How to run request software on a small board for Raspberry Pi hosters in 2026

Guide for Raspberry Pi hosters on running request software on a small board, from setup steps to what to check before choosing.

By VLClean · 2026-10-26

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

Raspberry Pi hosters can run a request process on a small board by preparing the media library workflow, choosing a request method, and sharing clear instructions with viewers.

Option	Where the work runs	Cost details
Askarr	Hosted website that connects to your existing Radarr and Sonarr; nothing runs on the board. ^[1] ^[1]	The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[1]
Request software on the board	Runs as software on the small board itself.	not published
Shared request list	Viewers add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.	not published
Request form	Viewers submit movie or show titles through the chosen form.	not published

What you need before you start

Raspberry Pi hosters who want request software on a small board need their media workflow working before the request process starts. Make sure the board already keeps up with adding movies and shows, and decide who may send requests.

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many hosters run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. Have them ready if they are part of how requested titles are added, and decide who will review requests before anything is added.

Confirm where the request software is expected to run. A small board has a set amount of storage and work it can handle, so note whether a tool runs on the board itself or somewhere else before committing to it.

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.

Step by step

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

Confirm where the request software is meant to run. If it should run on the small board itself, check its storage and how much extra work it can take. If it runs elsewhere, keep the board for the work it already does.

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

Check how the request place connects to the way titles are added. When the library workflow uses Radarr and Sonarr, confirm whether the chosen request tool can pass requests into that workflow and what steps are needed to make it work.

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.

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.

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

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

Tools that can do it

Askarr is a hosted website made by the team that publishes this site, and it works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed, so a small board does not carry extra software for it; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. ^[1]

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then read your requests from it. ^[1] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. ^[1] You can request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1]

The Askarr site allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. ^[1] Its plans include a request history with live status. ^[1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. ^[1]

Other ways to run request software on a small board exist, but no source facts about them were provided for this page. Before choosing a tool, check how it handles title searches, approvals, updates, and where its workload runs, and match that to what the small board can do.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid assuming that request software must run on the small board itself. Some request processes run elsewhere and only talk to the library workflow, which can leave the board free for the work it already does.

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

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it connects to the current way movies and shows are added to the library. Where its workload runs matters on a small board.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people, and keep the review of requests a regular habit.

Frequently asked questions

Can request software run on a Raspberry Pi board?

Some request software runs on the small board itself, and some runs elsewhere and only connects to the library workflow. Before choosing, check where the software is meant to run and whether the board has the storage and spare work to take it. Askarr is a hosted website, so nothing is installed on the board for it. ^[1] ^[1]

Does Askarr need to run on the Raspberry Pi board?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. ^[1] This means the small board does not carry extra software for the request process.

How does Askarr move requests into the library?

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then read your requests from it. ^[1] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] You can request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1]

What should Raspberry Pi hosters check before choosing request software?

Check where the software runs and whether the small board can handle its workload, and how title searches and approvals work. Check what a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with viewers. Askarr plans include a request history with live status, so confirm on the plan page which plans include it. ^[1]

How do viewers find movies and shows to request?

Viewers can request a movie or show on the request place, and the owner's own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1] Askarr also allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. ^[1] Give viewers two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it, and set who reviews each request.

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)