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How to rank films they have seen for rating list builders in 2026

Rating list builders rank the films they have seen by keeping one current list, adding each film as it is watched, and reviewing the order on a set day.

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

Rating list builders rank the films they have seen by keeping one up to date list, setting one rule for a film's place, and reviewing the order on a set day. Watcharr, a tool covered on this page, is made by the team that publishes this site. Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into a link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. [1]

OptionHow the list is usedCost details
WatcharrPaste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1]not published
Written ranked noteFilms they have seen are typed in order in a personal note.not published
Rating spreadsheetFilms they have seen are ranked by typing their order in a spreadsheet row.not published

What you need before you start

Rating list builders rank the films they have seen by keeping one list that holds every film, so each new film has a clear home. A single list is easier to keep up to date than several short notes, and it gives the ranking one place to live.

Set the rule a film must meet to earn a higher place, such as how much it was enjoyed or how likely it is to be watched again. A clear rule keeps the order consistent and makes a later re-read simpler.

If the list will be read by a tool, it needs to be a public IMDb watchlist or list. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1]

Radarr and Sonarr are helper programs used to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to a library. Have them ready if a tool will build links from the list, and decide how often the order will be reviewed so it does not drift.

Step by step

These steps rank films they have seen in a tool-neutral way, so they work with any list, note or tool.

  1. Start one list that holds every film they have seen, and add each film right after it is watched so nothing is left out. Keeping everything in one place makes the order easier to review later.
  1. Write down the one rule a higher place means, such as more enjoyable or more likely to be watched again, and use the same rule for the whole list.
  1. Set the ends first: name the film at the top and the weakest film at the bottom, then fill the middle by comparing each film with the rule.
  1. If a tool will read the list, make the list public on the site where the tool reads it and keep it current, so the ranking matches the films they have seen.
  1. Review the order on a set day each week and move any film that no longer matches the rule, adding new films as they are watched.
  1. Re-read the full list after a few weeks and check the order still follows the rule before the list is shared or used by a tool.

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]

Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [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]

It 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]

It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells which ones it skipped. [1] The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [1]

If you sign in, it re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns when a list fails three reads in a row. [1] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title on two lists is added only once. [1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. [1] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and older versions remain under MIT. [1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [1]

Check each tool's list support and how it passes films to the library. Before choosing a tool, check how it reads a list, keeps the ranking stable, and turns the films into something the library can use.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid ranking without one clear rule. If a film's place can mean different things, the order will not feel consistent and a re-read is harder.

Avoid letting the list drift. If new films are not added as they are watched, the ranking does not show the films they have actually seen, so set a day to update it.

Avoid keeping the list private when a tool needs a public list. Check what a tool reads before sharing the list, and only make public what they are happy to share.

Avoid skipping a review of the list after setup. An order left without attention can stop matching the rule they chose.

Frequently asked questions

How can rating list builders rank the films they have seen?

A rating list builder ranks the films they have seen by keeping one list that holds every film, setting one rule for a higher place, and reviewing the order on a set day. Adding each new film as it is watched keeps the ranking current, and one clear rule makes the order easier to redo later.

Can Watcharr work with a rating list of films they have seen?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list, including lists from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1] You paste the list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] The links are built from the list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [1]

Does Watcharr require anything to install?

Watcharr is a web app. [1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] The code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and older versions remain under MIT. [1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [1]

How can the ranked list be used with Radarr and Sonarr?

Radarr and Sonarr are helper programs used to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to a library. Watcharr gives one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] Radarr checks its link every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1]

What should be checked before choosing a tool to rank films?

Before choosing a tool, check how it reads a list, keeps the ranking stable, and turns the films into something the library can use. Some tools need a public IMDb list. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list. [1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [1]

Try Watcharr

Sources

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

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