Documentation
README
arr-cli — Radarr + Sonarr Media Library Management
Two CLIs, one skill wrapper. radarr-cli for movies, sonarr-cli for TV series.
Quick Setup
# Radarr
export ARR_SERVER_RADARR="http://localhost:7878"
export ARR_KEY_RADARR="your-radarr-api-key"
# Sonarr
export ARR_SERVER_SONARR="http://localhost:8989"
export ARR_KEY_SONARR="your-sonarr-api-key"
--help and --dry-run work without credentials.
When to Use Which
| User says... | Load... |
|---|---|
| "list my movies", "what's in Radarr", "show me the library" | radarr-cli movies [--limit N] [--status released|inCinemas|announced] |
| "add this movie", "is this in Radarr", "search for a movie" | radarr-cli lookup --term "title" then radarr-cli add --tmdb-id N --root /movies |
| "what's coming up", "upcoming releases" | radarr-cli calendar or sonarr-cli calendar |
| "what's in the queue", "download progress" | radarr-cli queue or sonarr-cli queue |
| "show me history", "what was downloaded" | radarr-cli history or sonarr-cli history |
| "list my series", "what's on Sonarr" | sonarr-cli series [--limit N] [--status continuing|ended|upcoming] |
| "add this series", "find a TV show" | sonarr-cli lookup --term "title" then sonarr-cli add --tvdb-id N --root /tv |
| "what's missing", "wanted episodes" | sonarr-cli wanted |
| "check quality profiles", "what profiles exist" | radarr-cli quality-profile or sonarr-cli quality-profile |
| "search for a movie/series" (already added) | radarr-cli search --movie-id N or sonarr-cli search --series-id N |
| "where are my root folders", "storage paths" | radarr-cli root-folder or sonarr-cli root-folder |
| "what episodes are downloaded", "episode files" | sonarr-cli episode-file --series-id N |
Quick Reference
Global flags (work anywhere in arg list): --json, --dry-run, --force, --quiet, --verbose
# System info
radarr-cli status
sonarr-cli status
# List with filters and JSON output (pipe to jq for scripting)
radarr-cli movies --limit 5 --status released --json | jq '.movies[].title'
sonarr-cli series --limit 5 --status continuing --json | jq '.series[].title'
# Discover and add a movie (always use TMDb ID, not title)
radarr-cli lookup --term "Dune"
radarr-cli add --tmdb-id 12345 --root /movies --quality-profile 4 --search
# Add with specific availability (for unreleased films)
radarr-cli add --tmdb-id 99999 --root /movies --quality-profile 5 --availability announced
# Discover and add a series (always use TVDb ID)
sonarr-cli lookup --term "Severance"
sonarr-cli add --tvdb-id 77526 --root /tv --quality-profile 4 --series-type Standard --search
# Add an anime series (flat episode storage, absolute numbering)
sonarr-cli add --tvdb-id 12345 --root /tv --quality-profile 4 --series-type Anime --no-season-folder --search
# Preview before adding (no side effects)
radarr-cli --dry-run add --tmdb-id 550 --root /movies --quality-profile 4
# Trigger a search for something already in your library
radarr-cli search --movie-id 5
sonarr-cli search --series-id 5
# Queue and history
radarr-cli queue --limit 10
radarr-cli history --limit 5 --event-type grabbed
# Discover root folder paths before adding
radarr-cli root-folder
sonarr-cli root-folder
# Quality profiles
radarr-cli quality-profile # list all
radarr-cli quality-profile 4 # inspect HD-1080p details with tier checkmarks
IMPORTANT — lookup side effect: radarr-cli lookup --tmdb-id N silently adds an unmonitored record. For pure existence checks, use radarr-cli --json movies | jq '.[] | select(.tmdbId == N)' instead.
Default quality profile: HD-1080p (id: 4). Override with --quality-profile N.
Reference Files
| File | Contents |
|---|---|
references/radarr-commands.md |
Full Radarr command reference with all flags and examples |
references/sonarr-commands.md |
Full Sonarr command reference with all flags and examples |
references/media-discovery.md |
Cross-referencing TMDb/Trakt discovery results against your library |
references/troubleshooting.md |
Pitfalls, FAQs, and when NOT to use |
When NOT to Use
- Media playback — use Jellyfin for watching content. This CLI only manages the library.
- *First-time arr setup — this skill assumes Radarr/Sonarr are already installed and configured. See
radarr.videoorsonarr.tvfor installation guides. - Bulk imports — for large-scale library migrations, prefer Radarr/Sonarr's built-in import features or manual disk operations.
First-Time Loading
- Set the env vars above (API keys from each app's Settings → General)
- Test with
radarr-cli status— you should see version and OS info - Browse your library:
radarr-cli movies --limit 5 - For cross-reference workflows (discovering new content via TMDb/Trakt), see
references/media-discovery.md