--- {"title": "How to control request permissions in private media groups", "description": "Learn how to control who can request titles in a private media group, set approval rules, and compare request tools such as Askarr for Radarr and Sonarr.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-control-request-permissions-for-private-media-groups/", "date": "2026-10-12"} --- Learn how to control who can request titles in a private media group, set approval rules, and compare request tools such as Askarr for Radarr and Sonarr. A private media group controls request permissions by writing down who may ask for titles, who approves them, and where requests are sent. Once those rules are fixed, a request tool can be checked against them. | Option | Request method | Cost details | |---|---|---| | Askarr Free plan [^1] | Members search for a title on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] | $0 a month, with 10 requests a month. [^1] | | Askarr Plus plan [^1] | Members search for a title on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] | $3.99 a month, with 50 requests a month. [^1] | | Askarr Pro plan [^1] | Members search for a title on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] | $6.99 a month, with unlimited requests. [^1] [^1] | | Other request tools | not published | not published | ## What you need before you start A private media group needs a list of who is in it before any request rules can work. Write down each member who may send requests and each person who decides whether a title is added. Keep the list short enough that everyone knows who to ask. Decide what kinds of titles the group accepts, such as movies only, shows only, or both. Put the rule in a short note that every member can read, so a request that does not fit can be turned down without an argument. Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that find and add movies and shows to a media library. If the group uses them to add requested titles, have them running and know who looks after their settings. Choose the one place where members will send requests, such as a request tool, a form, or a shared message thread. Using one place only keeps requests from getting lost. ## Step by step 1. Write the group's request rules in one short note: who may ask, what kinds of titles are accepted, and who approves each request. 2. Name one approver for requests and one backup, so no request waits without an owner. 3. Pick the single place where members send requests, and tell everyone to use only that place. 4. Set up the approval step before inviting members, so the first requests already follow the rules. 5. Send the note and the request place to the members you have agreed on, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it. 6. Review new requests on a set day each week, approve the ones that fit the rules, and remove the ones that do not. 7. After the first month, ask members what confused them, and edit the note to answer those questions. These steps do not depend on one tool. Once the rules are written, check each request tool against them before choosing one. ## 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] Nothing is installed. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they read your requests from it. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1] Members can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] You can paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title. [^1] Radarr and Sonarr report back to the Askarr site, which shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^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] A request form or a shared list is another option. This page has no published facts about how either one handles approvals, so check that before choosing one. ## Common mistakes to avoid Avoid letting requests arrive in several places. When members use a form, a message thread, and a tool at the same time, some titles will be missed. Avoid skipping the written rules. Members need to know which kinds of titles fit and who decides before they send anything. Avoid leaving old requests unreviewed. A list that is not cleared on a set day becomes harder to manage each week. Avoid giving a tool access before you have checked what it asks for. Review what information a tool requires and what access it uses before you share it with members. ## Frequently asked questions ### How can a private media group control who sends requests? Start by writing down who may ask for titles and who approves each one before anything is added to the library. Keep the rule in one place that every member can read, so nobody is unsure. A request tool only fits the group's approach if the approval step has been agreed first. Before inviting members, check how any tool you consider lets an owner limit who sends requests and how approvals are handled. ### Does Askarr let a private media group limit who can request titles? The approved facts about Askarr cover requests, the link to Radarr and Sonarr, and plans. They do not describe how permissions or approvals work, so this page does not say that Askarr has them. Check the Askarr plan page before relying on it for that purpose. Askarr can be used by searching for a movie or show and requesting it, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] ### Does Askarr connect to a private media group's Radarr or Sonarr? Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they read your requests from it. [^1] Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that find and add movies and shows to a media library, so the group's existing setup stays in place. ### How do members find a title to request on Askarr? Members can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it. [^1] Pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also find the title. [^1] Radarr and Sonarr report back to the Askarr site, which shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] ### What should a private media group check before choosing a request tool? Check how the tool handles approvals, what members see after they send a request, and how a request reaches the library. Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [^1] Check the plan page to see which plans include it before paying. Compare what each tool says about permissions with the rules your group wrote down. 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)