---
{"title": "How to collect user requests for shared library hosts in 2026", "description": "Learn how shared library hosts can collect requests from users, with setup steps, tool options to compare, and mistakes to avoid.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-collect-user-requests-for-shared-library-hosts/", "date": "2026-10-19"}
---
Learn how shared library hosts can collect requests from users, with setup steps, tool options to compare, and mistakes to avoid.

Shared library hosts can collect user requests by picking one request method, writing clear rules for what can be asked, and reviewing new requests on a set day each week. Askarr is one option: you request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. [^1]

| Option | Request method | 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 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] |
| Request form | Not described by a source here. Check how it takes and sorts requests. | not published |
| Shared list | Not described by a source here. Check how it shows and updates requests. | not published |

## What you need before you start

Before anyone sends a request, get the library itself in order. Know which movies and shows are already on the server, so requests for titles you already have can be answered quickly.

Decide which users may send requests. That might be every household member or a short list of named people.

Write down the rules for what can be requested. Some hosts accept any movie or show, while others accept only certain types of titles. Keep the rules short enough that a user can read them in one minute.

Choose one place where requests will arrive. It can be a request website, a form, or a shared list, but users need a single place to send requests so nothing gets lost. Decide who reviews each request and whether a title is added only after your approval.

If you plan to use Askarr, it works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Nothing is installed on your server, because you add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr as a list they read requests from. [^1]

## Step by step

1. Pick the single place where users will send requests, and tell everyone to use only that place.
2. Write down who reviews each request and whether approval comes before a title is added.
3. Write a short note for users that says who may request, which titles are accepted, and how they will learn that a title was added.
4. Send the note and the request place to the users you want to allow, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it.
5. Review new requests on one fixed day each week, approving the ones you want and deleting the rest.
6. After the first week, ask a few users what confused them, then edit the note to fix those points.
7. Keep a simple record of what was added, so a repeated request can be answered quickly.

Tell users in the note that a request is a suggestion and not a promise. That sets the expectation that approval happens before anything is added, and it keeps the review step from becoming a source of complaints.

## Tools that can do it

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

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then read your requests from it. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1] A bookmark you run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [^1]

Radarr and Sonarr tell the site when a title is added and downloaded. [^1] Users can also paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find a title. [^1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status, so you can see what was asked and where each request stands. [^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] Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [^1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data, without signing in. [^1]

A request form and a shared list are also possible for this job. No source facts are given here about either one, so this page does not describe how they work. Before choosing, check how each handles approvals, updates, and how requests reach your library.

## Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid opening requests without stating the rules. Users who do not know which titles are accepted will send everything, and the review list fills with requests you never wanted.

Avoid running several request places at once. When requests are split across a form, a chat thread, and a list, nobody owns them all, and some asks get lost.

Avoid skipping the review step. Old requests left without attention make the list harder to manage, so set a fixed day each week to clear it.

Avoid inviting people to a tool before checking what it asks for. Read what information an account needs and what access the tool uses, and make that clear to users before they sign up.

## Frequently asked questions

### How can shared library hosts collect requests from users?

Pick one place where users send requests, write a short note that explains who may ask and which titles are accepted, and decide who approves each request before anything is added. Review the list on a fixed day each week. If you want a hosted option, Askarr is one: you request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. [^1] The steps in this page work with any request place you choose.

### Does Askarr connect directly to Radarr and Sonarr?

Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1] Instead, you add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they read your requests from it. [^1] A bookmark you run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [^1] Nothing is installed on your server. [^1]

### How many requests can Askarr take for free?

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 requests your users are likely to send in a month.

### Can Askarr show whether a requested title was added?

Radarr and Sonarr tell the site when a title is added and downloaded. [^1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status, so you can see what was asked and where each request stands. [^1] Users can also paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title they want before they send the request. [^1]

### What should be checked before choosing a request tool for a shared library?

Check how each tool handles approvals, updates to a request, and how a request reaches your library. Ask what information each account needs and what access the tool uses before you invite users in. Askarr can be tried with a throwaway demo account and sample data, without signing in. [^1] Compare the number of requests you expect each month with the limits described above, so the plan you choose fits the volume you are likely to see.

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)