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Prowlarr

Prowlarr

Centralized indexer management for the *arr ecosystem

Prowlarr is an indexer manager/proxy built on the popular *arr .NET/ReactJS base stack to integrate with your various PVR apps. Prowlarr supports both torrent trackers and Usenet indexers, integrating seamlessly with Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, and Readarr offering complete management of your indexers with no per-app indexer setup required. QuickBox Pro installs Prowlarr from the nightly branch at /opt/username/Prowlarr with automatic SQLite compatibility patches for Debian 11.

Centralized Management

Add indexers once in Prowlarr and they automatically sync to all connected `*arr` applications

Application Sync

Automatic synchronization with Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Readarr, and other supported apps

Indexer Statistics

Monitor indexer health, response times, and success rates from a unified dashboard

Multi-Protocol Support

Supports both torrent trackers and Usenet indexers with extensive provider compatibility

Automatic Updates

Stay current with the latest indexer definitions and provider configurations

Advanced Configuration

Custom indexer categories, rate limiting, and proxy support for enhanced control

Installation

Symptoms

  • QuickBox Pro v3 installed and configured
  • At least one `*arr` app installed (Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, or Readarr)
  • Indexer accounts (torrent trackers or Usenet providers)
  • User account created on the server

Resolution

  • Use QuickBox's qb command for installation
  • Automatic integration with existing `*arr` apps
  • Per-user installation with isolated settings

Install from the Dashboard

Open App Dashboard → Package Management (/dashboard?mode=packages), find Prowlarr in the catalog (browse Indexers or search), and click Install. The dashboard streams the install log live and Prowlarr appears in your Application Control panel when it finishes. Reinstall, Update, and Remove are available from the same panel. Prowlarr ships on the nightly branch — there is nothing to pick in the install dialog.

What you see is gated by your account: admins manage any user’s apps; regular users manage their own. See App Management for the full flow.

Install from the CLI (automation)

The CLI runs the same scripts as the Dashboard and is suited to automation and scripting:

qb help prowlarr
qb install prowlarr -u username
qb reinstall prowlarr -u username
qb update prowlarr -u username
qb remove prowlarr -u username

Full flag reference: CLI Reference.

Ports and Debian 11 patch

Prowlarr’s web UI runs on an auto-assigned port (base 9696, secure 9797, incremented per user) — find it in the dashboard or ~/.config/Prowlarr/config.xml. On Debian 11 (Bullseye), QuickBox automatically applies a SQLite compatibility patch during install and update — no manual step required.

Accessing Prowlarr

After installation, access Prowlarr at:

https://your-server-ip/username/prowlarr
QuickBox Dashboard Integration

Prowlarr is automatically integrated into your QuickBox dashboard. Find it in the Service Control panel with port, API key, and status information. Click the LAUNCH icon to open the web interface.

Initial Configuration

1. Add Indexers

Navigate to Indexers → Add Indexer and configure your sources:

Popular Torrent Trackers:

  • Public trackers: The Pirate Bay, 1337x, RARBG (no login required)
  • Private trackers: IPTorrents, TorrentLeech, PassThePopcorn (require credentials)

Usenet Indexers:

  • NZBGeek, NZBPlanet, NZBFinder
  • DrunkenSlug, DOGnzb, NZB.su
  • Requires API keys from providers

Configuration Steps:

  1. Click Add Indexer (+)
  2. Search for your indexer by name
  3. Enter credentials (username, password, API key, or cookie)
  4. Click Test to verify connection
  5. Save the indexer

2. Connect Applications

Link Prowlarr to your *arr apps for automatic indexer synchronization:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps
  2. Click Add Application (+)
  3. Select application type (Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, or Readarr)
  4. Enter connection details:
    • Prowlarr Server: http://localhost:9696
    • Radarr Server: http://localhost:7878 (example)
    • API Key: Copy from your *arr app (Settings → General → Security → API Key)
    • Sync Level: Choose Full Sync for complete management
  5. Click Test then Save
Automatic Discovery

Prowlarr can automatically discover *arr applications running on the same server. Enable automatic discovery in Settings → General to simplify setup.

