EZ-Homelab/docs/service-docs/prowlarr.md

Prowlarr - Indexer Manager

Table of Contents

• Overview
• What is Prowlarr?
• Why Use Prowlarr?
• How It Works
• Configuration in AI-Homelab
• Official Resources
• Educational Resources
• Docker Configuration
• Initial Setup
• Advanced Topics
• Troubleshooting

Overview

Category: Indexer Management
Docker Image: linuxserver/prowlarr
Default Stack: media.yml
Web UI: https://prowlarr.${DOMAIN} or http://SERVER_IP:9696
Authentication: Optional (configurable)
Ports: 9696

What is Prowlarr?

Prowlarr is an indexer manager and proxy for Sonarr, Radarr, Readarr, and Lidarr. Instead of configuring indexers (torrent/usenet sources) separately in each *arr app, Prowlarr manages them centrally and syncs automatically. It's the "one indexer to rule them all" for your media automation stack.

Key Features

• Centralized Indexer Management: Configure once, use everywhere
• Automatic Sync: Pushes indexers to all *arr apps
• Built-in Indexers: 500+ indexers included
• Custom Indexers: Add any indexer via definitions
• Search Aggregation: Search across all indexers at once
• Stats & History: Track indexer performance
• App Sync: Connects with Sonarr, Radarr, Readarr, Lidarr
• FlareSolverr Integration: Bypass Cloudflare protection
• Download Client Support: Direct downloads (optional)
• Notification Support: Discord, Telegram, etc.

Why Use Prowlarr?

1. DRY Principle: Configure indexers once, not in every app
2. Centralized Management: Single source of truth
3. Automatic Sync: Updates push to all connected apps
4. Performance Monitoring: See which indexers work best
5. Easier Maintenance: Update indexer settings in one place
6. Search Aggregation: Test searches across all indexers
7. FlareSolverr Support: Bypass protections automatically
8. History Tracking: Monitor what's being searched
9. App Integration: Seamless *arr stack integration
10. Free & Open Source: Part of the Servarr family

How It Works

Prowlarr (Central Hub)
       ↓
Manages 500+ Indexers
(1337x, RARBG, YTS, etc.)
       ↓
Automatically Syncs To:
- Sonarr (TV)
- Radarr (Movies)
- Readarr (Books)
- Lidarr (Music)
       ↓
*arr Apps Search via Prowlarr
       ↓
Prowlarr Queries All Indexers
       ↓
Returns Aggregated Results
       ↓
*arr Apps Download Best Match

The Problem Prowlarr Solves

Before Prowlarr:

• Configure indexers in Sonarr
• Configure same indexers in Radarr
• Configure same indexers in Readarr
• Configure same indexers in Lidarr
• Update indexer? Change in 4 places!

With Prowlarr:

• Configure indexers once in Prowlarr
• Auto-sync to all apps
• Update once, updates everywhere
• Centralized statistics and management

Configuration in AI-Homelab

Directory Structure

/opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/    # Prowlarr configuration

Environment Variables

# User permissions
PUID=1000
PGID=1000

# Timezone
TZ=America/New_York

Official Resources

• Website: https://prowlarr.com
• Wiki: https://wiki.servarr.com/prowlarr
• GitHub: https://github.com/Prowlarr/Prowlarr
• Discord: https://discord.gg/prowlarr
• Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/prowlarr
• Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/linuxserver/prowlarr

Educational Resources

Videos

• Prowlarr Setup Guide (Techno Tim)
• Complete *arr Stack with Prowlarr
• Prowlarr Indexer Setup
• FlareSolverr with Prowlarr

Articles & Guides

• Official Documentation
• Servarr Wiki
• Indexer Setup Guide
• Application Sync Guide

Concepts to Learn

• Indexers: Sources for torrents/usenet (1337x, RARBG, etc.)
• Trackers: BitTorrent indexers
• Usenet: Alternative to torrents (requires subscription)
• Public vs Private: Indexer access types
• API Keys: Authentication between services
• FlareSolverr: Cloudflare bypass proxy
• Categories: Media type classifications
• Sync Profiles: What syncs to which app

