Prowlarr Setup: Unified Indexer Manager for Your Seedbox

Prowlarr is a unified indexer manager that acts as the central search hub for your entire *arr stack. Instead of configuring indexers separately in Sonarr, Radarr, and Lidarr, you set them up once in Prowlarr and it pushes the configuration to all your apps automatically. It’s the modern replacement for Jackett, with native integration into the *arr ecosystem.

Why Use Prowlarr?

• One place for all indexers — Add your torrent/Usenet indexers once, sync to all *arr apps
• Native *arr integration — Built by the same team, no API translation needed
• FlareSolverr built-in — Automatically bypasses Cloudflare-protected indexers
• Replaces Jackett — Simpler setup, better reliability, automatic sync
• Search from one place — Search all indexers at once from Prowlarr’s UI

How It Works

  THE *ARR AUTOMATION STACK
  ═════════════════════════

  Without Prowlarr:                With Prowlarr:

  Sonarr ──┐                       ┌── Sonarr (TV)
  Radarr ──┤── Each app manages    │
  Lidarr ──┤   its own indexers    Prowlarr ──┤── Radarr (Movies)
  Readarr ─┘   (duplicated work)   │  (one    │
                                    │  config) ├── Lidarr (Music)
                                    │          │
                                    │          └── Readarr (Books)
                                    │
                                    ├── Indexer 1 (Torrent)
                                    ├── Indexer 2 (Torrent)
                                    ├── Indexer 3 (Usenet)
                                    └── FlareSolverr (CF bypass)

Prowlarr sits between your *arr apps and your indexers. You configure indexers in Prowlarr, then connect Prowlarr to Sonarr/Radarr/Lidarr. When any app searches for content, Prowlarr queries all your indexers and returns the results.

Prerequisites

• An active EvoSeedbox account
• At least one *arr app installed (Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, or Readarr)
• Indexer accounts (torrent trackers or Usenet providers you want to search)

Step 1: Install Prowlarr

1. Log in to your EvoSeedbox Client Area at client.evoseedbox.com
2. Navigate to Services > click your active seedbox plan
3. Scroll to the Apps section and find Prowlarr
4. Click Install — installation takes 1-2 minutes
5. Once ready, the button changes to Open

Here’s what happens behind the scenes when you install:

  PROWLARR INSTALLATION
  ─────────────────────

  You click "Install"
       │
       ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────┐
  │ Docker container created │
  │ Image: linuxserver/      │
  │        prowlarr:latest   │
  │ Port: 9696 (internal)    │
  └─────────┬───────────────┘
            │
            ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────┐
  │ FlareSolverr sidecar    │
  │ started on same network │
  │ (Cloudflare bypass)     │
  └─────────┬───────────────┘
            │
            ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────┐
  │ Auto-configured:        │
  │ • rTorrent as download  │
  │   client (HTTPS/XMLRPC) │
  │ • FlareSolverr proxy    │
  └─────────┬───────────────┘
            │
            ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────┐
  │ SSL proxy created       │
  │ (HTTPS access ready)    │
  └─────────────────────────┘

Bonus: Your seedbox automatically pre-configures rTorrent as the download client and FlareSolverr as the indexer proxy — two steps you’d normally have to do manually.

Step 2: Access Prowlarr

From the Client Area

Click Open on the Prowlarr app card. This opens Prowlarr’s web interface via your seedbox’s secure HTTPS connection.

Direct URL

You can also access Prowlarr directly at the URL shown in your dashboard. It’s served over HTTPS through an Nginx reverse proxy with your seedbox credentials.

Step 3: Add Indexers

Indexers are the torrent trackers or Usenet providers that Prowlarr searches for content.

1. In Prowlarr, go to Indexers > Add Indexer (the big + button)
2. Search for your tracker/provider name
3. Fill in your credentials (API key, username, or cookie — depends on the indexer)
4. Click Test to verify the connection
5. Click Save
6. Repeat for each indexer you want to use

  INDEXER TYPES
  ═════════════

  Torrent Indexers              Usenet Indexers
  ┌────────────────────┐        ┌────────────────────┐
  │ Public trackers    │        │ NZBgeek            │
  │ (1337x, RARBG,    │        │ NZBFinder          │
  │  TorrentGalaxy)   │        │ DrunkenSlug        │
  │                    │        │ NZBPlanet          │
  │ Private trackers   │        └────────────────────┘
  │ (IPTorrents,       │
  │  TorrentLeech,     │        Configured once in
  │  FileList)         │        Prowlarr, synced to
  └────────────────────┘        ALL your *arr apps ✓

FlareSolverr note: Some indexers are behind Cloudflare protection. Your seedbox has FlareSolverr pre-installed alongside Prowlarr — it handles these automatically. If an indexer needs it, Prowlarr will show a “FlareSolverr required” note. Just enable the FlareSolverr tag on that indexer.

Step 4: Connect to Your *arr Apps

This is where Prowlarr shines — it automatically pushes your indexers to Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, and Readarr.

1. In Prowlarr, go to Settings > Apps
2. Click + to add an application
3. Select Sonarr (or Radarr, Lidarr, Readarr)
4. Fill in:
   • Prowlarr Server: http://localhost:9696 (already filled)
   • App Server: The URL of your Sonarr/Radarr (from your dashboard)
   • API Key: Found in Sonarr > Settings > General > API Key
5. Click Test then Save

  CONNECTING PROWLARR TO YOUR APPS
  ════════════════════════════════════════════════

  Prowlarr (Settings > Apps)
       │
       ├──── Sonarr
       │     Server: https://your-server/sonarr
       │     API Key: from Sonarr > Settings > General
       │     Sync: Full Sync ✓
       │
       ├──── Radarr
       │     Server: https://your-server/radarr
       │     API Key: from Radarr > Settings > General
       │     Sync: Full Sync ✓
       │
       ├──── Lidarr
       │     Server: https://your-server/lidarr
       │     API Key: from Lidarr > Settings > General
       │     Sync: Full Sync ✓
       │
       └──── Readarr (optional)
             Server: https://your-server/readarr
             API Key: from Readarr > Settings > General
             Sync: Full Sync ✓

  After saving, Prowlarr automatically pushes
  ALL your indexers to each connected app ✓

Once connected with Full Sync, any indexer you add or remove in Prowlarr is automatically reflected in all your *arr apps. No more managing indexers in multiple places.