3. Test and Verify

After adding indexers:

  1. Click Test All Indexers button in Indexers tab
  2. Verify green checkmarks for successful connections
  3. Fix any red errors (usually authentication, rate limiting, or expired accounts)
  4. Verify indexers appear in your connected *arr apps

Service Management

Prowlarr runs as a systemd service for reliability and automatic startup.

systemctl status prowlarr@username     # Check status
systemctl restart prowlarr@username    # Restart service
journalctl -u prowlarr@username -f     # View live logs
systemctl enable prowlarr@username     # Start on boot
systemctl disable prowlarr@username    # Prevent auto-start

Troubleshooting

Prowlarr Won’t Start (Debian 11 Bullseye)

Symptoms

  • Prowlarr crashes on startup with SQLite errors
  • Journal logs show 'System.DllNotFoundException: libe_sqlite3'
  • Service fails to start after update

Resolution

  • Check if SQLite patch is applied: ls -la /opt/username/Prowlarr/libe_sqlite3.so
  • Reinstall to apply patch: qb reinstall prowlarr -u username
  • Check logs: journalctl -u prowlarr@username -n 50
  • Verify systemd override: cat /etc/systemd/system/prowlarr@username.service.d/override.conf

Indexers Not Syncing to Apps

Symptoms

  • Indexers added in Prowlarr but not appearing in Sonarr/Radarr
  • Connection test fails with API errors
  • Apps show as connected but no sync occurs
  • Indexers appear but don't work in apps

Resolution

  • Verify API keys match in both Prowlarr and target app
  • Check connection: Settings → Apps → Test connection
  • Ensure sync level is set to 'Full Sync' or 'Add Only'
  • Manually trigger sync: Settings → Apps → Sync App Indexers button
  • Check logs for specific errors: journalctl -u prowlarr@username -f

Rate Limiting Issues

# Check indexer response times in web UI
# Settings → Indexers → View indexer stats
 
# Adjust rate limits per indexer
# Edit Indexer → Advanced → Rate Limit (requests per second)
 
# Check for ban warnings in logs
journalctl -u prowlarr@username -f | grep -i "rate\|ban"

Permission Issues

qb fix permissions -u username
systemctl restart prowlarr@username

Configuration Reset

# Backup current configuration
cp -r ~/.config/Prowlarr ~/.config/Prowlarr.backup
 
# Stop service
systemctl stop prowlarr@username
 
# Remove configuration (will be regenerated)
rm -rf ~/.config/Prowlarr/*
 
# Restart service
systemctl start prowlarr@username

Best Practices

Do

  • Use Prowlarr as the single source of truth for all indexer management
  • Test indexers regularly to catch expired accounts or API changes
  • Set appropriate rate limits to avoid bans from indexers
  • Use 'Full Sync' mode for complete indexer lifecycle management
  • Monitor indexer statistics to identify underperforming sources
  • Keep Prowlarr updated via qb update prowlarr for latest indexer definitions
  • Document indexer API keys in a secure password manager
  • Use categories to control which indexers sync to which apps

Don't

  • Don't configure indexers manually in Sonarr/Radarr—use Prowlarr instead
  • Don't use the same API key across multiple Prowlarr installations
  • Don't ignore rate limit warnings—can result in indexer bans
  • Don't add too many indexers—quality over quantity for better performance
  • Don't forget to test indexers after adding them
  • Don't share indexer accounts—violates most tracker terms of service
  • Don't disable authentication if Prowlarr is accessible from the internet
  • Don't manually delete indexers from apps—remove them in Prowlarr

Media Management

Sonarr ⭐Radarr ⭐LidarrReadarr

Download Clients

qBittorrentDelugerTorrentSABnzbd

Alternative Indexers

JackettNZBHydra2

Additional Resources

Prowlarr Official Website

Official Prowlarr homepage and downloads

Prowlarr Wiki

Comprehensive documentation and setup guides

Prowlarr GitHub

Source code, issues, and feature requests

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