How parents of teens can review movie and show requests before downloads

Set up a parent review process for teen movie and show requests, keeping suggestions separate from the step that sends approved titles toward download.

By VLClean · 2026-11-13

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

Collect teen suggestions separately from the process that adds titles. Review the exact movie or show, record the parent's decision, and pass along only approved requests. Check every existing request route so a suggestion cannot skip that review.

Option	Request method	Cost details
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
Askarr	Search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1]	The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[1] Card payment fee: not published.

What you need before you start

Write down where suggestions arrive, who reviews them, and what action sends an approved title toward download. Include any existing request routes when deciding where the parent's review will happen.

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. Decide who will review requests before anything is added.

Choose a place to collect suggestions that stays separate from the step used to add approved titles. A title arriving in the collection place should mean that someone wants it reviewed, not that permission has already been given.

Agree on how parents and teens will handle uncertain titles, declined requests, and changes of mind. Keep the explanation short enough to share alongside the request location. Have a place to record the decision before passing a title forward, and decide who may change that decision.

Step by step

Pick one place where teens will send suggestions, such as a request form, shared list, or message thread. Tell everyone to use that place. Keep collecting suggestions separate from the action that sends approved titles toward download, and explain that submitting a title means asking for a review.

Check the current route from suggestion to download. Identify what action makes a title eligible to be added and who can take that action. Review any other request locations already shared with teens. Keep new suggestions in the collection place until the parent knows where the decision must happen.

Write a short note that says who can request, what kinds of titles are accepted, and who decides what gets added. Explain how teens will hear whether a request was approved, declined, or left for discussion. Use the same wording wherever the request location is shared.

Review the exact title before deciding. Confirm whether the suggestion is a movie or show, then read the description and any content information used for household decisions. Ask for clarification when the suggestion is unclear. Leave unresolved requests in the collection place until the parent has enough information to decide.

Record the parent's decision beside the suggestion or in another agreed place. Move only approved titles into the process that adds them to the library. Keep a request's arrival, the parent's decision, and its later download status distinct, so seeing a title on a list does not count as permission.

Look through new requests on a regular day and tell teens which decisions still need discussion. After the routine has been used, ask what was confusing and edit the instructions. Recheck the approval step whenever the request method changes, especially if a new submission route is introduced.

Tools that can do it

Choose where suggestions will be collected, then decide how approved titles will move forward. Keep the parent's decision before any submission step that can cause a title to be added.

A request form gives people a place to submit movie or show titles through the chosen form. Ask for the exact title and any details needed for review. Read each submission before moving an approved title into the process that adds it to the library. Check who can read or change submissions before sharing the form.

A shared request list gives people a place to add movie or show ideas. Keep suggestions and parent decisions easy to tell apart. Explain who may edit a decision and who may move an approved title forward. Check the chosen list's access settings before inviting teens to use it.

Search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1] Place the parent's review before the step that passes an approved title into the library's request process.

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. Tell teens how to ask about a declined request without submitting it again through another route.

Avoid treating a submitted title as an approved title. Record the parent's decision clearly, and keep requests waiting for discussion separate from those ready to move forward. Do not use a download update as the record of approval.

Avoid reviewing only after a title has entered the process that adds it. Put the decision before that handoff. When changing tools or sharing a new request location, check where the review now happens.

Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. Keep declined or unresolved suggestions clear enough that another parent can understand their status. Review who may submit, edit decisions, and pass titles forward whenever access changes.

Askarr

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]

After Radarr and Sonarr send updates back, the Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. ^[1]

A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted into Askarr to find the title. ^[1] You can try Askarr with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. ^[1]

Things to check before you choose

Does a new suggestion wait for a parent's decision before it can reach the download process?
Can a teen submit a suggestion without being able to approve it?
Who can change a decision or move a title forward?
Can the parent distinguish a suggestion, an approval, and a download update?
What happens to requests that are declined or need more discussion?
Could another request route let a title skip review?
What action makes an approved title eligible to be added, and who can take it?

Frequently asked questions

When should a parent send a title through Askarr?

Review the teen's suggestion before sending it into a process that can add the title. Request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1] Keep the collection and decision steps clear so an unreviewed suggestion is not treated as permission to proceed.

Can Askarr work with Radarr and Sonarr?

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] Keep the parent's review before an approved title enters the request route, and decide who may pass it forward.

Can Askarr show when a title was downloaded?

After Radarr and Sonarr send updates back, the Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Askarr plans list 'Request history with live status', which the source gives without naming a plan, so check the plan page for which ones include it. ^[1] Decide separately where the parent records approval, and keep a title's download status distinct from the parent's decision.

How can a title be found on Askarr?

A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can be pasted into Askarr to find the title. ^[1] Before approving a suggestion, compare the exact title and whether it is a movie or show with the request the teen submitted. Resolve any uncertainty before moving the request forward.

Can Askarr be tried before signing in?

You can try Askarr with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. ^[1] Before changing the household's request routine, write down the questions that need answers about parent review, who can submit titles, and where decisions will be recorded. Resolve those questions before sharing a new request location.

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)