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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions and answers about Cleanuparr.

❓Why is it called Cleanuparr and not X or Y?

General

The name Cleanuparr reflects its purpose: to clean up your *arr applications. The arr suffix is a nod to the Servarr ecosystem that it supports. Other names were already taken or I just didn't like them.

❓Can I use Cleanuparr with private torrents/trackers?

General

Yes, Cleanuparr works with private torrents and trackers just like public ones. Depending on the availability, some private trackers can also have slow or stalled torrents.

Configurations such as never removing private torrents are available, but a direct connection to your download client is required for that, otherwise it can't know which ones are private.

However, you should still be cautious with aggressive strike rules and make sure your configuration is appropriate for your use case.

⚠️Important

Always test your configuration in dry run mode first, especially when setting up strike rules or malware blocking patterns.

❓Is Usenet supported? Will it be supported in the future?

General

Failed imports are handled regardless of the download client, so Usenet users can benefit from using it.

But on a broader spectrum, Cleanuparr will not be adding native Usenet support, mainly because:

  • I am not using Usenet myself, so I can't properly test or maintain it.
  • People asking for Usenet support offered no help with development or testing, as seen here and here.

❓Will debrid services be officially supported?

General

Probably not.

❓Will X flavor of Linux or the Y flavor of Docker be supported?

General

No. Executables and Docker containers for every major platform are already provided, which should work on any modern Linux distribution or Docker environment.

❓Does it have an Unraid template?

General

❓What does Cleanuparr do differently compared to X or Y similar tool?

General

You be the judge.

There's a list of features that you can compare against other tools, configuration docs to explore the available customizations, or just install it and try it out.

❓The same release keeps comming back even after Cleanuparr blocked it. Why?

Features

Read the Prerequisites!

❓What is the strike system and how does it work?

Features

The strike system prevents false positives by requiring multiple violations before taking action:

  1. Detection: Cleanuparr detects a problem (stalled, slow, failed import)
  2. Strike Issued: The download receives a strike (logged and tracked)
  3. Accumulation: Each time the job runs and the problem persists, another strike is added
  4. Action: When strikes reach the configured maximum (default: 3), the download is removed and blocked

Why it matters: A temporarily slow download due to network issues won't be removed immediately. Only consistently problematic downloads are removed.

Configuration: You can adjust the maximum strikes per rule type in the Queue Cleaner settings.

❓What is dry run mode and should I use it?

Features

Dry run mode simulates what Cleanuparr would do without actually doing it:

  • Downloads are NOT removed
  • Strikes are NOT issued
  • Searches are NOT triggered
  • Actions are logged as [DRY RUN]

When to use it:

  • Testing new configuration
  • Validating strike rules
  • Checking what would be affected by changes
  • Learning how Cleanuparr works
  • Before going live with aggressive rules

How to enable: Go to Settings → General → Enable Dry Run

💡Note

Always test configuration changes in dry run mode first, especially for critical production systems.