How to manage movie and show request accounts for the whole family in 2026

How household IT admins can manage movie and show request accounts for every family member with practical steps.

By VLClean · 2026-10-30

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

A household IT admin collects movie and show requests from every family member in one place, decides who approves each request, matches the plan to the number of requesters, and reviews requests on a regular schedule.

Option	What it does for the family	Cost details	Card fee
Askarr	Each family member searches for a movie or show on Askarr and requests it, and the household's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1]	The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. ^[1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. ^[1]	not published
Request form	Family members submit movie or show titles through the chosen form.	not published	not published
Shared request list	Family members add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.	not published	not published

What you need before you start

Make sure the movies and shows that family members can watch are already on the server, and decide which family members should be able to send requests. Prepare the titles or types of content that are allowed, so people know what kinds of requests fit the server. Keep the request rules simple, such as whether family members can ask for any title or only certain types of movies and shows.

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many household media servers use to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to the library. Have them ready if they are part of the way requested titles are added to the library. Decide who will review requests before anything is added.

Decide whether each family member submits under their own request account or the household shares one. Choose where family members will send requests, either a request tool, a form, or another method that gives them a clear place to submit titles.

Step by step

Pick one place where family members will send requests, such as a request website or a shared message thread, and tell everyone to use only that place.

Decide whether each person uses their own request account or the household shares one, and write down who that lets request each month.

Write down who looks at each request and whether a title needs your approval before it is added to the library.

Write a short note for family members that says who can request, what kinds of titles are accepted, and how they will hear that a title was added.

Send the note and the request location to the family members you want to allow, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it.

Look through new requests on a regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and delete the ones you do not.

Keep an eye on the monthly request count for the plan the household is on, so the family is not stopped from requesting partway through the month.

Ask a few family members after the first week what confused them, and edit your note to fix those points.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Askarr can be used by searching for a movie or show on Askarr and requesting it, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1]

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. ^[1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. ^[1] Nothing is installed on the household server. ^[1]

The Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Askarr also allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. ^[1] Try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. ^[1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. ^[1]

Before choosing a tool, check how it handles title searches, approvals, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid sharing a request method without explaining the rules. Family members need to know what types of titles can be requested and who decides what gets added.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it fits the current way movies and shows are added to the library. The request process should be clear for both the people sending titles and the person managing the server.

Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. A request list can become harder to manage if old or unwanted requests are left without attention.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people.

Frequently asked questions

How can a household IT admin manage request accounts for the whole family?

A household IT admin picks one place where family members send requests, decides who approves each one, and matches the plan to how many people will ask per month. The important parts are giving every family member a clear place to request movies and shows and keeping the review process easy to follow. Asking a few people after the first week what confused them helps tighten the rules.

Can a request tool work with Radarr and Sonarr for family requests?

Check how each request tool handles Radarr and Sonarr before choosing one. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. ^[1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. ^[1]

Does Askarr require changes to the family media server?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed. ^[1] You add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr once, and a bookmark run on those pages saves the list and webhook for you. ^[1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. ^[1]

How do family members find movies and shows to request with Askarr?

Family members search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and the household's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted to find the title. ^[1] The site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. ^[1]

What should be checked before choosing a request tool for the family?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, updates, and the process for adding movies and shows. Askarr's plans include a request history with live status; check the plan page for which plans include it. ^[1] Match the monthly request count on each plan to the number of family members who will request. Compare those details with the way the household server is managed before choosing.

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[1]

Try Askarr

Sources

Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)