---
{"title": "How to keep a Jellyfin watchlist next to your library", "description": "Keep a movie and show watchlist alongside Jellyfin: use a public IMDb list and a link Radarr and Sonarr check so titles reach the library.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-keep-a-watchlist-alongside-a-jellyfin-library-for-jellyfin-watchlist-users/", "date": "2026-10-30"}
---
Keep a movie and show watchlist alongside Jellyfin: use a public IMDb list and a link Radarr and Sonarr check so titles reach the library.

Jellyfin watchlist users can keep a watchlist next to their library by saving the titles they want to watch in a public IMDb watchlist or list, preparing the library helpers to take new titles, and using a link that Radarr and Sonarr check so the movies and shows reach the library Jellyfin serves.

| Option | How it works | Cost details |
|---|---|---|
| Watcharr | Turns one public IMDb watchlist or list into two links, one for Radarr for the movies and one for Sonarr for the shows. [^1] | not published |
| IMDb watchlist page | Keep titles in an IMDb watchlist and open that page to browse them. [^1] | not published |
| Shared list combined | Combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link, with a title on two lists added only once. [^1] | not published |

## What you need before you start

Jellyfin watchlist users need one clear place to hold the titles they want to watch, such as a public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. [^1] That single place becomes the source that everything else reads, so decide early which list is the one you keep updated.

Decide whether the watchlist runs beside the library or feeds titles into it. Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. Have them ready if the watchlist will add titles to the library that Jellyfin serves.

Decide who uses the list. A single person keeps one set of links, while signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. [^1] That choice changes how many lists need to be combined.

Decide what to do with titles that cannot be looked up. Not every watchlist title will have an id that a library helper can use, so plan to review skipped titles now. [^1] Sign in if you want the list re-read on a schedule and a warning when it fails to load. [^1]

## Step by step

1. Put every title you want to watch in one public IMDb watchlist or list and keep that as the single source. [^1]

2. Decide if the watchlist feeds the library or only sits beside it. If it feeds the library, make sure Radarr and Sonarr are ready to add the titles.

3. Build the two links from the list, one for the movies and one for 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]

4. Note that these are scheduled checks, so a run can be delayed. A title you add does not appear the moment you save it.

5. If the list is shared, combine the household's lists into the same two links. A title that is on two lists is added only once. [^1]

6. Review the titles that were skipped because they could not be matched, and decide what to do with each one. [^1]

7. Set a regular day each week to look at the list page, where the covers open into the plot, genres, rating, backdrop, and trailer for each title. [^1]

8. If a read of the list ever fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [^1] Ask a household member after the first week what was unclear, and adjust the plan.

## Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. It keeps an IMDb watchlist next to a Jellyfin library by turning one public IMDb watchlist or list into two links, one for Radarr for the movies and one for Sonarr for 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] A bookmark inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [^1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [^1]

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. [^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 list page shows the covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop, and trailer. [^1]

Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. [^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]

No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing a tool, check how it reads a watchlist, how often it checks for new titles, and how matched titles move into the library.

## Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid keeping titles in more than one place. A watchlist spread across several lists is harder to read, so keep the titles in one place it can all be taken from. [^1]

Avoid expecting a title to appear the instant it is saved. The checks run on a schedule, so a run can be delayed and a new title shows up on the next read.

Avoid assuming every show reaches the library. Shows that cannot be matched are skipped, and Watcharr tells you which ones those are. [^1]

Avoid treating skipped titles as lost. Check which titles were left out and decide whether to add them another way. [^1]

Avoid sharing a link that stops working when the list is edited. The links are built from the list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [^1]

Avoid ignoring a tool's licence before relying on it. Check what a tool allows before you set up a shared list around it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a Jellyfin user keep a watchlist alongside their library?

A Jellyfin user who keeps a watchlist has a few ways to do it. The usual approach is to save titles in one place, such as a public IMDb watchlist or list, and to let Radarr and Sonarr bring the titles into the library. [^1] The important part is one clear source for the titles and a check that the library can take the movies and shows that are on the list.

### How does Watcharr turn a watchlist into Radarr and Sonarr links?

Watcharr turns one public IMDb watchlist or list into two links, one for Radarr for the movies and one for Sonarr for 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] A bookmark inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [^1]

### Does Watcharr need anything installed or an account?

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] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [^1] The code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, with older versions remaining under MIT. [^1]

### What happens to a show that Watcharr cannot match?

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [^1] That means a show without a TheTVDB id is not sent on, and the skipped titles are reported so they can be handled another way. Check the skipped list after each run to see which shows were left out. [^1]

### What should be checked before choosing a watchlist tool for Jellyfin?

Before choosing a tool, check how it reads a watchlist, how often it checks for new titles, and how matched titles move into the library. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list, combines several lists for a household, and adds a title on two lists only once. [^1] Compare those details with the way the Jellyfin library is managed, and check the tool's licence before relying on it.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [^1] - [Visit Watcharr](/go/start-watcharr)

## Sources

[^1]: Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-watcharr)