Migrating to PrepArr

This guide covers migrating an existing manually configured Servarr instance to PrepArr management.

Prerequisites

• An existing Servarr instance (Sonarr, Radarr, etc.) running with PostgreSQL
• The API key for your existing instance (found in Settings > General or in config.xml)

If your instance currently uses SQLite, you’ll need to migrate to PostgreSQL first. See the Servarr Wiki for SQLite-to-PostgreSQL migration guides.

Step 1: Export Current Configuration

Use the Servarr API to export your current settings:

API_KEY="your-api-key"
BASE_URL="http://sonarr:8989"

# Export current configuration
curl -H "X-Api-Key: $API_KEY" "$BASE_URL/api/v3/qualityprofile" > profiles.json
curl -H "X-Api-Key: $API_KEY" "$BASE_URL/api/v3/rootfolder" > folders.json
curl -H "X-Api-Key: $API_KEY" "$BASE_URL/api/v3/downloadclient" > clients.json
curl -H "X-Api-Key: $API_KEY" "$BASE_URL/api/v3/indexer" > indexers.json

Step 2: Build Your PrepArr Config

Map the exported data to PrepArr’s JSON format:

{
  "apiKey": "your-existing-api-key",
  "rootFolders": [
    { "path": "/tv", "accessible": true }
  ],
  "qualityProfiles": [
    {
      "name": "HD - 1080p",
      "cutoff": 1080,
      "items": [...]
    }
  ],
  "downloadClients": [...]
}

Use the existing API key from your config.xml to avoid disrupting the running instance.

Step 3: Test with Sidecar Only

Before switching to the full init + sidecar pattern, test the sidecar alone against your running instance:

sonarr-sidecar:
  image: ghcr.io/robbeverhelst/preparr:latest
  environment:
    POSTGRES_HOST: postgres
    POSTGRES_PASSWORD: your-password
    SERVARR_URL: http://sonarr:8989
    SERVARR_TYPE: sonarr
    SERVARR_ADMIN_PASSWORD: your-password
    CONFIG_PATH: /config/sonarr-config.json
    CONFIG_WATCH: "true"
    LOG_LEVEL: debug
  volumes:
    - ./sonarr-config.json:/config/sonarr-config.json:ro

Run with LOG_LEVEL=debug to see exactly what the sidecar detects and changes. Verify it applies your configuration correctly without unwanted modifications.

Step 4: Switch to Full Pattern

Once the sidecar works correctly, add the init container to your setup. On the next fresh deployment, the init container will handle database setup and config.xml generation.

Step 5: Verify

# Check sidecar health
curl http://localhost:9001/health

# Check reconciliation status
curl http://localhost:9001/reconciliation/status

# Verify settings match
curl -H "X-Api-Key: your-key" http://sonarr:8989/api/v3/qualityprofile

Tips

• Start with a small config (just root folders and one quality profile) and expand gradually
• Use LOG_LEVEL=debug during migration to catch issues early
• Keep a backup of your original config.xml and database before migrating
• Test the full init + sidecar pattern on a fresh deployment in a staging environment first