How to Self-Host Jellyseerr with Docker

What Is Jellyseerr?

Jellyseerr is a media request management tool that gives your users a polished interface to browse and request movies and TV shows. It integrates with Jellyfin, Plex, and Emby for library awareness, and with Sonarr and Radarr for automated downloading. It’s the actively maintained fork of Overseerr, which was archived in 2024. Official site

Prerequisites

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+ recommended)
Docker and Docker Compose installed (guide)
1 GB of free disk space
512 MB of RAM (minimum)
A running media server (Jellyfin, Plex, or Emby)
Sonarr and/or Radarr running for automated downloads

Docker Compose Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  jellyseerr:
    image: fallenbagel/jellyseerr:2.5.0
    container_name: jellyseerr
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York         # Your timezone
      - LOG_LEVEL=info              # Options: debug, info, warn, error
    ports:
      - "5055:5055"                 # Web UI
    volumes:
      - jellyseerr-config:/app/config  # Configuration and database
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  jellyseerr-config:

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Initial Setup

Open http://your-server:5055 in your browser
Choose your media server type: Jellyfin, Plex, or Emby
For Jellyfin: Enter your Jellyfin server URL (e.g., http://jellyfin:8096 if on the same Docker network) and sign in with an admin account
For Plex: Sign in with your Plex account and select your server
Jellyseerr will sync your existing library — this can take a few minutes for large libraries
Configure Sonarr and Radarr connections under Settings → Services:
- Add your Sonarr URL (e.g., http://sonarr:8989)
- Add the API key from Sonarr’s Settings → General
- Select quality profiles and root folders
- Repeat for Radarr (default port 7878)
Configure user access under Settings → Users

Configuration

Connecting to Sonarr/Radarr

Under Settings → Services, add each *arr app:

Hostname/IP: Use the Docker service name if on the same network (e.g., sonarr), or the host IP with port
Port: 8989 (Sonarr), 7878 (Radarr)
API Key: Found in each app’s Settings → General
Quality Profile: Select the default profile for new requests
Root Folder: Where media files are stored

You can add multiple Sonarr/Radarr instances — useful for separating 4K and 1080p libraries.

User Permissions

Jellyseerr supports granular user permissions:

Auto-approve movies/TV — skip the approval queue
Request limits — quota per user per week
Advanced requests — let users pick quality profiles
Manage issues — allow users to report problems

Notifications

Under Settings → Notifications, configure alerts for:

Discord webhooks
Slack
Email (SMTP)
Telegram
Pushover
Gotify
Webhook (custom)

Advanced Configuration (Optional)

Running on the same Docker network as your stack

For direct container-to-container communication, add Jellyseerr to your *arr stack network:

services:
  jellyseerr:
    image: fallenbagel/jellyseerr:2.5.0
    container_name: jellyseerr
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
    ports:
      - "5055:5055"
    volumes:
      - jellyseerr-config:/app/config
    networks:
      - arr-network
    restart: unless-stopped

networks:
  arr-network:
    external: true

volumes:
  jellyseerr-config:

This lets you reference Sonarr, Radarr, and Jellyfin by container name instead of IP address.

Custom CSS

Jellyseerr supports custom CSS for theming. Add custom styles under Settings → General → Custom CSS.

Reverse Proxy

Jellyseerr works behind a reverse proxy. Use the internal port 5055. Example Nginx Proxy Manager config:

Scheme: http
Forward Hostname/IP: jellyseerr (or your server IP)
Forward Port: 5055
WebSocket support: Enable (required for real-time updates)

For more reverse proxy options, see Reverse Proxy Setup.

Backup

Back up the config volume, which contains the SQLite database and all settings:

docker compose stop jellyseerr
tar -czf jellyseerr-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /var/lib/docker/volumes/jellyseerr-config/
docker compose start jellyseerr

For named volumes, use docker run --rm -v jellyseerr-config:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine tar -czf /backup/jellyseerr-backup.tar.gz /data.

See Backup Strategy for a complete approach.

Troubleshooting

Library not syncing

Symptom: Jellyseerr shows 0 items in your library after setup. Fix: Go to Settings → [Your media server] and click Sync Libraries. Ensure the correct libraries are checked. If using Jellyfin, verify the admin account has access to all libraries.

Requests not being sent to Sonarr/Radarr

Symptom: Requests show as “pending” but nothing appears in Sonarr/Radarr. Fix: Check the API key and URL under Settings → Services. Test the connection. If using Docker networking, ensure both containers are on the same network. Check Jellyseerr logs: docker logs jellyseerr.

”Unable to connect” errors

Symptom: Jellyseerr can’t reach your media server or *arr apps. Fix: If using container names, verify all services are on the same Docker network. If using IP addresses, use the host’s IP (not localhost or 127.0.0.1, which refer to the Jellyseerr container itself).

Users can’t see the request page

Symptom: Users see a blank page or permission denied. Fix: Check user permissions under Settings → Users. New users may need to be imported from your media server first. For Jellyfin, users must exist in Jellyfin before they can sign into Jellyseerr.

Resource Requirements

RAM: ~100-200 MB idle, ~300 MB under load (large library sync)
CPU: Low — minimal processing outside of library syncs
Disk: ~200 MB for application, database grows with request history

Verdict

Jellyseerr is the best media request management tool available. It provides a clean, user-friendly interface that makes sharing your media server with family and friends painless. The Sonarr/Radarr integration means requests automatically turn into downloads with zero manual intervention.

If you run Jellyfin, Jellyseerr is your only good option — Overseerr never supported Jellyfin and is now archived. For Plex users, Jellyseerr is also the right choice since it’s the actively maintained successor.

FAQ

Does Jellyseerr replace Overseerr?

Yes. Overseerr is archived and no longer maintained. Jellyseerr is the actively developed fork with the same features plus Jellyfin and Emby support.

Can I use Jellyseerr with Plex?

Yes. Jellyseerr supports Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby. You don’t need Jellyfin to use it.

Does Jellyseerr require Sonarr and Radarr?

Technically you can run it standalone as a media discovery/request tracker, but the main value is automated downloading through Sonarr (TV) and Radarr (movies). Without them, you’d have to manually fulfill requests.