How to import old ratings from a file for spreadsheet escapees in 2026

Prepare a ratings export, check the destination's import rules, and verify scores, dates and title matches before leaving a spreadsheet behind.

By VLClean · 2026-11-12

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

Keep an untouched copy of the ratings file, compare its columns with the destination's import requirements, and try a small sample before importing the rest. Check scores, title matches and dates afterward. Choose a destination only after confirming that it accepts the file and preserves the information that matters.

Option	What to check or use	Ratings preservation
Destination's own importer	Check for documented support for the source file.	Check scores, dates, notes and repeated entries.
Spreadsheet export route	Check whether an available export format matches the destination's requirements.	Compare exported values with the original before importing.
File conversion route	Check the required changes to columns, dates and score formats.	Verify the converted sample against the source.
Watcharr	Paste a public IMDb list to get a movie link for Radarr and a show link for Sonarr. ^[1]	Check the destination's documentation for personal ratings import.

What you need before you start

Keep the original ratings file somewhere safe and make a separate working copy. Do the cleanup in that copy so an accidental edit does not become the only surviving record of an old rating.

Prepare a short list of the information worth keeping. That might include the title, release year, rating, date rated and personal notes. Distinguish a rating date from a viewing date if the spreadsheet contains both. Decide whether an empty score means unrated or something else before changing any values.

Choose where the ratings should end up, then read that destination's file requirements. Check the accepted file type, required column names, rating scale and rules for matching titles. Look for instructions about existing entries and repeated imports before sending the full file.

Have a few familiar entries ready for comparison afterward. Include a title with a punctuation mark, a title with a blank field and an entry whose score needs careful interpretation. These examples give the import a practical check beyond whether the destination reports success.

Decide what a successful move means before starting. Keeping scores may be essential even if preserving the spreadsheet's visual layout is not.

Step by step

Inspect the source file. Open the working copy and identify what each column means. Check whether each row represents a title, a viewing or a rating change. Do not combine repeated titles until their purpose is clear. Record any shorthand that would be difficult to understand outside the spreadsheet.

Check the destination's instructions. Find its accepted file format and required fields. Confirm whether the import accepts personal ratings, rather than only title names. Check whether it expects a particular title identifier and whether dates or notes can be included. Leave the original file unchanged while comparing the requirements.

Map the columns. Write down which source column belongs in each accepted destination field. Keep title names separate from years when the instructions require that separation. If a field has nowhere to go, preserve it in the archive and decide whether losing it from the destination is acceptable before proceeding.

Resolve score meanings. Compare the source and destination rating scales. Decide how to handle blank scores, zero values and partial scores. Follow the destination's documented rules for any conversion. Check a low, middle and high rating manually so a conversion does not quietly change the meaning of the collection.

Prepare a sample. Copy a small selection into a separate import file using the required format. Include ordinary entries alongside entries with accented letters, repeated titles or incomplete dates. Keep a record of the sample so its results can be compared directly with the source.

Import and inspect the sample. Follow the destination's import instructions, then open the resulting entries. Compare titles, scores and dates with the working copy. Read any skipped-entry report. Before retrying, check whether the next import would update existing entries or create additional ones.

Import the remaining records. Correct the working file using what the sample revealed. Follow the documented process for the full import. Keep any report of skipped or rejected rows, and resolve those entries separately instead of repeatedly submitting the whole file without understanding the result.

Keep an archive. Save the original export, the final import file and the column mapping together. Verify a selection of imported records before retiring the spreadsheet. Keep unresolved entries visible so missing information does not disappear from attention.

Routes and tools to consider

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site, VLClean.

Choose a tool by checking the information it accepts and preserves. Use the following routes as checks against a destination's documentation, rather than as promises about a particular service.

A destination's own importer. Look for a documented route that explicitly accepts personal ratings. Compare its required columns with the source file, and check what happens to dates, notes and existing entries. A file upload button alone should not decide the choice.

A spreadsheet export route. If the destination accepts a format the spreadsheet can export, prepare a working copy around that documented format. Confirm the column mapping before exporting. Reopen the resulting file and inspect the sample entries before submitting it.

A file conversion route. Consider conversion only after identifying a specific difference between the source file and the accepted format. Require a clear mapping for scores and dates, preserve the original values, and check the converted sample. Check what information any conversion service receives before uploading personal notes.

Watcharr. You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]

Things to check before you choose: Does the destination accept the existing ratings file? Will personal scores, rating dates and notes survive? How are repeated entries handled? Can the imported information be exported again?

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid editing the only copy of the export. Keep the original separate from the file being prepared for import, and give the working copy a name that makes its purpose clear.

Avoid treating a title match as proof that the rating moved correctly. Compare the score and its meaning as well as the title. Check dates separately, especially when the spreadsheet records both viewing and rating activity.

Avoid replacing blank ratings with a score just to fill every cell. Decide what the blank means first, then follow the destination's documented treatment of missing values.

Avoid deleting repeated titles without checking why they appear. Preserve separate viewings or rating changes in the archive until the intended treatment is clear.

Avoid retrying the entire file before reading the import result. Check how existing entries are handled and isolate rejected rows where the instructions permit it.

Avoid choosing a destination from a feature name alone. Check the actual accepted fields, file requirements and export options. Keep the spreadsheet archive until the imported records have been reviewed and any missing information has been accounted for.

Frequently asked questions

Can Watcharr import old ratings from a file?

Watcharr starts with a public IMDb list and produces a movie link for Radarr and a show link for Sonarr. ^[1] For a ratings-file move, check documentation that explicitly covers personal scores, accepted file formats and preserved dates before choosing a destination. Keep the original export until those requirements are confirmed.

Does Watcharr accept public IMDb watchlists?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] When planning a move from a spreadsheet, separately check how the chosen destination handles personal scores and dates. Keep a record of which fields must survive, and check that ratings and dates moved along with the titles.

Does Watcharr require an installation or account?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] Before using any destination for an old ratings file, check its documented import requirements and the information it preserves. Prepare a sample from a working copy, compare the result with the original, and retain the archive while resolving any rejected entries.

How should a spreadsheet export be prepared for ratings import?

Keep an untouched original and prepare a working copy using the destination's documented format. Map each column, confirm the meaning of scores and dates, and preserve fields that have no destination. Import a small sample first, then compare the resulting records with the source before submitting the remaining entries.

What should be checked after a ratings file import?

Compare familiar entries with the original file, including their titles, scores and dates. Review skipped rows and check whether repeated titles were handled as intended. Before retrying, read the rules for updating existing entries. Keep the original export and final import file until unresolved records have been reviewed.

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

Try Watcharr

Sources

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