Sonarr Nyaa Indexer -
Setting up as an indexer in is a bit unique because Sonarr doesn't support Nyaa natively. To bridge the gap, you need a "proxy" or "mediator" like 1. The Essential Tool: Prowlarr (Recommended) While Jackett is the classic choice,
is generally preferred today because it syncs automatically with Sonarr. Install Prowlarr : If you don't have it, install Prowlarr alongside your Sonarr instance. Open Prowlarr and go to Search for Select your desired categories (usually Anime - English-translated Sync to Sonarr In Prowlarr, go to and select Enter your Sonarr Server URL (found in Sonarr under Settings > General
. Nyaa will now automatically appear in Sonarr's Indexers list. 2. The Manual Way: Jackett If you prefer , follow these steps: Add Nyaa in Jackett + Add Indexer , search for Nyaa, and click the green plus icon. Copy API Details : On the Jackett dashboard, click Copy Torznab Feed for Nyaa and take note of your (top right of the page). Add to Sonarr Open Sonarr and go to and select : Paste the Torznab Feed URL you copied. : Paste your Jackett API Key. Categories : Standard anime categories are 3. Crucial Sonarr Settings for Anime
Sonarr treats Anime differently than standard TV. For Nyaa to work correctly: Series Type : When adding a show to Sonarr, ensure the Series Type
. If it's set to "Standard," Sonarr will look for "S01E01" formatting, while Nyaa often uses absolute numbering (e.g., "Episode 01"), causing searches to fail. Categories
: Ensure the category IDs in your Torznab settings match what Nyaa uses (typically 4. Optional: Use "Nyaa Pantsu" If the main site is down or blocked, both Prowlarr and Jackett support NyaaPantsu as an alternative indexer. The setup process is identical. or setting up Download Clients to work with these indexers?
For anime enthusiasts using Sonarr, the Nyaa indexer is the gold standard for tracking and downloading releases. While Sonarr is built for TV management, its integration with Nyaa—the web's largest public anime tracker—transforms it into a powerful automated anime library. Quick Verdict: Is it Worth It?
Yes. If you watch anime, Nyaa is essential. It provides the highest quality releases (BD remuxes, fan-subs, and multi-audio tracks) that standard TV indexers often miss. However, because Sonarr does not support Nyaa "out of the box" perfectly, you generally need a proxy like Prowlarr or Jackett to bridge the two. Key Strengths
The Best Content: Access to nearly every anime release, from seasonal airings to obscure classics.
High Quality: Nyaa is the primary home for top-tier groups like Erai-raws and SubsPlease.
Zero Cost: Unlike Usenet indexers which require subscriptions, Nyaa is a free public tracker.
Automation: When set up correctly, Sonarr can automatically grab new episodes within minutes of them being uploaded to Nyaa. Common Hurdles & Solutions
Setting up Nyaa isn't always "plug and play." Here are the critical things to know:
Use an Indexer Manager: Don't try to add Nyaa directly as a "built-in" indexer in older versions. Use Prowlarr (highly recommended) or Jackett to sync Nyaa to Sonarr via the Torznab protocol.
Series Type is Critical: You must set your series type to "Anime" in Sonarr's series settings. If set to "Standard," Sonarr searches for S01E01 (Season/Episode), which many Nyaa uploads don't use, resulting in zero search results.
Category Mapping: Ensure your Torznab settings include the correct Nyaa categories (usually 5070 for Anime). Without this, Sonarr won't "see" the files even if they are there. Expert Recommendations
Rajwadkar07/jackett: API Support for your favorite ... - GitHub
Jackett works as a proxy server: it translates queries from apps (Sonarr, Radarr, SickRage, CouchPotato, Mylar3, Lidarr, DuckieTV,
Since "Nyaa" is a public tracker specializing in anime, and Sonarr is primarily designed for TV shows, there are some specific configuration requirements to make them work together correctly.
Here is a comprehensive guide on setting up the Nyaa indexer in Sonarr.
Method B: Via Prowlarr (Recommended for Power Users)
- In Prowlarr, go to Indexers → Add New → Search
Nyaa. - Check Sync Profile to automatically push to Sonarr.
- Configure categories as above.
- In Sonarr, the Nyaa indexer will appear automatically without manual entry.
