AutoAddTorrent Guide: Setup, Tips, and Best PracticesAutoAddTorrent is a productivity-focused tool for automating torrent additions to your client. Whether you run a home server, seedbox, or personal computer for downloads, AutoAddTorrent can watch folders, RSS feeds, or webhooks and add matching torrents automatically. This guide walks through setup, configuration, common pitfalls, and best practices to keep your automated torrenting reliable, secure, and respectful of bandwidth and legal constraints.
What AutoAddTorrent does (short overview)
AutoAddTorrent monitors sources (folders, RSS, webhooks, or APIs), filters incoming torrent files or magnet links by rules you define, and automatically adds matched items to your torrent client (qBittorrent, Transmission, rTorrent, Deluge, etc.). Typical uses:
- Automatically add new releases from an RSS feed.
- Watch a download folder where other apps drop .torrent files.
- Auto-manage categories, labels, download locations, and seeding rules.
Setup
Requirements
- A torrent client that supports remote control (Web UI, RPC, or API). Common examples: qBittorrent, Transmission, Deluge, rTorrent/ruTorrent.
- A system to run AutoAddTorrent: Linux server, Windows PC, home NAS (Synology, QNAP), or a Docker host.
- Network access between AutoAddTorrent and the torrent client (or local socket for some clients).
- Basic familiarity with the torrent client’s Web UI/API settings.
Installation options
- Docker (recommended for portability and isolation).
- Native package or binary for your OS.
- Python script/virtual environment (if AutoAddTorrent is implemented in Python).
Example Docker run (adjust volumes, ports, env vars for your environment):
docker run -d --name autoaddtorrent -v /path/to/config:/config -v /path/to/watch:/watch -e TZ="America/New_York" -p 8080:8080 yourrepo/autoaddtorrent:latest Connecting to your torrent client
- Enable the client’s Web UI or RPC and set a username/password.
- Note the host, port, and API endpoint (e.g., qBittorrent default: http://localhost:8080).
- In AutoAddTorrent’s configuration, enter the client type and credentials and test the connection.
Configuration and Rules
Watch sources
- Folder watch: specify one or more directories to monitor for .torrent files or text files containing magnet links.
- RSS feeds: add feed URLs, set update intervals, and supply authentication if the feed is private.
- Webhooks/APIs: accept push notifications from other services (e.g., indexers or automation tools).
Rule matching
Rules typically include:
- Keywords and regular expressions to include or exclude titles.
- Minimum/maximum size filters.
- Episode/season matching for TV shows (use series renaming or Sonarr/Radarr integration).
- Release group, quality (720p/1080p/2160p), or codec filters.
Use regex for precise matches; examples:
- Match 1080p: (?i)1080p
- Exclude sample files: (?i)(?!.*sample)
Actions on match
- Add to client with specified category/label.
- Set download location or move completed files to a different path.
- Adjust priority, upload ratio, or seeding time.
- Send notifications (email, Discord, Telegram).
- Trigger external scripts (post-processing, metadata tagging).
Integration with Other Tools
- Sonarr / Radarr / Lidarr: Use for series/movie automatic downloads. Prefer letting Sonarr/Radarr handle renaming and moving post-download; configure AutoAddTorrent to add raw torrents and set category for those tools to pick up.
- Jackett: Provide private and public indexers via RSS; AutoAddTorrent can monitor Jackett-generated feeds.
- File managers and movers (rclone, rsync): Move finished downloads to cloud storage or remote hosts.
Best Practices
- Use categories/labels: Keep automated torrents separated from manual ones (e.g., category “auto”).
- Limit concurrency and speed: Prevent AutoAddTorrent from saturating your connection by setting per-category bandwidth and max active downloads.
- Test with a small, benign feed: Validate rules on known sample torrents before enabling broad feeds.
- Keep watch directories clean: Use temporary folders for incomplete .torrent drops to avoid duplicate adds.
- Use authentication and TLS: Protect web UI endpoints with strong passwords and HTTPS where possible.
- Backup configuration: Save your AutoAddTorrent rules and client settings so you can restore quickly.
- Respect indexer/API rate limits: Polling too frequently can get you blocked; use reasonable intervals.
Security and Privacy Considerations
- Only add torrents from trusted feeds or indexers to reduce malware risk.
- If running on a public-facing host, place the Web UI behind a VPN or reverse proxy with access controls.
- Consider running the torrent client in a chroot/container and use separate user permissions for download directories.
- For privacy, route torrent traffic through a VPN or seedbox if you need anonymity — but be aware of provider logs and legal issues.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Duplicate adds: Ensure files are removed from watch folders immediately after adding, or enable “move on add” options.
- Connection failures to client: Verify credentials, host/port, and that the client’s Web UI is enabled. Check firewall rules.
- Mis-matches from RSS: Refine regex rules and test them against sample titles; enable logging for matched/unmatched entries.
- Post-processing not triggering: Confirm path mappings between AutoAddTorrent and client (especially with Docker) and ensure events are enabled.
Example Rule Set (Practical)
- TV shows: Include regex for show name, season/episode pattern, require “WEB-DL|BluRay|HDRip”, exclude “CAM|TS|SCR”
- Movies: Include year pattern (e.g., 2025) and quality 2160p|1080p, exclude “workprint|promo”
- Linux ISOs: Match distribution names and size > 1.5GB
Maintenance Tips
- Update AutoAddTorrent and your torrent client periodically for security patches and new features.
- Rotate API keys or passwords if a credential may have been exposed.
- Monitor disk space to avoid failed downloads and corrupted files.
- Prune old rules and feeds to keep matching fast and relevant.
Conclusion
AutoAddTorrent can dramatically reduce manual steps in torrent downloading when configured correctly. Focus on precise rules, secure client connections, and thoughtful integration with automation tools like Sonarr/Radarr. Start small, test thoroughly, and expand rule coverage as you gain confidence.
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