Docker Configuration

Complete Service Definition

prowlarr:
  image: linuxserver/prowlarr:latest
  container_name: prowlarr
  restart: unless-stopped
  networks:
    - traefik-network
  ports:
    - "9696:9696"
  environment:
    - PUID=1000
    - PGID=1000
    - TZ=America/New_York
  volumes:
    - /opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config:/config
  labels:
    - "traefik.enable=true"
    - "traefik.http.routers.prowlarr.rule=Host(`prowlarr.${DOMAIN}`)"
    - "traefik.http.routers.prowlarr.entrypoints=websecure"
    - "traefik.http.routers.prowlarr.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt"
    - "traefik.http.routers.prowlarr.middlewares=authelia@docker"
    - "traefik.http.services.prowlarr.loadbalancer.server.port=9696"

With FlareSolverr (for Cloudflare bypass)

prowlarr:
  image: linuxserver/prowlarr:latest
  container_name: prowlarr
  # ... (same as above)
  depends_on:
    - flaresolverr

flaresolverr:
  image: ghcr.io/flaresolverr/flaresolverr:latest
  container_name: flaresolverr
  restart: unless-stopped
  networks:
    - traefik-network
  ports:
    - "8191:8191"
  environment:
    - LOG_LEVEL=info

Initial Setup

First Access

1. Start Container:

   docker compose up -d prowlarr
   

2. Access Web UI:

   • Local: http://SERVER_IP:9696
   • Domain: https://prowlarr.yourdomain.com

3. Initial Configuration:

   • Settings → Apps (connect *arr apps)
   • Indexers → Add Indexers
   • Settings → General (authentication)

Connecting *arr Applications

Settings → Apps → Add Application:

Add Sonarr

1. Name: Sonarr
2. Sync Level: Add and Remove Only (recommended)
3. Prowlarr Server: http://prowlarr:9696
4. Sonarr Server: http://sonarr:8989
5. API Key: From Sonarr → Settings → General → API Key
6. Sync Categories: TV/SD, TV/HD, TV/UHD
7. Test → Save

Add Radarr

1. Name: Radarr
2. Sync Level: Add and Remove Only
3. Prowlarr Server: http://prowlarr:9696
4. Radarr Server: http://radarr:7878
5. API Key: From Radarr → Settings → General → API Key
6. Sync Categories: Movies/SD, Movies/HD, Movies/UHD
7. Test → Save

Add Readarr (if using)

1. Name: Readarr
2. Server: http://readarr:8787
3. API Key: From Readarr
4. Categories: Books/Ebook, Books/Audiobook

Add Lidarr (if using)

1. Name: Lidarr
2. Server: http://lidarr:8686
3. API Key: From Lidarr
4. Categories: Audio/MP3, Audio/Lossless

Adding Indexers

Indexers → Add Indexer:

Popular Public Trackers

1337x:

1. Search: "1337x"
2. Select: 1337x
3. Base URL: (default)
4. API Key: (none for public)
5. Categories: Select relevant
6. Test → Save

YTS:

1. Search: "YTS"
2. Select: YTS
3. Configure categories
4. Test → Save

EZTV:

1. Search: "EZTV"
2. Select: EZTV (TV shows)
3. Configure
4. Test → Save

Common Public Indexers:

• 1337x (General)
• YTS (Movies, small file sizes)
• EZTV (TV Shows)
• RARBG (if still available)
• The Pirate Bay
• Nyaa (Anime)
• LimeTorrents

Private Trackers

Requires Account:

1. Register on tracker website
2. Get API key or credentials
3. Add in Prowlarr with credentials
4. Test → Save

Popular Private Trackers:

• BroadcastHe.Net (TV)
• PassThePopcorn (Movies)
• IPTorrents (General)
• TorrentLeech (General)

Usenet Indexers

Requires Usenet Provider:

1. Subscribe to usenet provider (Newshosting, etc.)
2. Subscribe to indexer (NZBGeek, etc.)
3. Add indexer with API key
4. Configure download client (SABnzbd, NZBGet)

Auto-Sync Verification

After adding indexers:

1. Check Sonarr:

   • Settings → Indexers
   • Should see all indexers from Prowlarr
   • Each with "(Prowlarr)" suffix

2. Check Radarr:

   • Settings → Indexers
   • Should see same indexers
   • Auto-synced from Prowlarr

3. Test Search:

   • Sonarr → Add Series → Search
   • Should find results from all indexers

Advanced Topics

FlareSolverr Integration

Some indexers use Cloudflare protection. FlareSolverr bypasses this.