Method A: Direct Addition (Native)
- Open Sonarr → Settings → Indexers.
- Click the + (Add Indexer) button.
- In the search box, type
Nyaa. Select the entry labelled Nyaa (the Torznab feed). - Configure the following fields:
- Name:
Nyaa.si(or any custom label). - Enable RSS: ✅ (Always check this – it auto-grabs new episodes).
- Enable Automatic Search: ✅ (Allows manual searches for backlog).
- Enable Interactive Search: ✅ (Lets you browse releases manually).
- URL:
https://nyaa.si(Do not use.comor.net– only.siworks reliably). - API Path: Leave blank (Sonarr v4 handles this).
- Categories: This is critical. Hold
Ctrlto select multiple:- For Anime:
5070(Anime),5071(Anime Non-English),5072(Anime Raw) - For Live Action:
5030(TV) – Nyaa also hosts J-Dramas and K-Dramas.
- For Anime:
- Minimum Seeders: Set to
5(Prevents dead downloads. For rare anime, you may lower to1or2).
- Name:
- Click Test – You should see "Success: Query successful."
- Click Save.
Issue 2: Downloading Wrong Subtitles (e.g., Spanish, Italian)
Cause: Nyaa category 1_3 (Non-English) is enabled.
Fix:
- Edit your Nyaa indexer. Under Categories, deselect
5071(Non-English). Only leave5070(English-translated). - Add a "Must Not Contain" in Release Profile:
[Spanish],German,Italian.
Conclusion
The combination of Sonarr and Nyaa Indexer offers a robust solution for managing and downloading TV shows and anime. By providing an automated, customizable, and comprehensive platform, users can enhance their media collection experience. Whether you are a casual viewer or a keen collector, integrating these tools can significantly streamline your media management process. As with any technology, staying informed about the latest updates and best practices will ensure you get the most out of your media management setup.
To integrate Nyaa into Sonarr, you must use a proxy like Prowlarr or Jackett. Sonarr does not support Nyaa as a native "built-in" indexer because Nyaa's search functionality requires specific translation that these external tools provide. Step 1: Set up a Proxy (Recommended: Prowlarr)
Prowlarr is the modern standard for syncing indexers to Sonarr. Install Prowlarr and go to Indexers > Add New (+). Search for Nyaa.si and click it.
Configure: Most settings can stay default for public trackers. Ensure the Anime category (usually 5070) is selected.
Save: Prowlarr will automatically "push" this indexer to Sonarr if you have linked them under Settings > Apps. Step 2: Alternative Setup (Jackett) If you prefer Jackett, follow these steps:
Add Indexer: In Jackett, click + Add Indexer and search for Nyaa. Copy Torznab Feed: Once added, click Copy Torznab Feed. Add to Sonarr: In Sonarr, go to Settings > Indexers > Add (+). Choose Torznab (Custom). Paste the Jackett URL and your Jackett API key. Step 3: Configure for Anime To ensure Sonarr actually uses Nyaa for your shows:
Series Type: When adding a show to Sonarr, set the Series Type to Anime. This tells Sonarr to look for absolute episode numbering (e.g., Episode 500) rather than standard S01E01 formatting. sonarr nyaa indexer
Categories: Ensure the Indexer settings in Sonarr include category 5070 (Anime) so the search queries hit the right section of Nyaa.
GitHub - Sonarr/Sonarr: Smart PVR for newsgroup and bittorrent users.
Here’s a concise piece on using Nyaa as an indexer in Sonarr:
Sonarr & Nyaa: Setting Up the Anime Indexer
Sonarr is a powerful PVR tool for managing TV shows, but its default indexers focus on Western content. For anime fans, Nyaa (nyaa.si) is the go-to torrent indexer, specializing in fansubbed and raw anime releases.
To add Nyaa to Sonarr:
- Go to Settings > Indexers
- Click the + (Add New)
- Search for and select Nyaa
- Enter a name (e.g., "Nyaa.si")
- Optionally add categories (anime-standard: 5070 for non-hentai)
- Test then Save
Why it works: Sonarr sends season/episode info to Nyaa, which returns relevant anime torrents. Combined with a torrent client like qBittorrent or Transmission, downloads automate seamlessly.
