How to keep personal ratings in one place for TMDB list users in 2026

Learn how to organize personal movie and show ratings around TMDB lists, compare list tools, and choose a way to keep titles organized.

By VLClean · 2026-10-30

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

To keep personal ratings in one place, decide where ratings will live, choose a consistent way to record them, and keep a separate list of titles to watch. If IMDb lists are part of the process, Watcharr can turn a public IMDb list into separate links for Radarr and Sonarr, but it is not described as a personal rating manager. ^[1] Check each option for rating storage, list support, and how changes are handled before choosing a workflow.

Option	Main use	Rating and list details to check	Cost details
Watcharr	Turns a public IMDb list into a Radarr link for movies and a Sonarr link for shows. ^[1]	Personal rating storage and TMDB list imports are not established by the approved claims.	The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] A price is not published.
TMDB lists	A list-based starting point for someone already organizing titles with TMDB.	Check how personal ratings are saved, reviewed, and kept separate from list membership.	not published
Spreadsheet or personal record	A place to maintain a record of titles, personal scores, watch status, and notes.	Check how title identities, duplicate entries, and updates will be handled.	not published
Existing list or media-management service	A possible part of a workflow for organizing titles or managing a media library.	Check documented support for personal ratings, TMDB lists, title matching, and record exports.	not published

What you need before you start

Start by deciding what keeping personal ratings in one place means for your movie and show collection. You might want a single record of titles already watched, a place to save your own scores, or a way to keep track of titles that should be added to a media library. These are related tasks, but they do not automatically require the same tool.

Make a list of the information that matters for each title. This could include the title, whether it is a movie or show, your personal rating, whether you have watched it, and whether you want to watch it again. Keep your own rating separate from a public rating so the two are not confused.

Next, identify where your current lists live. If you use TMDB lists, decide which lists contain titles to watch and which represent movies or shows you have already seen. Check whether the service you plan to use can accept those lists directly or whether you will need another way to record your information.

Decide how much automation you need. A manually maintained record may be enough if ratings are the main goal. If you also manage a home media library, you may want a separate process that passes movie and show titles into the programs that manage that library.

Finally, decide what should happen when a title appears on more than one list, when a rating changes, or when a title cannot be matched. These decisions help keep the records clear as your collection grows.

Step by step

Choose one main place for personal ratings. Decide where your own scores will be recorded and which service or file will be the reference when information differs between lists. Before committing, check that the chosen option actually supports personal ratings rather than only storing or sharing titles.

Separate ratings from watchlists. A watchlist answers what you want to watch, while a rating records your opinion of something you have watched. Keep these purposes distinct, even if you use the same overall workflow to manage both. This makes it easier to find titles you want to watch without confusing them with titles you have already rated.

Choose a consistent rating method. Decide what your scores mean and apply the same approach to movies and shows. If you use a numerical scale, define what the ends of the scale represent. If you prefer written notes, use a consistent format so you can compare your impressions later.

Check how titles are identified. Titles can be difficult to distinguish when names are similar or when a show has several seasons. Check whether the chosen tool matches the correct movie or show and whether it lets you review uncertain matches before using the resulting list elsewhere. Keep any personal notes associated with the intended title.

Decide how lists should be updated. If your source lists change, establish whether the destination should reflect those changes automatically or whether you will review them yourself. Check the timing of any scheduled updates and what happens if a source list cannot be read. Do not assume that a change to a source list also changes a separately stored personal rating.

Keep library automation separate from rating storage. If you use Radarr to manage movies or Sonarr to manage shows, decide which lists should feed those programs. A list that supplies titles to a library does not, by itself, establish that personal ratings will be saved or updated. Check how the selected tools handle each task before connecting them.

Review the results and maintain the record. Check that titles appear in the intended list, that movies and shows have not been confused, and that your personal scores remain associated with the right titles. When something changes, update the rating in the place you chose as the main record. Review the process periodically so that old lists and duplicate entries do not make the collection harder to use.

