How to test the full pipeline with a small user group

Q: How much does Askarr cost during a small test?

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. Compare these plans with the number of test titles you plan to send before you choose one.

A step-by-step guide for Sonarr and Radarr first timers who want to test the request-to-library pipeline with a small group before opening it to everyone.

By VLClean · 2026-11-10

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

Test with a few known titles and a few testers, follow one written path from request to library, and check each step before you widen the test.

Option	Request method	Cost details
Askarr	Testers 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	Testers submit titles through the form you choose.	not published
Shared list	Testers add titles to a list you choose.	not published

What you need before you start

Sonarr and Radarr first timers need both programs running and able to add titles to a library before any test begins. Radarr is for movies and Sonarr is for shows, so decide which one you will test first, or test both in the same run.

Prepare a test library or test folder where the titles will land, and make sure you know exactly where it is. Keep test titles separate from your main library so you can clean up afterwards.

Pick a small group of testers who know they are testing and will not mind a rough first run. Tell them what to request, which kinds of titles are allowed, and how they will hear that a title was added.

Write down the path you expect each request to follow, from the moment it is sent to the moment it appears in the library. You will compare the real result with this path at the end.

Step by step

Write the path a request should follow on a single page, from sending it to seeing it in the library.

Set up a test library or test folder so nothing from the test lands in your main library.

Choose a short list of test titles that you know exist and are allowed under your rules.

Send each test title through the request method you chose, and note the time you sent it.

Check that each request reached the place where it is reviewed, and note any request that did not arrive.

Approve one request and watch whether it is passed on to Radarr or Sonarr.

Check the library itself to see whether the title was added, rather than relying only on a status line.

If your tool shows a status back to the tester, check that the status matches what you see in the library.

Compare each result with your written path and note every step where the result differed.

Ask the testers what confused them, fix your note, and only then widen the group.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr once to Radarr and Sonarr so they read your requests from it. ^[1]

Testers can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they read your requests from it. ^[1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives the private access codes Radarr and Sonarr use. ^[1]

An automatic message from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Clicking the bookmark on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and the automatic message for you. ^[1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. ^[1]

A request form or a shared list can also collect test titles. Check how either one connects to Radarr or Sonarr yourself before the test begins.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid starting with the full group. A first run with many people makes it hard to tell which step failed, so begin with a few testers and a short list of titles.

Avoid testing in your main library. Titles added during a test stay where the tools put them, so point the test at a library you can clean up afterwards.

Avoid skipping the written path. Without it, a title that never reaches the library looks the same as one that was approved and then lost, and the test cannot show which step caused the gap.

Avoid trusting a status line alone. Check the library itself, because a status only shows what the tool reports.

Avoid leaving the test open. Remove the test titles and close the test group when the run is over, so the next run starts clean.

Frequently asked questions

How can Sonarr and Radarr first timers test the full pipeline with a small user group?

Start with a written path from request to library, a test library kept apart from your main one, and a few testers who know they are testing. Send a short list of known titles through the request method, approve some of them, and compare each step with the path you wrote down. Fix any confusing part of your instructions before you widen the group to more people.

Can Askarr be tried before signing in?

You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. ^[1] This lets a first timer look at the dashboard before any real title is involved. Because the demo uses sample data rather than your own library, still run the real test against your test library and your written path.

Does Askarr connect to Radarr and Sonarr during a test?

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 read your requests from it. ^[1] Check this setup on your test library before the first test title is sent.

How much does Askarr cost during a small test?

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] Compare these plans with the number of test titles you plan to send before you choose one.

Can Askarr show when a test title was added?

A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. ^[1] Use the request history and the library together to compare each test title with the path you wrote down.

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)