# How to import release calendars into automated downloads for show release planners in 2026

Learn how show release planners can bring a public list into Radarr and Sonarr so new titles are added automatically.

By VLClean · 2026-10-21

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

Show release planners can import a release calendar into automated downloads by preparing a public list, choosing an import method, and checking which titles were matched.

Option	How a list gets in	Cost details
Watcharr	Paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1]	not published
Manual method	Someone adds titles by hand into Radarr or Sonarr.	not published
Download app's own list setting	The app's built-in list feature pulls the titles it knows.	not published

What you need before you start

Start with a release calendar that is already a public list, so the import method can read it. A public list is one that can be opened by anyone, not just its owner. Confirm the list is public before you connect it, because a list that needs an account or a login cannot be pulled in.

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many download set-ups run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to the library. Have them ready, because the release calendar list is imported into them. A single list can carry both kinds of titles: one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1]

Decide how often the list should be checked, because the import happens on a schedule rather than the moment a title appears. Check which matcher the method uses to turn each title on the list into a title the download apps know, because a title that cannot be matched is left out. Plan who will look over the matched results after each check.

Step by step

Pick the public list that will act as your release calendar, and make sure every title on it is something the download apps can name.

Check that the list is public and reachable, so the method that reads it does not get stopped by a login.

Choose the way the list will reach Radarr and Sonarr, such as a tool that turns the list into import links or a manual copy of the titles.

Connect the list to Radarr for the movies and to Sonarr for the shows, and set how often each of them checks the list.

After the first checks run, review which titles were matched and note the ones that were skipped.

Look over the imported titles on a regular day each week, and fix any list entries that did not come through so the next check is cleaner.

Tell anyone else who uses the list which titles made it in and which were left out, so the release calendar stays useful.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. 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 minutes. ^[1]

It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] The links are built from the list's own ID number on IMDb, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using the code that app uses to trust other apps, and that code does not go anywhere else. ^[1]

Watcharr matches shows to their TV database entries with the help of two other services, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1] Watcharr finds each show's number in the TV database by checking two other outside services. ^[1] The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening the show's or film's plot, genres, rating, background picture and trailer from an outside database. ^[1] If you sign in, it 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] 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] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, older versions remain under MIT, and commercial use is not licensed with no commercial licence for sale. ^[1] ^[1]

Before choosing another method, check how it reads your list, how it matches titles into your download apps, and what it says about the licence that covers your use.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid importing a list before confirming it is public. A list that needs a login or an account cannot be reached by the method, so check that first.

Avoid assuming every title will come through. A show that has no match in the lookup gets skipped and reported, so plan to sort out skipped titles rather than expecting a perfect result.

Avoid treating the scheduled checks as instant. The import happens on a schedule, and no method moves a new title in the moment it is added to the list, so plan reviews around the check times rather than the second a title lands on the calendar.

Avoid skipping the review step. Look over which titles were matched and which were left out after the first checks, so the release calendar stays accurate.

Avoid overlooking what the method is licensed for. Check whether the tool allows the way it is being used before building the workflow around it.

Things to check before you choose

Before picking a way to import a release list, check how often it checks the list and whether runs can be delayed. Check which matcher it uses for titles and what happens to a title it cannot identify. Check whether the method needs a login or an account, and whether it sends the download apps' keys anywhere. Check the licence for how the tool can be used, since not every use is covered.

Frequently asked questions

How does Watcharr import a release list into Radarr and Sonarr?

Watcharr lets 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 minutes. ^[1] The links are built from the list's own ID number on IMDb, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using the code that app uses to trust other apps, and that code does not go anywhere else. ^[1]

Does Watcharr add every show to Sonarr?

No. Shows that Watcharr cannot match are left out: it matches shows to their TV database entries with the help of two other services, leaves out the shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1] Those skipped shows do not reach Sonarr, so check the notice of skipped titles after an import and deal with those shows another way.

Which IMDb lists can Watcharr use?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] The list must be public, not one that needs an account to read. This lets a release calendar built as a public list be imported, as long as the titles on it can be matched by the lookups.

Does Watcharr need an account or anything to install?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] A login is optional: signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. ^[1] When signed in, it also re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. ^[1]

Is Watcharr free to use?

Watcharr carries a licence, so check it for how the code and the service can be used. Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and older versions remain under MIT. ^[1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1] Anyone planning a commercial use should check the licence terms before building a workflow around it.

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)