How to log independent films and shorts for indie trackers

Log independent films and shorts in a tracker: what to prepare, the steps, and the tools to check before you choose one.

By VLClean · 2026-11-09

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

To log independent films and shorts, keep one list of the titles, mark each one as a short or a feature, add the list to your tracker, and then check what came through. Compare each tool on how it reads a list, how it matches titles, and what it does when a title fails to match.

Option	What it does	Cost details
Watcharr	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]
Other tools	not published	not published

What you need before you start

Start with one list of the independent films and shorts you want to log, written in a single place where you can copy from it. Write down the title and year next to each entry, because the year helps a tool or a person pick the right film when two titles are alike.

Decide what counts as a short and what counts as a feature, and apply the same rule to every entry. A list that mixes the two without a rule is hard to check later, and it makes it unclear whether a missing title was a short or a feature.

Check whether each title appears on a public IMDb list, since Watcharr works from those lists. ^[1] If a title is not on a list yet, you can still keep it ready to type in by hand.

Choose the tracker you will open each time, and make sure you can reach it from the device you use most. Keep a short note of the titles you have already logged so that you do not enter the same film twice.

Plan a regular time, such as one evening a week, to add new titles and to look at any that did not come through. A fixed time keeps the list current without turning the job into a large task each time.

Step by step

Gather every independent film and short you want to log into one list, with the title and year next to each one.
Mark each entry as a short or a feature, following the rule you set at the start.
Put the entries on a public IMDb list, or keep them ready to enter by hand if a public list is not an option for a title.
Open your tracker and add the list using the method that tracker gives you.
Check the result. Confirm that each title shows up where you expect, and write down any that are missing.
Look up each missing title again using its exact spelling and year, then add it by hand if the tracker allows that.
Repeat these steps on the same day each week, so new titles are added as you find them and the list stays current.
Once a month, compare your note of logged titles with the tracker, and remove any duplicates you find.

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] Radarr and Sonarr are the apps that take those links, so each link works with the app it is meant for. Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1]

Watcharr 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 IMDb list's id, 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 that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. ^[1] An API key is the code that lets one app connect to another. Watcharr leaves out shows it cannot match and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[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 fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

The page shows the list's covers in a row, and each cover opens its details. ^[1] You can paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. ^[1]

Other tools exist, and this page has no facts about them. Compare each one on how it reads public lists, how it matches titles to the right entries, and what it does when a title cannot be matched.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid mixing shorts and features in one list without a rule, because the list becomes hard to check. Decide the rule first and apply it to every entry.

Avoid skipping the check after the first import. A title that did not match stays missing until someone looks at the result, and an early check shows whether the list is set up the way you intended.

Avoid entering the same title twice. A short note of what you have already logged makes this easy to avoid, and it helps when a title appears on more than one list.

Avoid assuming a tracker handles a short the same way it handles a feature. Check the first few shorts yourself, and confirm each one appears with the right title and year before you add the rest.

Avoid letting the list go unchecked for long stretches. A weekly review is enough for most lists, and it keeps missing titles from piling up.

Frequently asked questions

How can indie trackers log independent films and shorts?

Start with one list of the titles, mark each one as a short or a feature, and add the list to your tracker using the method that tracker gives you. Then check the result, write down anything that did not come through, and look those titles up again using their exact spelling and year. Repeat the same steps on a set day each week so the list stays current and nothing is entered twice.

Can Watcharr add independent films from an IMDb list?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] Whether a particular short appears in those links depends on what is on the list, so check the list itself before you rely on it.

Does Watcharr need an account or an installation?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] If you do sign in, Watcharr 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 also combine several lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. ^[1]

Can Watcharr be used for commercial work?

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, and older versions remain under MIT. ^[1] Read the licence text yourself before using Watcharr in any paid or business setting, since the licence terms decide what is allowed.

What should be checked before logging shorts in Watcharr?

Check that each short appears on a public IMDb list, because Watcharr works from those lists. ^[1] Check also how the tracker handles titles it cannot match, since Watcharr leaves out shows it cannot match and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1] Finally, open the title details to confirm each entry is the right film before you rely on the list. ^[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)