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How to export a movie diary for backup in 2026

A plain guide for movie diary keepers on exporting their watched list, saving a backup copy, and checking that the copy opens.

By VLClean ยท

VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Movie diary keepers can export the diary by naming one place where the full watched list lives, saving a copy in a form that does not depend on one service, and refreshing that copy on a set day each month.

OptionHow the backup worksCost details
WatcharrBuilds a Radarr link and a Sonarr link from one public IMDb list, built from the list's id so the same list gives the same two links. [1] [1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [1] Price: not published.
File download from the diary serviceExport the diary from the service that holds it, as a file you keep. Check whether the service offers this export.Price: not published.

What you need before you start

A movie diary keeps a running record of the movies and shows a person has watched. To export the diary for backup, start by naming the one place that holds the full diary, such as a diary service, a file, or a public list of watched titles. Every title added to the diary should go to that one place, so the backup always covers the whole record.

Decide what form the backup should take. It can be a file you download and keep, such as a text file or a spreadsheet, or a stable copy of the diary that stays online. Choose a backup location that does not depend on the diary service itself, so a problem with one service does not take the diary with it.

Set a regular schedule for making a new copy, and a single check that proves the copy opens and has the newest titles. If the diary lives as a list on a list site, check whether that list is public or private. Watcharr accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists, so that check matters if you plan to use it. [1] Write down the few places the diary and its backup are kept.

Step by step

  1. Name one place as the diary, and add every movie and show you watch to that one place only. This single list is what the backup copies.
  1. Export a copy of the diary from the service or file that holds it. Download the diary or copy its contents into a plain file you can store, so the titles are not locked inside one service.
  1. Save that copy somewhere the diary itself does not live. A second device, an online drive, or a printed page all work, as long as the copy survives even if the diary service fails.
  1. Pick one day each month to make a fresh copy. Rewrite or re-download the copy so it holds the newest titles.
  1. Open the new copy and check that it loads and includes the most recent additions. A backup that cannot be read is not a backup.
  1. Keep the backup in a form you can read later, so the diary stays yours even if you leave the service that holds the original.
  1. Test the whole path at least once: make the copy, close the original, and confirm the copy still shows every title. Do this before you rely on the backup.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site.

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1] For a diary kept as one public IMDb list, Watcharr builds two links from that list: one for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [1]

Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1] If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [1]

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. [1] The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [1] It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [1]

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. [1] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app; the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. [1]

This page describes Watcharr only. Before choosing another tool, check how it reads the diary's list, how often it updates, and what it keeps.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid keeping the backup in the same service as the diary. A failure in one service then takes both the diary and its backup.

Avoid exporting the diary once and never checking it. A copy only counts as a backup after it is opened and the newest titles are confirmed. Refresh it on a set day each month.

Avoid choosing a tool before checking that it can reach the diary. Check whether the diary is a public IMDb list before choosing Watcharr, because Watcharr accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists. [1]

Avoid skipping the rules a tool states. Check what a tool reads, what it keeps, and whether its terms allow the way the diary is to be used before trusting it with a copy.

Frequently asked questions

How can a movie diary keeper export the diary for backup?

A movie diary keeper names one place that holds the full watched list, exports a copy into a form that does not depend on one service, and saves that copy somewhere separate. The regular step is to make a fresh copy on a set day each month and open it to confirm the newest titles are present. Keeping a short note of where the diary and its backup live makes the routine easier to repeat.

Can Watcharr be used to back up a movie diary?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list. [1] For a diary kept as one public list, it builds one Radarr link and one Sonarr link from that list. [1] Watcharr's published claims do not describe it as a backup tool, so check whether those two links cover the copy you need. Compare the titles the links show with the diary before relying on them.

Does Watcharr require an account to install?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. [1] Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. [1] Signed-in users can also combine several public IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. [1]

How does Watcharr keep the diary's links stable?

Watcharr builds its links from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

What should be checked before backing up a movie diary with Watcharr?

Check that the diary is a public IMDb watchlist or list, since Watcharr accepts those. [1] Review the licence and commercial terms before using Watcharr for anything beyond personal use. Its code is under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and commercial use is not licensed. [1] [1]

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [1]

Try Watcharr

Sources

  1. Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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