Important note: Nyaa is a torrent indexer, so you also need a torrent download client configured in Sonarr (under Download Clients), plus a VPN or seedbox if privacy is a concern.
Potential issues:
- Nyaa occasionally changes domains (currently stable at nyaa.si)
- Some older or niche series may not parse correctly due to inconsistent naming
- For absolute episode numbering (common in anime), adjust your series type in Sonarr
Alternatives: SubsPlease (via RSS) or ABEMA if you need more structured releases, but for breadth and speed, Nyaa remains unmatched for anime in Sonarr.
Sonarr is a powerful tool for automating TV show management, but for anime fans, it requires a specific setup to work correctly. Because most anime is distributed via BitTorrent on specialized trackers, integrating Nyaa (the world’s most popular public anime tracker) is essential.
This guide covers everything you need to know about setting up a Sonarr Nyaa indexer to automate your anime library in high quality. Understanding the Role of an Indexer
In the world of automated media, Sonarr acts as the "brain." It knows which episodes you are missing, but it doesn't know where to find the files. An indexer acts as the bridge. It allows Sonarr to "search" websites like Nyaa to find the specific video files you want. Why Nyaa Requires a Proxy
Sonarr cannot talk to Nyaa directly "out of the box" because Nyaa does not use a standard API format that Sonarr understands. To fix this, you must use a proxy or a manager. 1. Prowlarr (Recommended)
Prowlarr is a modern indexer manager. It syncs with Sonarr and handles the connection to Nyaa automatically. Ease of use: High. Speed: Very fast.
Best for: Users running multiple "Arr" apps (Radarr, Lidarr). 2. Jackett
Jackett is the classic choice. It translates Nyaa’s website data into a format Sonarr can read. Ease of use: Medium. Stability: Very high. Best for: Users who prefer a standalone integration. Step-by-Step Setup Guide Step 1: Install Your Proxy Download and install either Prowlarr or Jackett. In Prowlarr: Click "Add Indexer" and search for "Nyaa."
In Jackett: Click "Add Indexer," find Nyaa, and click the "+" icon. Step 2: Copy the API Details
You will need two pieces of information from your proxy app: API Key: Found in the "Settings" or "General" tab.
URL: Usually http://localhost:9696 (Prowlarr) or http://localhost:9117 (Jackett). Step 3: Add to Sonarr Open Sonarr. Go to Settings > Indexers. Click the + button. Select Torznab (this is the format Nyaa uses via a proxy). Paste your URL and API Key. Under Categories, add 5070 (Anime). Click Test and Save. Essential Settings for Anime
If you don't configure your series correctly, Sonarr might fail to find Nyaa uploads even if the indexer is working.
Series Type: When adding a show, change "Series Type" from Standard to Anime. This tells Sonarr to look for absolute episode numbers (e.g., Episode 500) rather than Season/Episode numbers (e.g., S05E12).
Release Profiles: Nyaa has many uploaders. You can go to Settings > Profiles > Release Profiles to prioritize "Must Contain" terms like "Subs" or "Dual-Audio," or specific groups like "SubsPlease" or "Erai-raws." Troubleshooting Common Issues
No Results Found: Ensure the "Series Type" is set to Anime. If it's set to Standard, Sonarr will search for Season 1, which Nyaa uploaders rarely use.
Connection Refused: Check if your VPN is blocking local communication between Sonarr and Jackett/Prowlarr.
Cloudflare Errors: Nyaa sometimes uses DDoS protection. If you see "403 Forbidden" errors, ensure your proxy software is updated to the latest version to bypass these checks.
What operating system are you using (Windows, Linux, Docker)? Setting up as an indexer in is a
Do you prefer dual-audio (English/Japanese) or subtitles only? Are you currently using Jackett or Prowlarr?
I can provide the exact Release Profile tags you need to ensure you only get the highest quality releases.
The hum of the server was the only constant in Leo’s cramped apartment. It sat in the corner like a digital hearth, running Plex, Sabnzbd, and—most importantly—Sonarr. For two years, Sonarr had been his loyal lieutenant, automatically snatching episodes of Jeopardy! for his mom and obscure British panel shows for himself. But the old public indexers were getting skittish, taking down magnet links faster than he could refresh.
That’s when Leo discovered Nyaa.
