Request Integration¶

qBitrr integrates with popular request management systems (Overseerr and Ombi) to automatically search for user-requested content. This seamless integration ensures your users get their requested movies and TV shows as quickly as possible.

Overview¶

Request integration allows qBitrr to:

• Monitor Request Systems: Periodically poll Overseerr or Ombi for new requests
• Trigger Automated Searches: Command Radarr/Sonarr to search for requested content
• Respect Approval Workflows: Only process approved requests (configurable)
• Filter by Status: Skip already-fulfilled or denied requests
• Support Multiple Instances: Configure different request systems per Arr instance

Supported Request Systems¶

Overseerr¶

Modern, feature-rich request management for Plex/Jellyfin/Emby

• ✅ Full Support: Approved and unavailable request modes
• ✅ 4K Instances: Separate handling for 4K requests
• ✅ Release Date Filtering: Skips unreleased content automatically
• ✅ Advanced Status Handling: Processing, approved, available states
• ✅ Efficient API: Batch requests with caching

Use Case: Modern setups, public servers, 4K libraries

→ Overseerr Configuration Guide

Ombi¶

Established request management system

• ✅ Full Support: Approved and all-requests modes
• ✅ Simple API: Straightforward integration
• ✅ Denial Filtering: Skips denied requests
• ⚠️ No 4K Support: No native 4K request separation
• ⚠️ No Release Filtering: Cannot skip unreleased content

Use Case: Existing Ombi setups, simpler requirements

→ Ombi Configuration Guide

How It Works¶

Request Flow¶

graph TB
    A[User Requests Content] --> B[Overseerr/Ombi]
    B --> C{Request Approved?}
    C -->|Yes| D[qBitrr Polls API]
    C -->|No, ApprovedOnly=true| Z[Skipped]
    C -->|No, ApprovedOnly=false| D
    D --> E{Content Released?}
    E -->|Yes| F[qBitrr Triggers Search]
    E -->|No, Overseerr only| Z
    F --> G[Radarr/Sonarr Searches Indexers]
    G --> H[Torrent Found]
    H --> I[qBittorrent Downloads]
    I --> J[qBitrr Monitors & Imports]
    J --> K[Request Marked as Available]

Polling Mechanism¶

qBitrr polls request systems at regular intervals:

1. Check Interval: Controlled by SearchRequestsEvery (default: 300 seconds / 5 minutes)
2. Batch Requests: Fetches all pending requests in a single API call
3. Filter Requests: Applies approval status, release date, availability filters
4. Trigger Searches: Commands Radarr/Sonarr to search for matching content
5. Delay Between Requests: Waits SearchLoopDelay seconds between individual search commands (default: 30s)
6. Repeat Cycle: After processing all requests, waits SearchRequestsEvery seconds before checking for new requests

Configuration Overview¶

Basic Setup¶

Enable request integration in your Arr instance configuration:

[Radarr-Movies]
Managed = true
URI = "http://localhost:7878"
APIKey = "your-radarr-api-key"
Category = "radarr-movies"

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch]
SearchMissing = true  # REQUIRED: Enables search functionality
SearchRequestsEvery = 300  # Check for new requests every 5 minutes (300 seconds)
SearchLimit = 5  # Max concurrent searches

# Choose ONE request system:

# Option 1: Overseerr
[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
OverseerrURI = "http://localhost:5055"
OverseerrAPIKey = "your-overseerr-api-key"
ApprovedOnly = true
Is4K = false

# Option 2: Ombi
[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Ombi]
SearchOmbiRequests = true
OmbiURI = "http://localhost:3579"
OmbiAPIKey = "your-ombi-api-key"
ApprovedOnly = true

Required Parent Settings¶

Request integration requires these settings in [EntrySearch]:

Request Processing Modes¶

Approved-Only Mode (ApprovedOnly = true)¶

Recommended for public servers

• ✅ Only Approved Requests: qBitrr searches only admin-approved requests
• ❌ Pending Requests Ignored: Users must wait for admin approval
• ❌ Denied Requests Ignored: Rejected requests are skipped

When to Use: - Public Plex/Jellyfin/Emby servers - Controlled content libraries - Limited storage/bandwidth

Example:

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
OverseerrURI = "http://localhost:5055"
OverseerrAPIKey = "your-api-key"
ApprovedOnly = true  # Require admin approval

All Requests Mode (ApprovedOnly = false)¶

Recommended for private servers

• ✅ Approved Requests: Searched immediately
• ✅ Pending Requests: Searched immediately (auto-approval)
• ❌ Denied Requests Ignored: Rejected requests are still skipped

When to Use: - Family/friends servers - Trusted user base - Ample storage/bandwidth

Example:

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
OverseerrURI = "http://localhost:5055"
OverseerrAPIKey = "your-api-key"
ApprovedOnly = false  # Auto-approve all requests

Multi-Instance Configuration¶

Separate Radarr and Sonarr Requests¶

Configure both movie and TV show request integration:

# Movies (Radarr)
[Radarr-Movies]
Managed = true
URI = "http://localhost:7878"
APIKey = "radarr-api-key"
Category = "radarr-movies"

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch]
SearchMissing = true
SearchRequestsEvery = 3

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
OverseerrURI = "http://localhost:5055"
OverseerrAPIKey = "shared-api-key"
ApprovedOnly = true
Is4K = false  # Standard quality

# TV Shows (Sonarr)
[Sonarr-Series]
Managed = true
URI = "http://localhost:8989"
APIKey = "sonarr-api-key"
Category = "sonarr-series"

