How to set up request handling for a Jellyfin shared library for Jellyfin hosters in 2026

Learn how Jellyfin hosters can set up shared library request handling with clear steps, tools, and checks before choosing a method.

By VLClean · 2026-10-31

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

Jellyfin hosters can set up a request process by preparing their library workflow, choosing a request method, and sharing clear instructions with viewers.

Option	Request method	Cost details
Askarr	Search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1]	The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[1]
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

What you need before you start

Make sure the Jellyfin shared library already has the movies and shows that viewers can watch, and decide which friends or family members should be able to send requests.

Prepare the titles or types of content that are allowed, so people know what kinds of requests fit the library. Keep the request rules simple, such as whether people can ask for any title or only certain types of movies and shows.

Radarr and Sonarr are helper programs that can be part of the way requested movies and shows are added to a library. Have them ready if they are part of the workflow. Decide who will review requests before anything is added.

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

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

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

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 allowed to request, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it.

Look through new requests on a regular day, approve the ones wanted, and remove the ones not wanted.

Ask viewers what confused them after the request process has been used, and edit the note to fix those points.

Askarr and other 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 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 API keys. ^[1]

The Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Askarr also allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. ^[1]

A request form lets people submit movie or show titles through the chosen form. A shared request list lets people add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.

Before choosing a tool, check how it handles title searches, approvals, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow.

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.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it fits the current way movies and shows are added to the Jellyfin library. The request process should be clear for both the people sending titles and the person managing the server.

Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. A request list can become harder to manage if old or unwanted requests are left without attention.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people.

Frequently asked questions

How can Jellyfin hosters let friends request movies and shows?

A Jellyfin hoster can choose a request method, decide who can submit titles, and explain what happens after a request is sent. The important parts are giving viewers a clear place to request movies and shows and keeping the review process easy to follow.

Can a request tool work with Radarr and Sonarr?

Check how each request tool handles Radarr and Sonarr before choosing one. 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]

Does Askarr require changes to the Jellyfin server?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] This means the request process can be added around the existing library workflow.

How do friends find movies and shows to request with Askarr?

Friends and family can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted to find the title. ^[1]

What should be checked before choosing a request tool for Jellyfin?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, updates, and the process for adding movies and shows. Askarr plans include a request history with live status. ^[1] Compare those details with the way the Jellyfin library is managed before choosing a request method.

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)