How to keep a wishlist in step with your library in 2026

Keep an IMDb watchlist in step with your Radarr and Sonarr library, with setup steps, common mistakes and tools that can do it.

By VLClean · 2026-11-12

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

Keep the wishlist and the library in step by choosing one public list as the source, sorting each title into movies or shows, and checking the library on a set schedule. Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows. ^[1]

Option	What it does	Cost details
Watcharr	Turns one public IMDb list into one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows. ^[1]	not published
Other list tools (not named here)	not published	not published

What you need before you start

Start with two things you can name: the wishlist, which is the movies and shows you want, and the library, which is the movies and shows already available to watch. Before you begin, check whether each wanted title is a movie or a show, since the two kinds of title are handled by different apps.

Make sure the wishlist is public. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1]

Decide who will edit the wishlist and who will check the library. Two people changing the same list can leave titles missing without either one noticing.

Have Radarr and Sonarr open and working before you connect anything, so you can confirm that a new title arrives where it should.

Step by step

Pick one public IMDb list as the wishlist you keep, and tell everyone who adds titles to use only that list.

Decide which app each title type goes to, and check which app handles movies and which handles shows in the tool you choose.

Name one person who checks the library after new titles are added.

Connect the list to Radarr and Sonarr using the method your tool provides, and write down which links or connections you created.

Add one test title to the wishlist, wait for the next check, and confirm that it reaches the right app.

Each week, compare the wishlist with the library, remove titles you already own, and look into any title that did not arrive.

When a title does not arrive, first confirm the list is still public, then confirm the title is a movie or a show the app can match.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site.

Watcharr takes one public IMDb list and gives you 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]

A bookmark you click 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]

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 of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[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]

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. ^[1]

No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing one, check how it reads the list, how often it updates the library, and what it does with titles it cannot match.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid editing the wishlist in several places at once.

Avoid sorting titles without checking whether each one is a movie or a show. A show sent to the movie app, or a movie sent to the show app, will not be where you expect it.

Avoid expecting a new title to appear in the library the moment it is added to the wishlist.

Check whether your chosen tool can read a private list before you make the wishlist private. Watcharr accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists. ^[1]

Avoid skipping the weekly comparison. Titles removed from the wishlist, or ones that never arrived, are easy to forget.

Avoid trusting a single check. After a change, compare the wishlist and the library again before deciding a title is missing, and do this before you act on a single check.

Frequently asked questions

How can a wishlist stay in step with a Radarr and Sonarr library?

Choose one public list as the source, decide which app each title type goes to, and check the library on a set schedule. Ask whether the tool you choose keeps its links updated, so the library follows the wishlist without manual copying. Watcharr is one example, and it turns one public IMDb list into one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows. ^[1] Check how your chosen tool, Watcharr included, handles titles it cannot match before you rely on it.

Does Watcharr need an account to keep a wishlist in step with a library?

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] Check the sign-in status of your chosen tool before you rely on the library following the wishlist.

How often does Radarr check a Watcharr link?

Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] Do not expect a title to arrive the moment you add it to the wishlist, and allow time for the next check. During the first week, compare the wishlist with the library to see how the timing works for you.

What happens if Watcharr cannot read the IMDb list on a given day?

If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1] If you sign in, you also get a warning when a list fails three reads in a row. ^[1] After a warning, check the library and compare it with the wishlist by hand, so you can see whether any titles are still waiting.

Can Watcharr keep one library in step with several people's wishlists?

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] Watcharr accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists. ^[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)