--- {"title": "Run a watch tracker instead of a cloud service for media hoarders", "description": "Learn how self-hosted media hoarders can run their own watch tracker instead of a cloud service, with setup steps and tool options.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-run-their-own-watch-tracker-instead-of-using-a-cloud-service-for-self-hosted-media-hoarders/", "date": "2026-10-26"} --- Learn how self-hosted media hoarders can run their own watch tracker instead of a cloud service, with setup steps and tool options. Self-hosted media hoarders can run their own watch tracker by preparing a machine to host it, choosing a tracker tool that fits their setup, and moving their existing watch data into it. | Option | What it does | Cost details | |---|---|---| | Watcharr | You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [^1] | The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^1] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [^1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [^1] | | Self-hosted tracker (general) | Runs on the owner's own machine and stores watch data locally. | not published | | Cloud watch service | Stores watch data on a third-party server the owner does not control. | not published | ## What you need before you start Make sure there is a machine available to run the watch tracker, such as a home server, a mini PC, or a cloud virtual server that the owner controls. Decide which media libraries the tracker should connect to, and gather the API keys or access details those libraries use. Prepare the lists or watch histories that need to move into the new tracker. These can come from an existing cloud watch service, a public list on a movie database site, or a file of titles already saved somewhere. Know which people in the household will use the tracker and whether each person needs a separate view. Have Docker or another way to run self-hosted programs ready, since most tracker tools run as containers. Check that the machine has enough storage for any database the tracker keeps, and that it can stay online for scheduled tasks. Choose whether the tracker will be reachable only inside the home network or also from outside, and plan how access will be protected if it is open to the internet. ## Step by step 1. Pick the machine that will run the tracker and make sure it stays on whenever the household wants to use it. A home server or mini PC works for local access, and a virtual server works for access from anywhere. 2. Install Docker or the runtime the chosen tracker tool needs, following that tool's own setup guide. 3. Pull the tracker tool's image or package and start it with the settings for ports and storage that the tool's instructions give. 4. Create any database or storage folder the tracker uses, and point the tool at it so watch data persists across restarts. 5. Import existing watch data from a cloud service export, a public list link, or a file, depending on what the chosen tracker accepts. Check that the titles matched and note any that did not. 6. Connect the tracker to each media library it should work with, using the library's API key or access settings, so the tracker can see what is already available. 7. Set up a reverse proxy or firewall rule if the tracker needs to be reachable from outside the home, and put a password or access control in front of it. 8. Add each household member who will use the tracker, and tell them the address and how to log in or find their list. 9. Check after one week whether titles are matching, lists are refreshing, and everyone can reach the tracker, and adjust any settings that did not work. ## 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 you 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 you 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 that is 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; older versions remain under MIT. [^1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app; the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. [^1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [^1] No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing a tool, check how it handles list imports, title matching, refresh intervals, and the way it connects to Radarr or Sonarr. ## Common mistakes to avoid Avoid importing a watch list without checking which titles failed to match. Shows that cannot be matched are skipped, so review the skipped titles after import and decide whether to add them manually. [^1] Avoid running the tracker without persistent storage. If the database or storage folder is not set up to survive a restart, watch data can be lost when the machine reboots. Avoid leaving the tracker open to the internet without access control. A self-hosted tracker that anyone can reach is a risk, so put a password or other access protection in front of it. Avoid assuming the tracker will refresh instantly. Radarr checks every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5, and scheduled runs can be delayed, so plan around those intervals rather than expecting changes to appear right away. [^1] ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a self-hoster run a watch tracker without a cloud account? Yes. Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. [^1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^1] A self-hoster can also run a general tracker on their own machine, though no source facts about specific alternatives were provided here. ### How does Watcharr connect to Radarr and Sonarr? 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] ### What happens when a show cannot be matched? Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [^1] Review the skipped titles after import and add any that matter manually. ### Can multiple household members share one set of links? Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. [^1] This keeps the household on one set of links instead of separate ones per person. ### What should be checked before choosing a watch tracker? Check how a tool handles list imports, title matching, refresh intervals, and the way it connects to Radarr or Sonarr. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [^1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [^1] Compare those details with how the media libraries are managed before choosing. Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [^1] - [Visit Watcharr](/go/start-watcharr) ## Sources [^1]: Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-watcharr)