How to log films watched without internet access for offline-first media loggers

How offline-first media loggers can record films watched without internet access, with steps, tool options, and common mistakes to avoid.

By VLClean · 2026-11-08

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

Keep a dated record of films watched in a file saved on your own device, and check what each tool needs from the internet before you rely on it.

Option	What it does for this job	Cost details
Watcharr	Turns a public IMDb list you paste into one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1]	Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1]
Notes file on your device	Keeps your own dated list of films, saved where you choose.	not published

What you need before you start

Start with a device you control and a list of the films you have already watched. A plain text file or spreadsheet saved on that device is enough to record titles with no connection, and you can copy it to another device by hand later.

Decide which details to record for each film, such as the title, the year, and the date you watched it. Keep the same order every time so the file stays easy to read and search, even after hundreds of entries.

Check the setup before you need it. Confirm that the file opens with no connection, that you know its exact location, and that a second copy is saved somewhere you can reach. If you plan to use an online tool alongside the file, check what it needs from the internet before you depend on it.

Step by step

Create one file on your device with a header row for the details you chose.
Add each film as soon as you finish it, so the date stays accurate.
Save and close the file, then open it again to confirm the last entry is there.
Copy the file to a second drive or device once a week.
Before adding a title, search the file for it so the same film is not logged twice.
Review the file each month and remove any duplicate lines.
If you use an online list, look at it only when you have a connection, and check the result against your file by hand.

Tools that can do it

You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] The two links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1]

Radarr and Sonarr are programs that add movies and shows to a media library. Watcharr turns a public IMDb list into links for Radarr and Sonarr, so you can add the films on that list to your library. ^[1]

A notes file or spreadsheet kept on your own device is the other option here. It is the record you control, and you decide where it is copied. Other tools exist for this job, and each one should be checked against the questions in the sections above before you choose.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid keeping your only copy on one device. A lost or damaged device can take the whole record with it, so keep a second copy somewhere you can reach.

Avoid treating an online list as your record. A list is useful for finding titles, but it is not a dated record of what you watched, so keep both and compare them by hand.

Avoid assuming a tool refreshes at a set moment. Check the result yourself after each update instead of waiting for a timer to run.

Avoid logging the same film twice under different spellings. Search the file before each entry so the record stays accurate over time.

Frequently asked questions

How can offline-first media loggers log films watched without internet access?

Keep a dated file on your own device and add each film as soon as you finish it. Use the same details for every entry so the file stays easy to search. Save a second copy somewhere you can reach without a connection, and check any online tool you use before you rely on it for records. A plain file needs nothing from the internet to open or update.

Does Watcharr need an internet connection to build its Radarr and Sonarr links?

Watcharr works from a public IMDb list that you paste into it. ^[1] The two links are built from that list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] Check how each step behaves without a connection before you rely on it for a log.

Can Watcharr keep a record of films watched?

Watcharr turns a public IMDb list into one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] Keep your dated watch log in your own file, and use Watcharr for the lists you want added to your library. Keeping those two jobs separate makes it easier to see which film you actually finished and which one is still waiting.

Is Watcharr free to use?

This page does not list a price for Watcharr, so check its site for current terms before you rely on a cost. The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] 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. ^[1] Read that licence before you use it in any business setting.

What should be checked before Watcharr is chosen for logging films?

Check that the films you want to log appear on a public IMDb list, because Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] Check how each step works without a connection. Also check where your own dated file is saved and how often you copy it to a second place.

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)