---
{"title": "How to get failure alerts for media requests in 2026", "description": "Learn how low maintenance media hosts can set up alerts that only trigger when a movie or show request fails to download.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-get-alerts-only-when-a-request-fails-for-low-maintenance-media-hosts/", "date": "2026-11-11"}
---
Learn how low maintenance media hosts can set up alerts that only trigger when a movie or show request fails to download.

Set up a request tool that receives the automatic messages Radarr and Sonarr send when something happens, then filter alerts so you only hear about failures. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1]

| 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] |
| Email 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

Make sure Radarr and Sonarr are already adding movies and shows to your library. Decide which request method you want viewers to use. Prepare a list of people who should be allowed to send requests. Choose a notification channel such as email, Discord, or a messaging app that can receive alerts from Radarr and Sonarr. Verify that your Radarr and Sonarr can reach you with alerts when a download fails. Keep the rules simple so viewers know what titles are accepted and who reviews them.

## Step by step

1. Pick one place where friends and family will send requests, such as a request website or a shared message thread, and tell everyone to use only that place. 2. Write down who looks at each request and whether a title needs your approval before it is added to the library. 3. Write a short note for viewers that says who can request, what kinds of titles are accepted, and how they will hear that a title was added. 4. Send the note and the request location to the friends and family you want to allow, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it. 5. Turn on alerts in Radarr and Sonarr for when a download or import fails.

6. Point those alerts to your chosen notification channel, or to a request tool that passes on only failure alerts.

7. Test the flow by requesting a title that will not be found, then confirm you receive a failure alert and no success alert. 8. Look through new requests on a regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and delete the ones you do not. 9. Ask a few viewers after the first week what confused them, and edit your note to fix those points.

## Tools that can do it

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] You request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add 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] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] Askarr also allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. [^1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Askarr plans include a request history with live status. [^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] Askarr's project file marks its code as private. [^1] No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing a tool, check how it handles title searches, approvals, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow.

## Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid sharing a request method without explaining the rules. Friends and family need to know what types of titles can be requested and who decides what gets added. Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it fits the current way movies and shows are added to the library. The request process should be clear for both the people sending titles and the person managing the server. Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. A request list can become harder to manage if old or unwanted requests are left without attention. Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people. Avoid turning on alerts for every event when you only want failures; filter at the source or in the notification channel so you are not overwhelmed.

## Frequently asked questions

### How can low maintenance media hosts get alerts only when a request fails?

Turn on alerts in Radarr and Sonarr for when a download or import fails. Point those alerts to a notification channel or a request tool that passes on only failure alerts. Askarr is a hosted website where Radarr and Sonarr tell the site when a title is added and downloaded. [^1]

### Can a request tool work with Radarr and Sonarr without opening your home network to the internet?

Check how each request tool handles Radarr and Sonarr before choosing one. 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 then pick up your requests from it. [^1]

### Does Askarr require changes to the media server?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Nothing is installed. [^1]

### How do friends find movies and shows to request with Askarr?

Friends and family can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and the owner's 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 a request tool for failure alerts?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, updates, and the process for adding movies and shows. Askarr plans list request history with live status, which the source gives without naming a plan, so check the plan page for which ones include it. [^1] Compare those details with the way the media server 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)