Prowlarr is a powerful indexer management tool designed for use with Usenet and BitTorrent applications. It acts as a centralized indexer hub, making it easy to manage and integrate indexers across applications like Radarr, Sonarr, and Lidarr. Self-hosting Prowlarr empowers users with complete data control, enhanced security, and extensive customization options. In this guide, we’ll cover how to install, configure, and manage Prowlarr, along with practical examples for deploying and leveraging its features.
Installing Prowlarr
📦 Docker/Docker Compose Setup
To quickly deploy Prowlarr, you can use Docker with the following docker-compose.yml configuration. This setup maps ports, persists data with volumes, and sets up networking.
version: "3.8"
services:
prowlarr:
image: lscr.io/linuxserver/prowlarr:latest
container_name: prowlarr
environment:
- PUID=1000 # Replace with your user ID
- PGID=1000 # Replace with your group ID
- TZ=Etc/UTC # Replace with your timezone
volumes:
- ./prowlarr/config:/config # Persistent storage for configuration
ports:
- 9696:9696 # Map the Prowlarr web UI port
restart: unless-stopped
To deploy this configuration, run the following commands:
mkdir -p ~/prowlarr
cd ~/prowlarr
nano docker-compose.yml # Add the above YAML here
docker-compose up -d
🚀 Manual Installation
For a manual Linux installation, download the latest Prowlarr release and configure it as a service:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install wget unzip -y
## Download and extract Prowlarr
wget https://prowlarr.servarr.com/v1/update/develop/changes?os=linux --content-disposition
unzip Prowlarr.develop.*.zip
sudo mv Prowlarr /opt/prowlarr
## Create a systemd service for Prowlarr
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/prowlarr.service
Add the following to the service file:
[Unit]
Description=Prowlarr Service
After=network.target
[Service]
User=your_user # Replace with your Linux user
Group=your_group # Replace with your Linux group
ExecStart=/opt/prowlarr/Prowlarr -nobrowser
Restart=on-failure
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Finally, start and enable the service:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now prowlarr
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
🌐 Nginx Configuration
To make Prowlarr accessible via a domain or subdomain, create an Nginx server block:
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/prowlarr
Add the following configuration:
server {
listen 80;
server_name prowlarr.yourdomain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:9696;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
}
}
Enable the site and reload Nginx:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/prowlarr /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
🔒 SSL/TLS Setup
Secure your Prowlarr instance with Let’s Encrypt SSL:
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d prowlarr.yourdomain.com
To automate certificate renewal:
sudo crontab -e
Add this line to schedule daily renewals:
0 0 * * * certbot renew --quiet
Logging and Debugging Prowlarr
🗃️ Enabling Debug Logs
To enable debug logs for troubleshooting, modify the Prowlarr UI settings:
-
Navigate to Settings > General > Logging in the Prowlarr web UI.
-
Set the logging level to Debug.
📄 Viewing Logs
If running via Docker, view logs with:
docker logs -f prowlarr
For manual installations, tail the logs with:
tail -f /opt/prowlarr/logs/prowlarr.txt
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
Use logs to identify configuration errors or network issues. If you encounter repeated connection errors to indexers, ensure:
-
The indexer API key is correct.
-
The required ports are open on your firewall.
📤 Exporting Logs
To export logs for external analysis:
cp /opt/prowlarr/logs/prowlarr.txt ~/prowlarr_logs.txt
Backup and Restore
🗂️ File-Based Backups
Backup the configuration directory to retain settings:
tar -czvf prowlarr_backup.tar.gz /opt/prowlarr/config
🔄 Database Backups
If Prowlarr uses a database, back it up with:
sqlite3 /opt/prowlarr/config/prowlarr.db ".backup '~/prowlarr_db_backup.db'"
📅 Automated Backup Scripts
Automate backups with a cron job:
crontab -e
Add this line to create daily backups:
0 2 * * * tar -czvf ~/prowlarr_backup_$(date +\%F).tar.gz /opt/prowlarr/config
Updating and Upgrading Prowlarr
⬆️ Updating Docker Images
Pull the latest Docker image and restart the container:
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d
🛠️ Manual Updates
For manual installations, download and replace the existing binary:
wget https://prowlarr.servarr.com/v1/update/develop/changes?os=linux --content-disposition
unzip -o Prowlarr.develop.*.zip -d /opt/prowlarr
sudo systemctl restart prowlarr
🔍 Checking for Updates
You can also check for updates in the Prowlarr UI under System > Updates.
Leveraging Prowlarr’s Unique Features
🔧 Enabling APIs
To enable and use Prowlarr’s API:
-
Go to Settings > General > Security in the Prowlarr UI.
-
Copy the API key for use in scripts.
Use the API with a curl example:
curl -X GET "http://127.0.0.1:9696/api/v1/indexer" -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
🌟 Advanced Configurations
Integrate with Sonarr or Radarr:
-
In Prowlarr, navigate to Settings > Applications.
-
Add a new application and provide the target application’s API key and URL.
-
Test the connection and save.
Wrapping Up
Prowlarr is a robust and flexible tool for managing indexers in self-hosted environments. By following this guide, you’ve learned how to install, configure, secure, and maintain Prowlarr while leveraging its powerful API and integration capabilities. With these steps, you’re now equipped to make the most of Prowlarr and streamline your media automation workflows.