He’d always dismissed Nyaa as “the anime place,” a chaotic bazaar of raw encodes and fansub groups with names like “Judas” and “AnimeTime.” But then he saw the other category: “Live Action.” Buried under mountains of seasonal waifus were Japanese dramas, J-dramas, and—his holy grail—the complete, untouched Blu-ray remuxes of the Midnight Diner series.
The problem? Sonarr didn’t speak fluent Nyaa.
The built-in Nyaa definition in Sonarr was basic. It treated Nyaa like any other Newznab indexer, and Nyaa was anything but standard. Search queries failed. Category mappings were wrong. Leo would manually find a perfect 4K release on Nyaa’s website, copy the torrent hash, and feel like a caveman dragging a file into his client.
“No more,” he whispered at 2:00 AM, three energy drinks deep.
He opened the Sonarr settings. Indexers. Add Custom. His fingers flew. The URL: https://nyaa.si. API path: ?page=rss&q=SearchTerm. Categories: he mapped 5070 to “TV” and 5072 to “TV/HD.” He added the critical parameter: &filter=2—trusted releases only. No low-seed garbage. No passworded ZIPs.
He saved it. Held his breath.
In Sonarr, he clicked Search for a missing episode of Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories. The log window flickered.
22:01:15 Info | Nyaa: Searching for 'Midnight Diner Tokyo Stories S02E03'
22:01:17 Info | Nyaa: Found 1 release. 'Midnight Diner - S02E03 - 1080p [Erai-raws]' (Seeds: 142)
22:01:17 Info | DownloadClient: Sending 'Midnight Diner - S02E03' to qBittorrent.
Leo punched the air. It worked. It worked.
For two glorious weeks, Sonarr and Nyaa danced. Every morning, Leo woke up to a fresh folder of content, renamed, sorted, and ready for Plex. He added rules: Must contain "1080p", Minimum seeds: 20, Preferred words: "Dual-Audio". He was a king on a throne of automation.
Then came the Evening of the Orphaned Episodes.
A new season of a niche Taiwanese period drama dropped—The Ghost Bride. It wasn’t on any Western indexer. But Nyaa had it, posted by a fansub group called “HentaiSubsAreSeriousBusiness.” Leo’s Sonarr rule was set to reject anything with “Hentai” in the name. He watched, paralyzed, as Sonarr ignored the only seedable release.
He tweaked the rule: Ignore words: "Hentai" EXCEPT when also containing "Ghost Bride". Not elegant, but functional.
Then the real chaos began.
One of Nyaa’s mirrors, nyaa.land, went down. Sonarr threw red errors: Unable to connect to Nyaa: The SSL connection could not be established. Leo scrambled, switching to nyaa.si in the URL. Then that one started rate-limiting his API calls because Sonarr, in its enthusiasm, was pinging every five minutes.
He learned to add a delay profile: Minimum interval: 15 minutes. He added a second backup indexer—a little-known Nyaa clone called Sukebei for the truly weird stuff.
Late one night, his phone buzzed. A Radarr notification? No, he didn't have Radarr for movies. He opened Sonarr.
It had done something incredible—and terrifying.
Sonarr had interpreted a badly named release of Midnight Diner: The Movie as Midnight Diner Season 4, Episode 0. It automatically downloaded, imported, and renamed a 12GB movie as a "special episode." Then, because the release included an .ass subtitle file for a completely different show, Sonarr decided that file belonged to Jeopardy! Season 41, Episode 102.
Leo stared at his Plex library. Jeopardy! now had a Thai subtitle track. Midnight Diner had a movie pretending to be an episode. And somewhere in his download history, a fansubber named Yasuko_san was laughing.
He didn't delete the mess. Instead, he opened a third monitor, pulled up the Sonarr source code on GitHub, and started writing a custom release profile regex to never match a movie as a season episode.
His girlfriend, Maya, padded into the room in her pajamas. “The server’s whining again.”
“It’s not whining,” Leo said, not looking away. “It’s learning.” In Prowlarr, go to Indexers → Add New → Search Nyaa
She glanced at the screen—a wall of green text, Nyaa logs, and a slowly populating queue of the most obscure television on Earth. “Did it get the new Taskmaster yet?”
Leo smiled. “It grabbed it four hours ago. While we were sleeping.”