Tools that can do it

The right option depends on whether the main goal is recording personal ratings, organizing lists, or sending titles into a home media library. These jobs can overlap, but a tool that handles one should not be assumed to handle the others.

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site, VLClean. ^[1] It takes a public IMDb list and creates one link for Radarr with the movies and another for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] Each link acts like a small server for the corresponding program, with Radarr checking it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 minutes. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] Watcharr is therefore an option for moving titles from public IMDb lists into a media library workflow, but the approved features do not establish that it stores personal ratings or imports TMDB lists.

TMDB lists are worth checking as part of a TMDB-based workflow. Before using them as the main place for ratings, check which personal details can be saved with each title, whether your ratings can be reviewed together, and what happens when a title is removed from a list. Confirm the behavior in the service itself rather than assuming that list membership and personal ratings are the same thing.

A spreadsheet or personal record is another option to consider when the priority is keeping your own scores together. Choose columns for title, movie or show, personal rating, watch status, and notes. Check how you will identify titles with similar names and how you will keep the record current when your lists change. This approach depends on the process you choose for maintaining it.

A list or media-management service you already use may also be suitable. Check its documented support for personal ratings, TMDB lists, title matching, and exporting or reviewing your records. If you want titles sent into Radarr or Sonarr, verify that separately from the rating features.

No rival-specific capabilities are established here beyond these general options, so compare documented features rather than assuming that a tool supports rating imports, exports, or automatic updates.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid assuming that a list of titles is the same as a collection of personal ratings. A list may help you remember what to watch without providing a place to record what you thought of each title. Confirm that the selected tool supports the information you want to keep.

Avoid mixing your own scores with public ratings. Label personal ratings clearly and decide where they will be maintained. If several services show ratings, check which score belongs to your own account and which comes from another source.

Avoid assuming that list changes carry ratings with them. Adding, removing, or matching a title can affect list contents without necessarily changing a separate rating record. Check how the chosen workflow handles edits, removed titles, and duplicate entries.

Avoid overlooking title matching. A similar title is not always the same movie or show, and a show that cannot be matched may not pass through a library workflow. Review uncertain matches and keep your personal notes tied to the correct item.

Avoid choosing a tool for library automation when the main need is rating storage. Watcharr provides links from public IMDb lists to Radarr and Sonarr, but its approved claims do not establish personal rating management or TMDB list support. ^[1] Check the specific rating and list features you need before relying on any option as your main record.

Frequently asked questions

How can personal ratings be kept in one place for TMDB list users?

Choose a main record for your own ratings and keep it separate from lists used to track titles you want to watch. Check whether the selected tool supports personal scores, title identification, and updates from your existing lists. If the workflow includes a media library, verify its title-transfer features separately because moving titles does not establish that personal ratings are saved.

Can Watcharr import TMDB lists and keep personal ratings?

Watcharr's approved features describe accepting public IMDb watchlists and lists, then creating separate Radarr and Sonarr links for movies and shows. ^[1] They do not establish support for TMDB list imports or personal rating storage. Check the documented features before using Watcharr as part of a rating-management workflow.

Can Watcharr send movies and shows to Radarr and Sonarr?

Watcharr turns a public IMDb list into one link for Radarr containing movies and another for Sonarr containing shows. ^[1] Radarr checks its link every 15 minutes and Sonarr checks its link every 5 minutes. ^[1] Shows that cannot be matched to a TheTVDB identifier are skipped, and Watcharr tells you which shows it skipped. ^[1]

Does Watcharr need to be installed to use public IMDb lists?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] You can paste, copy, and browse from any screen in the web app, while the one-click bookmark is shown on bigger screens. ^[1] These features describe using IMDb lists in a Radarr and Sonarr workflow, not storing personal ratings in a central record.

What should be checked before choosing a personal rating tool?

Check whether the tool stores your own ratings, supports the lists you already use, identifies the correct movie or show, and lets you review or export your record. Confirm how it handles removed titles, duplicates, and list updates. If you also manage a media library, check title transfer separately from rating storage so that a library update is not mistaken for a change to your personal scores.

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)