library. A request process that worked when the server was first set up may need attention after changes to the library workflow, the download apps, or the people allowed to request titles.

Make sure Radarr and Sonarr are available if they are part of the process. Radarr handles movies and Sonarr handles shows. Know which app should receive each type of request, and decide who can check the request when something does not move forward.

Have access to the place where friends and family submit titles. Keep a movie request and a show request available as examples, so each part of the process can be checked separately.

Write down what a normal request should look like. For example, identify where a submitted title should appear, who reviews it, and what information tells viewers that it was added and downloaded.

If a request tool provides a history or status display, have that available too. A clear record makes it easier to tell whether a request was submitted successfully or whether further checking is needed.

## Step by step

1. **Choose a movie and a show to check.** Use titles that can be identified clearly in the request process. Keep the two requests separate so it is easier to see whether both Radarr and Sonarr are receiving the right kind of request.

2. **Submit each request through the usual place.** Use the same request method that friends and family normally use. This checks the process from the viewer's side rather than relying only on what the server owner can see.

3. **Look for each request in the request history.** If the request tool provides a history, check whether both titles appear. Look at their displayed status and note anything that does not change as expected. Do not assume that submitting a title means the download apps have received it.

4. **Check the relevant download app.** Look in Radarr for the movie request and Sonarr for the show request. Confirm whether the titles appear where they are expected. If a title does not appear, check the request method and the connection between the request process and the relevant app before treating the request as complete.

5. **Check the status after the title is added.** A request can appear in a list without having completed the rest of the process. Check whether the title is reported as added and downloaded. Keep these stages separate when explaining progress to friends and family.

6. **Compare what the viewer sees with what the server owner sees.** If the request page still shows an earlier status after the download app has moved forward, check whether the request tool receives status updates. A difference between the two views is a reason to investigate rather than assume the request has failed.

7. **Repeat the check after changes.** If the request method, how movies and shows reach the library, or download apps have changed, run the same checks again. Check movies and shows separately because they go through different apps.

8. **Write down the result.** Record which title was requested, which app should receive it, and what status was displayed. This gives the server owner a clear starting point if a later request stops moving forward.

9. **Tell viewers what to do when a request gets stuck.** Give friends and family a clear way to report a missing or unchanged request. Explain that a submitted request and a downloaded title are different stages, so viewers know what status to expect.

## Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. 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 report from Radarr and Sonarr lets Askarr show when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] Askarr also includes a request history with live status in its plans. [^1] 

A bookmark you run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [^1] Askarr also lets someone paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find a title. [^1] The owner adds Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr, with no program to install. [^1]

Other possible methods include a request form and a shared request list. Check how each method passes requests into Radarr or Sonarr before choosing one for ongoing request monitoring.

Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [^1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [^1] The Pro plan has no monthly request limit. [^1] Each friend who signs up through an owner's link adds 10 requests a month to the limit. [^1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing up. [^1]

## Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid assuming that a request has reached Radarr or Sonarr just because it appears on the request page. Check the relevant app before treating the request as received.

Avoid checking only movies or only shows. Radarr and Sonarr handle different types of titles, so check both parts of the process if both are used for the Plex library.

Avoid treating an added title as a downloaded title. These are separate stages, and a request status should make the distinction clear to viewers.

Avoid overlooking status updates. If the request page and the download app show different progress, check how the request tool reports changes before telling viewers that a title is ready.

Avoid changing the request method without checking the existing workflow. 

Avoid giving friends and family unclear instructions. Explain where to submit titles, what kinds of requests are accepted, and how to report a request that appears stuck.

Finally, avoid assuming that a process will keep working indefinitely without another check. Repeat the request process check after relevant changes and whenever viewers report that a request has stopped progressing.

## Frequently asked questions

### How can Plex owners check that requests reach Radarr and Sonarr?

Submit a movie request and a show request through the usual request method. Check whether the movie appears in Radarr and the show appears in Sonarr. Then compare the download apps' progress with the status shown on the request page, if one is available.

### Can Askarr show whether a Plex request was added and downloaded?

Askarr receives a report from Radarr and Sonarr so the website can show when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] Its plans also include a request history with live status. [^1] Compare the displayed request status with the relevant download app when checking whether a title has progressed.

### Does Askarr need to connect directly to Radarr or Sonarr?

Askarr never connects to Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr once, and they read your requests from it. [^1]

### How can Plex owners check that Askarr is set up correctly?

A bookmark you run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [^1] Submit a movie or show request and check whether it appears in the relevant app. Then compare the status displayed on Askarr with the progress reported by the app. A report from Radarr and Sonarr shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] Repeat the check for both movies and shows.

### What should Plex owners check if a request does not appear in the download apps?

First, check whether the title appears in the request history and whether the request was submitted through the usual method. Then check the relevant app and the request process that passes titles into it. For Askarr, check that Radarr and Sonarr are reading requests from it. [^1] Do not mark a request complete until its progress has been checked.

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)