How to move movie and show requests from Plex to Jellyfin in 2026

Learn how to move movie and show requests from Plex to Jellyfin, review old request lists, and choose a request method for the new server.

By VLClean · 2026-11-13

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

Before moving from Plex to Jellyfin, check whether the old request tool can export its request history and whether the replacement can import that information. Review any exported titles and decide which requests should carry over. Choose a request method for the Jellyfin server and explain the new process to friends and family. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1]

Option	Request method	Cost details
Askarr	Request a movie or show on Askarr, and your 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]
Request form	People submit movie or show titles through the chosen form.	not published
Shared request list	People add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.	not published

What you need before you start

Make sure the Jellyfin server already has the movies and shows that viewers can watch, and decide which friends or 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 people can ask for any title or only certain types of movies and shows.

Radarr and Sonarr are helper programs that 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.

Choose where people will send requests. The choice can be a request tool, a form, or another method that gives viewers a clear place to submit titles.

Check whether the current Plex request tool offers an export of previous requests. If it does, save the information somewhere that can be reviewed during the move. Also check whether the replacement request tool supports importing that export. Do not assume that an exported list can be transferred directly. Keep the original request history until the wanted titles have been identified and the new process is ready.

Step by step

Pick one place where friends and family will send requests on the new Jellyfin setup, such as a request website or a shared message thread, and tell everyone to use only that place.

Write down who looks at each request and whether a title needs your approval before it is added to the library. Keep the same approval rules from the Plex setup if they still make sense for the new server.

Check the old Plex request tool for an export option. If it offers one, save the request history and review the titles. Separate requests that still matter from titles that have already been added, are no longer wanted, or need another decision.

Check whether the replacement request tool can import the saved information. Confirm that the export format is supported before attempting a transfer. If the formats are not compatible, use the old list as a reference and add the wanted titles through the new request process or directly through the existing library workflow.

Write a short note for viewers that says who can request, what kinds of titles are accepted, and how they will hear that a title was added. Explain that the request location has changed from the Plex arrangement to the new Jellyfin arrangement.

Send the note and the request location to the friends and family you want to allow, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it. Make clear that new requests should go through the new location rather than the old one.

Look through new requests on a regular day each week, approve the ones you want, and delete the ones you do not. Check the transferred list separately so that older requests are not confused with new submissions.

Ask a few viewers after the first week what confused them, and edit your note to fix those points. Check that the new request process is clear and that everyone knows where to send future movie and show requests.

Tools that can do it

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

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time as an import list, 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] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. ^[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] Its plans include a request history with live status. ^[1] Nothing is installed. ^[1]

Askarr has a Free plan that 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]

A request form is another option. People submit movie or show titles through the chosen form, and the person managing the server can review the submissions before adding titles. Check whether the form allows the information from the old request history to be imported.

A shared request list is another possible method. People add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list, which can then be reviewed by the person managing the server. Check how the list handles older requests and whether it can be carried over from the previous arrangement.

Compare the available request tools on the points that matter during a move: title search, approval of requests, status updates, request history, and how a request reaches the library. Check whether each tool can take titles from an old request list without needing the old tool to stay in place.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid sharing a request method without explaining the rules. Friends and family 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 Jellyfin 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.

Avoid assuming the old request history will transfer automatically. Check whether the old tool can export its information and whether the replacement accepts that export. If an import is not supported, keep the old list available while reviewing and adding the titles that are still wanted.

Avoid confusing the media server change with the request process change. Moving from Plex to Jellyfin does not by itself establish where friends and family should submit future requests. Choose the new request location and explain the change before asking viewers to use it.

Frequently asked questions

How can media server migrators move requests from Plex to Jellyfin?

Check whether the current Plex request tool can export its request history, then see whether the replacement request tool can import that information. Review the old list and identify titles that are still wanted. If the export cannot be imported, use it as a reference and add the selected titles through the new request process or directly through the existing library workflow. Explain the new request location to friends and family.

Can a request tool work with Radarr and Sonarr when switching to Jellyfin?

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 as an import list, and they then pick up your requests from it. ^[1] Check the replacement tool's request handling against the way the new library is managed.

Does Askarr require changes to the Jellyfin server?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed. ^[1] Before choosing Askarr during a move to Jellyfin, check whether any changes to the Jellyfin server are needed for the complete setup. Also check how the existing Radarr and Sonarr workflow will continue handling movie and show requests.

How do friends find movies and shows to request with Askarr?

Friends and family can request a movie or show on Askarr, and the owner'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 also shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Share the new request location with viewers so they know where to submit titles after the move.

What should be checked before choosing a request tool for Jellyfin?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, approvals, updates, and the process for adding movies and shows. Also check whether the old Plex request history can be exported and whether the replacement supports importing it. Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. ^[1] Check the plan page to see which plans include it. Compare those details with the way the Jellyfin server is managed before choosing a request method.

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)