--- {"title": "How to connect automation services for beginners", "description": "Learn how self-hosting beginners can prepare, connect automation services, and compare request tools for a personal media workflow.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-connect-automation-services-for-self-hosting-beginners/", "date": "2026-10-19"} --- Learn how self-hosting beginners can prepare, connect automation services, and compare request tools for a personal media workflow. Connecting automation services starts with preparing the tools that manage your library, choosing a request method, and checking how information moves between services. | 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 Prepare the services that already manage your movies and shows, and decide which parts of the workflow should happen automatically. Radarr and Sonarr are helper programs that can be used to find and add movies and shows to a library. Have them ready if they are part of the way requested titles are added to the library. Decide who can send requests and who reviews them before anything is added. Clear rules help avoid unwanted titles entering the workflow. Choose where people will send requests. The choice can be a request tool, a form, or another method that gives viewers a clear place to submit titles. Keep account details and access settings organized before connecting services. Review what each tool asks for and what information it uses. ## Step by step 1. Choose the services that will handle requests and title management. Write down what each service does so the connection points are clear. 2. Pick one place where requests will be sent, such as a request website or a shared message thread, and tell everyone to use only that place. 3. Connect the chosen request method with the services that manage movies and shows. Follow each tool's instructions and check what information is shared. 4. Decide who reviews requests and whether approval is needed before a title moves into the library workflow. 5. Write a short note for people who send requests. Include who can request titles, what types of titles are accepted, and how updates will be shown. 6. Check the workflow after setup. Confirm that requests appear where expected and that the people managing the server understand each step. 7. Adjust the process when something causes confusion. A simple request path makes it easier to manage titles over time. ## Tools that can do it Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Askarr can be used by searching for a movie or show on Askarr and requesting it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds 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] Askarr shows when a title was added and downloaded through a webhook from Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] You can paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title. [^1] Other request methods can include a form or a shared list where people submit titles. Check how each option handles searches, approvals, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow. ## Common mistakes to avoid Avoid connecting services without first deciding what each one should do. A clear workflow makes it easier to find problems when a request does not move forward. Avoid sharing a request method without explaining the rules. People sending titles should know what can be requested and who decides what gets added. Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it handles title searches, approvals, updates, and the movement of requests between services. Avoid skipping 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 self-hosting beginners connect automation services? Self-hosting beginners can start by listing the services already in use, choosing where requests should enter the workflow, and checking how each service passes information. The goal is a clear path from a request to the service that manages the title, with simple rules for approvals and updates. ### Can Askarr connect automation services for movie and show requests? Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr once as an import list, and they read your requests from it. [^1] Askarr can then receive requests that your own Radarr or Sonarr adds. [^1] ### Does Askarr require changes to existing automation services? Askarr works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1] ### How do people find titles with Askarr? People can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your 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 an automation service? Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, updates, and the movement of information between services. Askarr plans include a request history with live status. [^1] Compare those details with the way the current automation workflow is managed before choosing a request method. 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)