Setup:

1. Add FlareSolverr Container:

   flaresolverr:
     image: ghcr.io/flaresolverr/flaresolverr:latest
     container_name: flaresolverr
     restart: unless-stopped
     ports:
       - "8191:8191"
     environment:
       - LOG_LEVEL=info
   

2. Configure in Prowlarr:

   • Settings → Indexers → Scroll down
   • FlareSolverr Host: http://flaresolverr:8191
   • Test

3. Tag Indexers:

   • Edit indexer
   • Tags → Add "flaresolverr"
   • Indexers with tag will use FlareSolverr

When to Use:

• Indexer returns Cloudflare errors
• "Access Denied" or "Checking your browser"
• DDoS protection pages

Sync Profiles

Settings → Apps → Sync Profiles:

Control what syncs where:

Standard Profile:

• Sync categories: All
• Minimum seeders: 1
• Enable RSS: Yes
• Enable Automatic Search: Yes
• Enable Interactive Search: Yes

Custom Profiles:

• Create profiles for different apps
• Example: 4K-only profile for Radarr-4K

Indexer Categories

Important for Proper Sync:

• Movies: Movies/HD, Movies/UHD, Movies/SD
• TV: TV/HD, TV/UHD, TV/SD
• Music: Audio/MP3, Audio/Lossless
• Books: Books/Ebook, Books/Audiobook
• Anime: TV/Anime, Movies/Anime

Ensure Correct Categories:

• Indexer must have correct categories
• Apps filter by category
• Mismatched categories = no results

Statistics & History

System → Status:

• Indexer response times
• Success rates
• Error counts

History:

• View all searches
• Track performance
• Debug issues

Indexer Stats:

• Indexers → View stats column
• Grab count
• Query count
• Failure rate

Custom Indexer Definitions

Add Unlisted Indexers:

1. Find Indexer Definition:

   • Prowlarr GitHub → Definitions
   • Or community-submitted

2. Add Definition File:

   • Copy YAML definition
   • Place in /config/Definitions/Custom/
   • Restart Prowlarr

3. Add Indexer:

   • Should appear in list
   • Configure as normal

Download Clients (Optional)

Prowlarr can send directly to download clients:

Settings → Download Clients → Add:

Example: qBittorrent

• Host: gluetun (if via VPN)
• Port: 8080
• Category: prowlarr-manual

Use Case:

• Manual downloads from Prowlarr
• Not needed for *arr apps (they have own clients)

Notifications

Settings → Connect:

Get notified about:

• Indexer health issues
• Grab events
• Application updates

Popular Notifications:

• Discord
• Telegram
• Pushover
• Email
• Custom webhook

Troubleshooting

Prowlarr Not Accessible

# Check container status
docker ps | grep prowlarr

# View logs
docker logs prowlarr

# Test access
curl http://localhost:9696

# Check network
docker network inspect traefik-network

Indexers Not Syncing to Apps

# Check app connection
# Settings → Apps → Test

# Check API keys match
# Prowlarr API key vs app's API key

# Check network connectivity
docker exec prowlarr ping -c 3 sonarr
docker exec prowlarr ping -c 3 radarr

# Force sync
# Settings → Apps → Select app → Sync App Indexers

# View logs
docker logs prowlarr | grep -i sync

Indexer Failing

# Test indexer
# Indexers → Select indexer → Test

# Common issues:
# - Indexer down
# - Cloudflare protection (need FlareSolverr)
# - IP banned (too many requests)
# - API key invalid

