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How to move from an older request tool to a newer one for long-time Plex owners in 2026

Plan a careful switch from an older Plex request tool by mapping the current process, checking the replacement, and updating requester instructions.

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

Start by documenting how the older request tool is used, deciding what should carry over, and checking how the replacement handles requests and your existing Radarr and Sonarr workflow. Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1]

OptionRequest methodCost details
AskarrSearch for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1]The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1]
Request formPeople submit movie or show titles through the chosen form.not published
Shared request listPeople add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.not published

What you need before you start

Before moving from an older request tool, write down how people currently send requests, who reviews them, and how approved titles reach the library. Keep the current request rules available while the new process is being prepared.

Have Radarr and Sonarr ready if they are part of the current way movies and shows are added. Decide whether the replacement should keep the same request flow or change how people find titles and submit them.

Make a short list of things that matter during the move, such as title searches, request status, request history, approvals, and what access the new tool needs. For any replacement, check how it handles these parts before changing the old workflow.

If Askarr is being considered, it is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] Nothing is installed; Askarr is added as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [1]

Keep the older request tool available until the new process has been checked from the requester's side and the server manager's side.

Step by step

  1. Write down the current request path. Note where a friend searches for a title, how a request is submitted, who reviews it, and how an approved title moves toward the library.
  1. Separate the parts that need to stay from the parts that can change. For example, keep the existing approval rule if that is important, while changing only the place where requests are submitted.
  1. Choose the replacement and check its documented request flow before changing the older tool. Look for title searches, request status, request history, and the way requests reach the existing Radarr and Sonarr workflow.
  1. If Askarr is the replacement, you request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1] Askarr can also find a title when a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link is pasted. [1]
  1. Add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr so they read requests from it. [1] Check what access the replacement needs before choosing it.
  1. Check the setup steps the replacement requires before making the change.
  1. Check the request status after the replacement is prepared. Radarr and Sonarr send a message back to the site when a title is added and downloaded, letting Askarr show when a title was added and downloaded. [1]
  1. Give requesters the new location and explain only the steps they need. Keep the wording close to the old instructions where the process is unchanged, and change the instructions where the new request tool works differently.
  1. Keep the old request method available while the new process is being checked. Compare a few normal request paths, including searching for a title, submitting it, seeing its status, and confirming that it reaches the existing library workflow.
  1. Once the replacement process is clear, remove the old request location from the instructions so new requests do not get split between two places. Keep any records that need to be retained according to the way the older tool is managed.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] You request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. [1]

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr once, and they read your requests from it. [1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1]

A request form is another option when the move only needs a place for people to submit movie or show titles. Check how the chosen form handles title searches, approvals, status updates, and the step that moves a request into the existing library workflow.

A shared request list is another option when the goal is to collect movie or show ideas in one place. Check who can add entries, who reviews them, how old requests are handled, and how an approved title reaches the existing Radarr and Sonarr process.

Askarr plans include a request history with live status. [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] The Pro plan has no monthly request limit. [1] Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid changing the request location before writing down how the old workflow works. A long-running Plex setup can depend on small steps that are easy to forget when the replacement is introduced.

Avoid moving every part of the process at once if only the request method needs to change. Keep the existing library workflow clear and check what the replacement changes before rewriting the instructions.

Avoid giving requesters instructions that describe the old tool after the new tool is live. The request location, title search method, and status instructions should all point to the same process.

Avoid skipping access checks. Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1] Check what each replacement needs permission to access before choosing it.

Check request history and live status when those details matter to the move. Askarr plans include a request history with live status. [1]

Avoid treating the migration as finished before a normal request has been followed through the new process. Keep the old workflow available long enough to update any instructions that still point to it.

Frequently asked questions

How can long-time Plex owners move from an older request tool?

Start by documenting how the older tool is used, then choose what should stay the same and what should change. Check the replacement's title search, request flow, status updates, access requirements, and connection to the existing library workflow. Keep the older process available while the replacement is checked so requesters do not lose a clear way to submit titles.

Can Askarr replace an older request tool for Plex owners?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] You request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr once, and they read your requests from it. [1]

Does Askarr require installing something during a migration?

Nothing is installed when using Askarr. [1] Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr so they read requests from it. [1]

How does Askarr show what happened to a request?

Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1] Radarr and Sonarr send a message back to the site when a title is added and downloaded. [1] During a move, check that these status details match the information requesters need before retiring the older request method.

What should be checked before choosing a newer Plex request tool?

Check how the tool handles title searches, requests, approvals, status updates, access, and the step that moves a request into the existing library workflow. Askarr can find titles from TMDB, IMDb or TVDB links. [1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1] Compare those details with the current workflow before switching.

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

Try Askarr

Sources

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

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