--- {"title": "Set up Askarr from a chat interface on a headless server", "description": "Steps for headless server admins to set up Askarr from a chat interface, with the checks to make before you start.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-configure-the-bot-entirely-from-a-chat-interface-for-headless-server-admins/", "date": "2026-11-07"} --- Steps for headless server admins to set up Askarr from a chat interface, with the checks to make before you start. Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] The approved facts do not say whether its setup can be finished from a chat interface alone, so test that on one title before you commit to it. | Option | How requests work | 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] | | Other request tools | The approved facts do not say how other tools take requests, so check how each one passes requests to Radarr and Sonarr. | The approved facts do not say what other tools charge, so check their pricing before you choose. | ## What you need before you start Have a working Radarr for movies and Sonarr for shows, both running and reachable from the device you will use to make the setup changes. Choose one person to be the admin who makes changes, so that settings are not changed by two people at once. Decide who may send requests and who approves them before anything is added to the library. Write down the address you use for each program so the steps are quick to follow. Check the tool itself before you begin by reading its plan details. The approved facts do not say whether its setup can be finished from a chat interface alone, so write down that answer before you start. ## Step by step 1. Confirm that your Radarr and Sonarr are running and that you can reach each one from your chat tool. 2. Confirm whether the setup can be finished in chat. The approved facts for Askarr do not settle it, so test it on one title first. 3. Add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr as an import list, and they will read your requests from it. [^1] 4. Run the setup step that Askarr provides on your Radarr or Sonarr page, which saves the list and the status messages there for you. [^1] 5. Request one movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] 6. Check that the title shows as added, because Radarr and Sonarr send a status message back so the site can show it. [^1] 7. Check which plan you need by reading its request limit, and check whether the plan includes a request history. Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [^1] ## Tools that can do it Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as a source of requests in Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys, the codes those programs use to let other programs in. [^1] You can paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title. [^1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [^1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [^1] No other tool is described here, because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before you choose one, check whether its setup can be finished from chat, how it passes requests to Radarr and Sonarr, and what it charges. ## Common mistakes to avoid Avoid skipping the check on whether setup can be finished from chat, since the approved facts for Askarr do not settle it. Avoid assuming the Plus plan has no limit, because it allows 50 requests a month. [^1] Avoid forgetting that the Free plan allows 10 requests a month. [^1] Avoid treating the first setup as finished without a test. Request one title and confirm that it arrives in your Radarr or Sonarr before you tell anyone the setup is ready. Avoid leaving requests unreviewed after setup, because an old or unwanted title can sit in the list. Avoid giving access details to any tool that does not need them, and check what each tool asks for before you connect it. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can Askarr be configured entirely from a chat interface? The approved facts for Askarr do not say whether its setup can be finished from a chat interface alone, so that is the first thing to check before you start. Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Nothing is installed. [^1] Once you add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr as a source of requests, they read your requests from it. [^1] ### Does Askarr ever connect to Radarr or Sonarr? Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys, which are the codes those programs use to let other programs in. [^1] The site shows when a title was added and downloaded, because Radarr and Sonarr send a message back when that happens. [^1] ### Can Askarr find a title from a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link? Askarr accepts a link and finds the title: you can paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. [^1] Use the link to find the title, then request it on Askarr, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] Try one link with a title you already know, then check that the title shows as added once the request goes through. ### How many requests does Askarr allow each month? 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 a referral adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [^1] Compare these figures with how many titles your household requests before you choose a plan. ### Does Askarr show the status of each request? Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [^1] The approved facts do not name which plans include it, so check the plan details before you choose one. The site also shows when a title was added and downloaded, because Radarr and Sonarr send status messages back. [^1] You can try the dashboard first with a throwaway demo account and sample data, without signing in. [^1] 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)