[Sonarr-Series.EntrySearch]
SearchMissing = true
SearchRequestsEvery = 3

[Sonarr-Series.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
OverseerrURI = "http://localhost:5055"  # Same Overseerr instance
OverseerrAPIKey = "shared-api-key"  # Same API key
ApprovedOnly = true
Is4K = false

4K + Standard Instances (Overseerr Only)¶

Configure separate instances for 4K and standard quality:

# Standard Quality Radarr
[Radarr-Movies]
Managed = true
URI = "http://localhost:7878"
APIKey = "standard-api-key"
Category = "radarr-movies"

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
OverseerrURI = "http://localhost:5055"
OverseerrAPIKey = "api-key"
Is4K = false  # Standard quality requests

# 4K Quality Radarr
[Radarr-4K]
Managed = true
URI = "http://localhost:7879"
APIKey = "4k-api-key"
Category = "radarr-4k"

[Radarr-4K.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
OverseerrURI = "http://localhost:5055"  # Same Overseerr
OverseerrAPIKey = "api-key"  # Same API key
Is4K = true  # 4K quality requests

Integration with Other Features¶

Combined with Missing Content Search¶

Request integration works alongside regular missing content searches:

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch]
SearchMissing = true  # Search for missing monitored content
SearchLimit = 10  # Total searches across all sources

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true  # Also search Overseerr requests
ApprovedOnly = true

Behavior: 1. qBitrr searches monitored missing content in Radarr 2. qBitrr searches approved Overseerr requests 3. Total concurrent searches respect SearchLimit (10 in this example)

Quality Upgrades with Requests¶

Combine request integration with quality upgrades:

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch]
SearchMissing = true
DoUpgradeSearch = true  # Search for quality upgrades
QualityUnmetSearch = true  # Search for unmet quality profiles

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
ApprovedOnly = true

Behavior: - New Overseerr requests trigger immediate searches - Existing content is checked for quality upgrades - Quality profile requirements are enforced

Custom Format Enforcement¶

Enforce custom format scores for requested content:

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch]
SearchMissing = true
CustomFormatUnmetSearch = true  # Search for CF score improvements
ForceMinimumCustomFormat = true  # Block releases below threshold

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch.Overseerr]
SearchOverseerrRequests = true
ApprovedOnly = true

Behavior: - Requested content must meet custom format requirements - Releases below the minimum CF score are rejected - Searches continue until suitable release is found

Performance Optimization¶

Polling Frequency¶

Adjust SearchRequestsEvery based on request volume:

Example:

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch]
SearchMissing = true
SearchRequestsEvery = 600  # Check for new requests every 10 minutes

Search Limits¶

Balance SearchLimit to avoid overwhelming indexers:

Example:

[Radarr-Movies.EntrySearch]
SearchMissing = true
SearchLimit = 5  # Max 5 concurrent searches

Monitoring & Logging¶

Log Entries¶

Request integration produces these log entries:

INFO - Overseerr requests: 5 pending, 3 approved
INFO - Triggering search for Overseerr request: Movie Title (2024)
DEBUG - Overseerr URI: http://localhost:5055
DEBUG - Overseerr API Key: ***
INFO - Search completed for request: Movie Title

Viewing Logs¶

Docker:

docker logs -f qbitrr 2>&1 | grep -i "overseerr\|ombi"

Native:

tail -f ~/logs/Radarr-Movies.log | grep -i "overseerr\|ombi"

WebUI: Navigate to Logs tab and filter by "overseerr" or "ombi"

Troubleshooting¶

Common Issues¶

Requests Not Being Searched¶

Symptoms: Approved requests remain in "Requested" state

Solutions: 1. ✅ Verify SearchMissing = true in [EntrySearch] 2. ✅ Check request system integration is enabled 3. ✅ Ensure content has been released (not scheduled for future) 4. ✅ Verify API key is correct 5. ✅ Check request system is accessible from qBitrr

Connection Errors¶

Symptoms: "Couldn't connect to Overseerr/Ombi" in logs

Solutions: 1. ✅ Verify request system is running 2. ✅ Check URI uses correct protocol (http:// vs https://) 3. ✅ Ensure no trailing slashes in URI 4. ✅ Test API manually with curl 5. ✅ Check firewall/network connectivity

Wrong Requests Processed¶

Symptoms: 4K requests going to standard instance (or vice versa)

Solutions: 1. ✅ Verify Is4K setting matches instance type (Overseerr only) 2. ✅ Check Overseerr has separate 4K instances configured 3. ✅ Review qBitrr logs for request filtering

Best Practices¶

Security¶

• Protect API Keys: Store in environment variables, never commit to repositories
• Use HTTPS: Enable HTTPS for request systems exposed to internet
• Reverse Proxy: Place request systems behind Nginx/Caddy/Traefik
• Limit Access: Use ApprovedOnly = true for public servers

Performance¶

• Adjust Polling: Set SearchRequestsEvery based on request volume
• Monitor Indexers: Watch for rate limiting or API restrictions
• Optimize Search Limits: Balance SearchLimit with indexer capabilities

User Experience¶

• Approval Workflow: Use ApprovedOnly = true for public servers
• Auto-Approval: Use ApprovedOnly = false for trusted users/family
• Notifications: Configure Overseerr/Ombi to notify users when content is available

Comparison: Overseerr vs Ombi¶

Recommendation: Use Overseerr for new setups (better UX, active development, 4K support). Ombi is suitable for existing setups.

Next Steps¶

• Configure Overseerr: Overseerr Integration Guide
• Configure Ombi: Ombi Integration Guide
• General Search Configuration: Search Configuration
• Radarr Setup: Radarr Configuration
• Sonarr Setup: Sonarr Configuration
• Troubleshooting: Common Issues