The Complete Automation Pipeline

Here’s how everything works together once Prowlarr is set up:

  FULL AUTOMATION FLOW
  ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  1. SEARCH                    2. FIND                    3. DOWNLOAD

  Sonarr: "Need             Prowlarr queries           rTorrent downloads
  Breaking Bad S01"         all indexers               the torrent
       │                         │                          │
       ▼                         ▼                          ▼
  ┌──────────┐             ┌──────────┐              ┌──────────┐
  │  Sonarr  │──request──▶│ Prowlarr │──results──▶  │ rTorrent │
  └──────────┘             │          │              └────┬─────┘
                           │ Indexer 1│                   │
                           │ Indexer 2│              Completed
                           │ Indexer 3│                   │
                           └──────────┘                   ▼

  4. ORGANIZE                  5. STREAM

  Sonarr renames &           Plex detects new
  moves to library            file, adds to library
       │                          │
       ▼                          ▼
  ┌──────────┐              ┌──────────┐
  │ /media/  │──detected──▶│   Plex   │──▶ 📱💻🖥️
  │ TV Shows │              │ Jellyfin │   Your devices
  └──────────┘              └──────────┘

Migrating from Jackett

If you’re currently using Jackett, here’s how to migrate:

  JACKETT → PROWLARR MIGRATION
  ════════════════════════════════

  Step 1: Install Prowlarr (keep Jackett running)
  Step 2: Add your indexers in Prowlarr
  Step 3: Connect Prowlarr to Sonarr/Radarr
  Step 4: In Sonarr/Radarr, remove old Jackett indexers
  Step 5: Verify Prowlarr indexers appear
  Step 6: Uninstall Jackett (optional)

  ┌────────────┐         ┌────────────┐
  │  Jackett   │         │  Prowlarr  │
  │            │         │            │
  │ Manual per │ ──▶     │ Sync once, │
  │ app config │ migrate │ auto-push  │
  │            │         │ to all     │
  └────────────┘         └────────────┘
      OLD                    NEW

Both Jackett and Prowlarr can run simultaneously during migration — they use separate ports and don’t conflict.

Troubleshooting

Indexer Test Fails

Symptom: “Unable to connect” or timeout when testing an indexer.

• Double-check your API key or credentials for the indexer
• If the indexer is behind Cloudflare, make sure you’ve enabled the FlareSolverr tag
• Some indexers rate-limit connections — wait a few minutes and try again

Indexers Not Syncing to Sonarr/Radarr

Symptom: You added indexers in Prowlarr but they don’t appear in Sonarr.

• Go to Prowlarr > Settings > Apps and verify the connection shows a green checkmark
• Make sure the Sync Level is set to Full Sync (not “Disabled”)
• Check the API key matches what’s in Sonarr > Settings > General
• Click the sync icon to force an immediate sync

FlareSolverr Not Working

Symptom: Cloudflare-protected indexers still fail.

• In Prowlarr, go to Settings > Indexer Proxies and verify FlareSolverr is listed
• Make sure the indexer has the FlareSolverr tag assigned
• FlareSolverr runs alongside Prowlarr automatically — if it’s down, try restarting Prowlarr from your dashboard

Tips & Best Practices

• Use Full Sync — This ensures any indexer changes in Prowlarr are automatically reflected in all your *arr apps
• Add multiple indexers — More indexers = better search results. Prowlarr queries them all in parallel
• Set priorities — In Prowlarr, you can set indexer priority so preferred trackers are used first
• Check stats — Prowlarr tracks search success rates per indexer. Remove indexers that consistently fail
• Don’t duplicate — Once Prowlarr syncs indexers to Sonarr/Radarr, don’t add the same indexers manually in those apps

Related Guides

• Setting Up Sonarr on Your Seedbox
• How to Use Radarr with Your Seedbox
• How to Use Lidarr with Your EvoSeedbox
• Readarr Setup Guide
• How to Use Jackett (legacy — consider migrating to Prowlarr)
• Quick Setup: Complete *arr Stack

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need Jackett if I use Prowlarr?

No. Prowlarr replaces Jackett for almost every setup — it supports the same indexers, adds native *arr sync, and includes FlareSolverr support. Both can run side by side while you migrate, then Jackett can be uninstalled.

Does Prowlarr download anything itself?

No. Prowlarr only manages indexers and searches. Downloads are handled by your torrent client (rTorrent on your seedbox), which Prowlarr passes releases to via your *arr apps.

How many indexers can I add?

There is no hard limit. Add every tracker and Usenet indexer you have an account for — Prowlarr queries them in parallel and syncs them all to Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr and Readarr automatically.

Why do Cloudflare-protected indexers fail?

They need FlareSolverr. Your seedbox installs it alongside Prowlarr automatically — assign the FlareSolverr tag to the affected indexer in Settings → Indexer Proxies and re-test.

Related Pages

• Prowlarr seedbox hosting — one-click Prowlarr on EvoSeedbox
• Jackett seedbox hosting — the legacy alternative
• All one-click seedbox apps