Maya kissed the top of his head. “Good boy.” She pointed at the server rack. “Not you. The other good boy.”
The fan hummed. The logs scrolled. And somewhere in the digital dark, Sonarr quietly pinged Nyaa one more time—for no reason except that it could.
To get Nyaa (specifically Nyaa.si) working properly with Sonarr, the "proper story" is that Sonarr's built-in Nyaa indexer is often considered legacy or broken because it was designed for the original (now defunct) Nyaa site. The Best Way: Use Prowlarr or Jackett
The modern standard is to use a proxy like Prowlarr or Jackett. These tools provide a Torznab feed that Sonarr can parse more reliably.
Install Prowlarr or Jackett: Add Nyaa.si as an indexer within that app. Add to Sonarr: In Sonarr, go to Settings > Indexers > Add (+). Select Torznab (Custom). Copy the URL and API Key from Prowlarr/Jackett.
Categories: For anime, use categories like 5070 (Anime). In Jackett, you often need to manually specify these numbers. Critical Configuration Fixes
If you are already using Nyaa but it isn't finding anything or is failing, check these common pitfalls:
Series Type: You must set the "Series Type" to Anime for each show in Sonarr. If it's set to "Standard," Sonarr will look for S01E01 formatting, whereas anime on Nyaa often uses "Absolute" numbering (e.g., Episode 01), which causes a mismatch.
Additional Parameters: If using the built-in indexer, some users fix failures by adding &c=1_2&f=1 to the Additional Parameters field in settings to force the correct category filters.
Categories in Prowlarr/Jackett: Ensure you have selected the correct categories for Nyaa (usually Anime - English-translated) so Sonarr knows which results to request.
Incorrect language profile downloaded from nyaa · Issue #5411
For anime fans, setting up the Nyaa indexer is the "holy grail" of automation, as Nyaa is the primary source for almost all anime content. To get this working flawlessly in Sonarr, follow this complete setup story. 1. The Direct Approach (Fastest)
Sonarr has built-in support for Nyaa, meaning you can often add it without extra software.
Step: Go to Settings > Indexers and click the + (plus) button. Selection: Choose Nyaa.si from the list. Configuration:
Set the Categories to include Anime - English-translated (usually code 1_2).
Crucial: Ensure Advanced Settings (bottom left toggle) is ON. If Nyaa doesn't return results, try changing the series type from Anime to Standard or vice versa in the specific series' settings, as some releases follow different naming conventions. 2. The Power-User Approach (Prowlarr/Jackett)
If the direct connection fails or you want better filtering, use a proxy like Prowlarr or Jackett. This is recommended because Nyaa's API can occasionally be temperamental with direct Sonarr requests.
To automate your anime library, setting up Nyaa as a Sonarr indexer is the most effective way to ensure you never miss a new release. Nyaa.si is the primary source for the vast majority of anime torrents, but because it does not natively support the standard APIs used by media managers, you often need an intermediary like Prowlarr or Jackett to bridge the gap. Why You Need a Nyaa Indexer in Sonarr
Sonarr is a PVR (Personal Video Recorder) that automatically monitors trackers for new episodes of your favorite shows. While Sonarr has a native Nyaa implementation, it often faces compatibility issues with modern search parameters or IP bans due to high request frequency. Using a proxy manager provides:
Stability: Handles API translation and prevents common "400 Bad Request" errors.
Optimization: Allows for "Raw Search" and custom tagging so only anime-related queries hit Nyaa.
Reliability: Proxies can manage the search frequency to avoid temporary IP bans from Nyaa's servers. Step-by-Step Setup: The Recommended Way (Prowlarr)
Prowlarr is currently the gold standard for managing indexers because it automatically syncs with Sonarr and other "Arr" apps. Sonarr System | Servarr Wiki
Tips and Variations
- For private Nyaa indexers, make sure to enter the correct API key and URL.
- You can also use other Nyaa indexer variants, such as NyaaPantsu or NyaaX.
- Experiment with different quality settings and categories to optimize your search results.
Part 4: The Secret Sauce – Anime Release Profiles in Sonarr
Adding Nyaa is easy. Getting good downloads is hard. By default, Sonarr will take the first result. For anime, the first result is often a low-bitrate .mp4 with hardcoded subtitles. You need Release Profiles.