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How to see what has already been requested for an office media server in 2026

Keep earlier office media requests easy to find with a shared record, clear status labels, and checks before choosing a request tool.

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

Keep office media requests in a shared record, agree on status labels, and search earlier entries before submitting a title. Give coworkers clear instructions about where to look and who updates the record.

OptionHow to check earlier requestsWhat to check before choosing
AskarrAskarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1]Check who can read the history and how long earlier entries remain visible.
Request formKeep a response record for checking earlier title requests.Check whether the response record can be shared with the intended readers and updated by the host.
Shared request listRecord titles and agreed status labels in the shared list.Check who can change entries and how completed requests will remain findable.

What you need before you start

Choose where the request record will live and decide who should be able to read it. For a break room server, that might mean the person managing the library and the coworkers allowed to suggest titles. Confirm who can edit entries, change a status, and correct a title.

Prepare the record before asking people to use it. Useful details include the movie or show title, its year when needed to distinguish similar names, the request date, and the current status. Decide whether a coworker's name needs to be visible; include only the details needed to manage requests.

Write down what each status means. For example, distinguish a title that has only been suggested from a title that has been approved, added, or confirmed available to watch. Use labels that reflect what the person managing the server can actually confirm.

Choose where to explain the process. Keep the request location, viewing instructions, and rules together so coworkers can find the record without having to ask who keeps it. Decide who will answer questions about an unclear or outdated entry.

Step by step

  1. Find the place where requests are currently collected. Check the agreed request page, form responses, shared list, or message thread. If requests arrive in several places, choose which record will become the reference and bring the relevant titles into it. Tell coworkers where that record will live before asking them to use it.
  1. Give each request a clear title. Include the year or the name of the show when a short title could be confused with something else. Keep a movie request separate from a show request where the names overlap. Ask the sender to clarify an uncertain match before changing its status or treating it as a repeated request.
  1. Read the existing record before adding another entry. Search for the title and check any likely alternate spelling. Look through completed entries as well as waiting requests. When the title is already recorded, point coworkers to that entry and ask for any new information to be added there. Keep corrections with the entry they describe.
  1. Update each entry with a status that the server manager can confirm. Keep requested, approved, added, and available to watch distinct if those stages matter to the office. Do not treat an earlier request as proof that a title can already be watched. Check the library before marking availability, and leave uncertain entries for the host to review.
  1. Give coworkers the location of the record and a short explanation of how to read it. Confirm that the intended readers can open it and that editing access matches the agreed rules. Explain where to send corrections and how to ask about a title whose status appears out of date.
  1. Review the record whenever requests are processed or the library changes. Correct unclear titles, resolve repeated entries, and update confirmed results. Keep earlier requests available according to the office's agreed rules. Ask coworkers to check the record before sending a title, and revise the instructions when the process changes.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1] The Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [1]

Askarr can be used by searching for a movie or show on Askarr and requesting it, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. [1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their private access keys. [1]

For a request form, check whether earlier submissions can be read in a response record. Decide how coworkers would reach that record, who would keep statuses current, and whether submitted names should appear. Confirm that the response view can show the information the office needs. Keep the instructions clear about where to submit a title and where to check an earlier request.

For a shared request list, prepare fields for the title and agreed status, and decide who may change them. Ask coworkers to look through existing entries before adding a title. Choose whether completed requests stay in the main view or remain in a clearly identified archive. Keep the instructions with the list so the person reading it knows how to interpret each status.

Things to check before you choose: Can coworkers see the same request history? How long do earlier entries remain visible? Can completed requests be found alongside waiting requests? Who can correct a title or status?

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid sharing a request method without explaining the rules. Coworkers need to know what status labels mean and who changes them. Put that explanation beside the record, so an entry marked as requested is not mistaken for a title that is ready to watch.

Avoid letting requests stay scattered across private messages and shared records. Ask people to use the agreed place, and move relevant titles into it before updating the status. Keep a correction attached to the existing title rather than creating another entry that looks like a separate request.

Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. Check unclear titles and confirm status changes before recording them. Keep completed entries findable under the agreed rules, so earlier requests can still be checked when someone asks about the same title again.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people. Decide whether names belong in the shared view and who can change or remove an entry.

Frequently asked questions

Does Askarr show what has been requested already?

Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1] The Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [1] Before choosing a request method for an office, check who can read earlier entries and how long they remain available. Decide whether the host alone needs that record or whether coworkers need to browse it too.

How does Askarr pass requests to Radarr and Sonarr?

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. [1] A movie or show is requested on Askarr, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1] Before choosing an office request method, decide who will handle requests and explain the review process to coworkers.

Does Askarr connect to Radarr or Sonarr?

Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. [1] Before sharing any request method at work, review who can use it and what information should appear in the request record.

Can Askarr find a title from a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link?

A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can be pasted into Askarr to find the title. [1] A movie or show can be requested on Askarr, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1] Check an earlier entry's title carefully before recording the same request again, particularly when movies or shows share similar names.

What do Askarr plans cost?

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] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1] Compare the expected volume of new requests with the plan limits when choosing how the office will keep its request record.

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1]

Try Askarr

Sources

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

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