# Check indexer status
# Visit indexer website directly

# Enable FlareSolverr if Cloudflare error

FlareSolverr Not Working

# Check FlareSolverr status
docker logs flaresolverr

# Test FlareSolverr
curl http://localhost:8191/health

# Ensure Prowlarr can reach FlareSolverr
docker exec prowlarr curl http://flaresolverr:8191/health

# Verify indexer tagged
# Indexer → Edit → Tags → flaresolverr

# Check FlareSolverr logs during indexer test
docker logs -f flaresolverr

No Search Results

# Check indexers enabled
# Indexers → Ensure not disabled

# Test indexers
# Indexers → Test All

# Check categories
# Indexer categories must match app needs

# Manual search
# Prowlarr → Search → Test query
# Should return results

# Check app logs
docker logs sonarr | grep prowlarr
docker logs radarr | grep prowlarr

Database Corruption

# Stop Prowlarr
docker stop prowlarr

# Backup database
cp /opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/prowlarr.db /opt/backups/

# Check integrity
sqlite3 /opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/prowlarr.db "PRAGMA integrity_check;"

# If corrupted, restore or rebuild
# rm /opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/prowlarr.db

docker start prowlarr
# Prowlarr will recreate database (need to reconfigure)

Performance Optimization

Rate Limiting

Settings → Indexers → Options:

• Indexer download limit: 60 per day (per indexer)
• Prevents IP bans
• Adjust based on indexer limits

Query Limits

Per Indexer:

• Edit indexer → Query Limit
• Requests per day
• Prevents abuse

Caching

Prowlarr caches results:

• Reduces duplicate queries
• Improves response time
• Automatic management

Database Maintenance

# Stop Prowlarr
docker stop prowlarr

# Vacuum database
sqlite3 /opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/prowlarr.db "VACUUM;"

# Restart
docker start prowlarr

Security Best Practices

1. Enable Authentication:

   • Settings → General → Security
   • Authentication: Required
   • Username and password

2. API Key Security:

   • Keep API keys secret
   • Regenerate if compromised
   • Settings → General → API Key

3. Use Reverse Proxy:

   • Traefik + Authelia
   • Don't expose 9696 publicly

4. Indexer Credentials:

   • Secure storage
   • Use API keys over passwords
   • Rotate periodically

5. Monitor Access:

   • Check history for unusual activity
   • Review indexer stats

6. VPN for Public Trackers:

   • While Prowlarr doesn't download
   • Apps behind VPN still benefit

7. Regular Updates:

   • Keep Prowlarr current
   • Check release notes

Backup Strategy

Critical Files:

/opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/prowlarr.db    # Database
/opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/config.xml     # Settings
/opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/Backup/        # Auto backups

Backup Script:

#!/bin/bash
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)
BACKUP_DIR=/opt/backups/prowlarr

# Backup database
cp /opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/prowlarr.db $BACKUP_DIR/prowlarr-$DATE.db

# Keep last 7 days
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "prowlarr-*.db" -mtime +7 -delete

Restore:

docker stop prowlarr
cp /opt/backups/prowlarr/prowlarr-20240101.db /opt/stacks/media/prowlarr/config/prowlarr.db
docker start prowlarr

Integration with Other Services

Prowlarr + Sonarr + Radarr

• Central indexer management
• Auto-sync to all apps
• Single configuration point

Prowlarr + FlareSolverr

• Bypass Cloudflare protection
• Access protected indexers
• Automatic proxy usage

Prowlarr + VPN

• Prowlarr itself doesn't need VPN
• Download clients (qBittorrent) need VPN
• Indexer searches are legal

Summary

Prowlarr is the essential indexer manager for *arr stacks offering:

• Centralized indexer management
• Automatic sync to all *arr apps
• 500+ built-in indexers
• FlareSolverr integration
• Performance statistics
• History tracking
• Free and open-source

Perfect for:

• *arr stack users
• Multiple *arr applications
• Centralized management needs
• Indexer performance monitoring
• Simplified configuration

Key Benefits:

• Configure once, use everywhere
• Automatic sync to apps
• Single source of truth
• Easy maintenance
• Performance monitoring
• Cloudflare bypass support

Remember:

• Add Prowlarr first, then apps
• Apps auto-receive indexers
• Use FlareSolverr for Cloudflare
• Monitor indexer health
• Respect indexer rate limits
• Keep API keys secure
• Regular backups essential

Essential Stack:

Prowlarr (Indexer Manager)
    ↓
Sonarr (TV) + Radarr (Movies)
    ↓
qBittorrent (via Gluetun VPN)
    ↓
Plex/Jellyfin (Media Server)

Prowlarr is the glue that makes the *arr stack work seamlessly!