How to import rated films into a self hosted tracker in 2026

Learn how to prepare rated film lists, choose an import method, and use Watcharr to send public IMDb lists to Radarr and Sonarr.

By VLClean · 2026-10-23

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

To import rated films into a self hosted tracker, identify where the ratings and film titles are stored, check whether the destination can accept that list format, and choose a method that preserves the information you want to keep. Watcharr accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists and provides a Radarr link for movies and a Sonarr link for shows. ^[1] ^[1] Before choosing a method, check whether it carries ratings across or only uses the list to find titles.

Option	What it does	Ratings and history	Cost details
Watcharr	Turns one public IMDb list into a Radarr link for movies and a Sonarr link for shows. ^[1]	The approved claims cover list titles and show matching, not importing personal ratings from another service. ^[1] ^[1]	The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]
Direct export from the source	Check whether the original service offers an export and which formats are available.	Check whether the export contains personal ratings, watched status, and other required fields.	not published
Destination's own import feature	Check the destination's documentation for supported import formats.	Check whether ratings and watched history are supported fields.	not published
Shared film list	Keeps a collection of film titles together for review or transfer.	Check separately whether the chosen method retains personal ratings and watched history.	not published

What you need before you start

Before moving away from a film diary or rating site, decide what needs to make the move. A list of watched films, a collection of films to watch, and a record of personal ratings are different things. A tracker that imports titles may not preserve the ratings or the history attached to them.

Start with the list that contains the films. Check whether it can be exported, shared publicly, or copied into a format accepted by the destination. Keep the original ratings and any other details that matter available until the import is confirmed.

Next, identify the destination. A personal film tracker, a media library, and software that finds movies for a home media server do different jobs. Radarr finds and adds movies to a library, while Sonarr does the same for shows. Make sure the intended destination is actually where the imported titles should go.

Prepare a small sample of titles and note which details must survive the move. These might include film names, release years, watched status, and personal ratings. Decide how duplicates should be handled and whether films that have not been watched should remain separate from rated films.

If the source is IMDb, check whether the list is public and whether the destination accepts IMDb lists. Watcharr accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists from the desktop site, the phone site, and IMDb pages in other languages. ^[1] That can help with moving titles from an IMDb list, but it does not establish that personal ratings from another service will transfer.

Step by step

Identify the source of the films and ratings. Open the existing film diary or rating service and find the list or export option. Check whether the available data includes titles alone or also personal ratings, watched dates, notes, and other details. Keep a copy of the original data before making changes.

Choose the destination. Decide whether the goal is to keep a searchable record of films already watched, build a list for future viewing, or send movie titles to a home media server. These goals may require different tools. A movie list sent to Radarr is not automatically the same thing as a personal rating history.

Check the supported import format. Look for instructions that name the accepted source, file format, or list type. If a tool accepts an IMDb list, confirm that the list is public and that the required titles appear in it. If the original service offers an export, check which fields are included before relying on it.

Separate ratings from the movie list. Keep the original ratings available if the import method only accepts film titles. Check whether the destination has a separate way to import ratings or watched history. Do not assume that an imported title will carry its original score with it.

Prepare the list. Remove unwanted entries, check for duplicates, and confirm that film titles are identifiable. If release years are available, keep them alongside titles to help distinguish films with similar names. Save the prepared list without overwriting the original.

Import a small sample first. Use a few titles to confirm that the destination recognizes the intended films. Check whether duplicates appear, whether titles are matched correctly, and whether ratings and watched status are retained. If the method only transfers titles, keep the rating record in its original form or use a separate supported import method.

Complete the import and verify the result. Compare the destination against the original list. Check titles that were not recognized, entries that appear more than once, and any details that did not carry over. Keep the original data until the result is satisfactory.

Set up future updates if needed. Decide whether the destination should receive changes when the source list changes. Check how often the selected tool refreshes its data, whether a sign-in is needed, and what happens if the source cannot be read. A one-time import and an ongoing list connection are different arrangements.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] These are scheduled checks, and they can be delayed. Watcharr moves titles through an IMDb list workflow; check separately how personal ratings and watched history can be retained.

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[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] If a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

A direct export from the original service is another option to investigate. Check whether the service can export films and ratings, which file format it provides, and whether the intended destination can import that format. The available facts here do not establish which export formats any particular service supports.

A destination's own import feature may be suitable if the tracker documents an import method for the source data. Check the accepted file types, whether ratings and watched status are supported, and how the importer handles duplicate films. Confirm these details in the destination's documentation before preparing the full collection.

A shared list can be an option when the immediate goal is to carry film titles into a library workflow. Watcharr lets signed-in users combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the household, and a title appearing on two lists is added only once. ^[1] This is about combining movie and show lists, not a claim that personal ratings from a film diary are imported.

Watcharr's code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, while older versions remain under MIT. ^[1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1] If self-hosting is a requirement, Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. ^[1] Check whether that arrangement matches your hosting needs before choosing it.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid treating a film list as a complete rating archive. A list can identify which films belong in a collection without carrying personal scores, reviews, watched dates, or notes. Check the fields the destination actually imports before moving the whole collection.

Avoid choosing a tool before deciding what the tracker should do. A tool that sends titles to a media library serves a different purpose from a personal diary that records films already watched. Confirm that the destination matches the job.

Avoid assuming every title will match correctly. Films can share names, and a title may not be recognized by the destination. Review the results and investigate unmatched entries before treating the import as complete.

Avoid ignoring duplicates. A film may appear in more than one source list, so compare the destination with the original collection. If multiple lists are combined, check how repeated titles are handled.

Avoid relying on a live list as the only copy of important data. Keep the original export or rating record until the import is verified. If the source becomes unavailable, check whether the destination retains a previously loaded list and whether the original ratings remain accessible.

Finally, check access requirements and licence terms. Confirm whether a list must be public, whether an account is needed, and whether the software's licence permits the intended use. If personal ratings are essential, do not proceed until the chosen method explicitly supports carrying them over.

Frequently asked questions

How can rated films be imported into a self hosted tracker?

Start by checking whether the source service can export film titles and personal ratings, then confirm that the destination accepts that format. If the destination accepts only a list of titles, keep the ratings in a separate file or record until a supported method for importing them is confirmed. Test a small sample first and compare the result with the original collection before completing the move.

Can Watcharr import personal film ratings?

Watcharr accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists and creates links for Radarr movies and Sonarr shows. ^[1] ^[1] The approved features describe moving list titles into those apps, not importing personal ratings from another film diary. Check whether the original service can export ratings separately and whether the intended tracker supports importing those fields.

Can Watcharr send IMDb movies to Radarr?

Yes. You paste one public IMDb list and receive a link for Radarr containing movies and a separate link for Sonarr containing shows. ^[1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, with Radarr checking every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] Scheduled checks can be delayed, so confirm the list has updated before relying on the change.

Does Watcharr need to be installed?

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] If the goal is to run the service under your own hosting arrangements, check the deployment requirements and licence terms before proceeding.

Can Watcharr combine multiple IMDb lists?

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that appears on two lists is added only once. ^[1] This can consolidate movie and show titles from multiple lists. It does not establish that personal ratings, reviews, or watched dates from another service are transferred.

What should be checked before choosing a film import tool?

Check the supported source, accepted file formats, and whether personal ratings and watched history are included. Confirm how duplicates and unmatched films are handled, whether the tool requires an account, and whether ongoing updates are available. If self-hosting matters, review the hosting requirements and licence. For Watcharr, commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1]

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)