Welcome to Huntarr.io

What is Huntarr?

Huntarr is a specialized utility that solves a critical limitation in your *arr setup that most people don't realize exists. While Sonarr, Radarr, and other *arr applications are excellent at grabbing new releases as they appear on RSS feeds, they don't go back and actively search for missing content in your existing library.

Here's the key problem: Your *arr apps only monitor RSS feeds for new releases. They don't systematically search for older missing episodes, movies, or albums that you've added to your library but never downloaded. This is where Huntarr becomes essential - it continuously scans your *arr libraries, identifies missing content, and automatically triggers searches to fill those gaps.

The Real Problem: Why You Need Huntarr

Most people don't understand a fundamental limitation of *arr applications. Sonarr and Radarr are designed to watch RSS feeds and grab new releases as they're posted, but they don't go back and search for older content that's missing from your library. This means if you have shows or movies that you've added but never downloaded, or episodes that failed to download initially, your *arr apps will simply ignore them unless they appear again on RSS feeds.

Manual searches are impractical when you're dealing with large libraries. You'd have to individually search every missing episode or movie, which could be hundreds or thousands of items. Bulk searches aren't viable either because they overwhelm indexers and can get you rate-limited or banned. There's simply no built-in way in *arr applications to gradually and safely complete your existing collection.

Understanding the Gap Problem

Many users discover they have significant gaps in their media libraries once they start paying attention. Missing episodes could be from shows you added after they finished airing, episodes that failed to download initially, content that was available but your indexers missed, episodes that became available on different indexers over time, or quality upgrades you want but Sonarr isn't actively seeking.

The problem is that your *arr setup might "look" like it's working perfectly because it's successfully grabbing new releases, but you could be missing a substantial portion of your existing library without realizing it. This is especially common with older shows, completed series, or content from less popular indexers.

How Huntarr Solves This

Huntarr systematically works through your missing content in a smart, indexer-friendly way. It identifies gaps by scanning your entire library to find missing content, then processes searches for missing items in small, manageable batches. This approach respects indexer limits to avoid bans while running continuously to gradually complete your collection. Huntarr also searches for better quality versions of existing content, ensuring you get upgrades when they become available.

Without Huntarr, you're essentially running an incomplete media automation setup. You're only getting new content as it releases, but you're missing out on completing existing series, filling movie collections, getting quality improvements, and achieving true set-and-forget automation. Huntarr is the tool that actually completes your media automation by finding and downloading all the content your *arr apps aren't actively searching for.

Perfect for Reddit Explanation

Here's a ready-to-copy explanation you can use on Reddit or forums when people ask "What's the point of Huntarr?" or "Why do I need this?":

Think of it this way: Sonarr/Radarr are like having a mailman who only delivers new mail as it arrives, but never goes back to get mail that was missed or wasn't available when they first checked. Huntarr is like having someone systematically go through your entire wishlist and actually hunt down all the missing pieces.

Here's the key thing most people don't understand: Your *arr apps only monitor RSS feeds for NEW releases. They don't go back and search for the missing episodes/movies already in your library. This means if you have shows you added after they finished airing, episodes that failed to download initially, or content that wasn't available on your indexers when you first added it, your *arr apps will just ignore them forever.

Huntarr solves this by continuously scanning your entire library, finding all the missing content, and systematically searching for it in small batches that won't overwhelm your indexers or get you banned. It's the difference between having a "mostly complete" library and actually having everything you want.

Most people don't even realize they have missing content because their *arr setup "looks" like it's working perfectly - it's grabbing new releases just fine. But Huntarr will show you exactly how much you're actually missing, and then go get it all for you automatically.

Without Huntarr, you're basically running incomplete automation. You're only getting new stuff as it releases, but missing out on completing existing series, filling gaps in movie collections, and getting quality upgrades when they become available. It's the tool that actually completes your media automation setup.

For more information, check out the full documentation at https://plexguide.github.io/Huntarr.io/index.html - join our Discord community at https://discord.com/invite/PGJJjR5Cww for live support and discussions, or visit our dedicated subreddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/huntarr/ to ask questions and share your experiences with other users!