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Multi-Instance Support

Pulsarr provides comprehensive multi-instance support, allowing you to distribute and synchronize content across multiple Sonarr and Radarr instances with intelligent routing and automated synchronization.

Core Features​

Instance Synchronization: Automatically sync content between instances using configurable sync relationships and default instance behavior.

Content Distribution: Send the same content to multiple instances simultaneously with different configurations (quality profiles, root folders, etc.).

Sync Operations: Manual and automated synchronization that respects content router rules and suppresses duplicate notifications.

Instance Configuration​

Default Instance Behavior​

Each instance type (Sonarr/Radarr) can have one designated default instance:

  • Routing Target: Content can route to the default instance through routing rules or as a fallback
  • Automatic Sync: When content hits the default instance, it automatically syncs to all configured secondary instances
  • Sync Authority: Only the default instance can sync content to other instances

Synced Instances Configuration​

Only the default instance contains a syncedInstances array that defines its sync targets:

{
  "syncedInstances": [2, 3, 5]
}

This means when content is added to the default instance, it will automatically sync to instances 2, 3, and 5 using their respective configurations.

Instance Sync Architecture​

Default Instance → Syncs to: [Instance 2, Instance 3, Instance 5]
Instance 2 → Cannot sync (not default)
Instance 3 → Cannot sync (not default) 
Instance 5 → Cannot sync (not default)

Non-default instances cannot sync content to other instances - they can only receive synced content from the default instance.

Content Distribution Scenarios​

Quality Tier Distribution​

Use Case: Maintain the same content across different quality tiers.

Setup:

  • Default Instance: Standard quality profiles
  • Sync Target 1: High-quality 4K profiles
  • Sync Target 2: Archive/lower quality profiles

Result: All content appears in three instances with appropriate quality settings for each tier.

Geographic Distribution​

Use Case: Distribute content across different servers or locations.

Setup:

  • Default Instance: Primary server
  • Sync Target 1: Backup server
  • Sync Target 2: Remote location server

Result: Content redundancy across multiple locations with automatic synchronization.

User-Specific Libraries​

Use Case: Maintain separate libraries for different user groups while sharing popular content.

Setup:

  • Default Instance: General content library
  • Sync Target 1: Kids/family content library
  • Sync Target 2: Adult content library

Result: Popular content appears in all libraries, while specific content routes to appropriate libraries.

Sync Operations​

Automatic Synchronization​

Default Instance Sync: When content is added to the default instance, it automatically syncs to all configured secondary instances using their specific settings.

Router-Aware Sync: Sync operations use the content router to determine appropriate target instances rather than blind copying.

Notification Suppression: Duplicate notifications are automatically suppressed during sync operations to prevent notification spam.

Manual Synchronization​

Manual sync operations are available for:

  • Specific Instance Sync: Sync content from one instance to its configured targets
  • Full Library Sync: Sync all instances to ensure consistency
  • Progress Tracking: Real-time progress monitoring during sync operations

Sync Process Flow​

  1. Source Detection: Identify content in source instance
  2. Router Evaluation: Use content router rules to determine target instances
  3. Target Configuration: Apply target instance's quality profiles, root folders, and tags
  4. Status Tracking: Update sync status to prevent duplicate notifications
  5. Batch Processing: Process multiple items efficiently
  6. Completion Verification: Ensure sync completed successfully

Integration with Content Router​

Multi-instance support works seamlessly with content routing:

Rule-Based Distribution: Content router rules can send content to multiple instances simultaneously based on different criteria.

Priority Handling: When multiple rules target the same instance, the highest priority rule determines the instance configuration (quality profile, root folder, etc.).

Sync Compliance: Manual sync operations respect content router rules instead of performing blind content copying.

Notification Management​

Sync Detection: The system automatically detects when content is being synced between instances.

Notification Suppression: Duplicate notifications are suppressed during sync operations to prevent spam.

Status Tracking: Per-instance status tracking ensures users only receive notifications when content is genuinely available.

Webhook Processing: Intelligent webhook processing distinguishes between new content and synced content.

Best Practices​

Configuration​

  • Designate one instance per type as the default for predictable routing behavior
  • Configure sync relationships based on your content distribution strategy
  • Use different quality profiles and root folders for each target instance

Performance​

  • Monitor sync operations during initial setup to ensure proper performance
  • Consider batch processing for large library synchronizations
  • Use appropriate polling intervals for large instance configurations

Content Management​

  • Leverage content router rules for automated distribution
  • Use sync operations for manual library maintenance
  • Regularly verify sync status across instances

Example Configurations​

Simple Quality Tiers​

Default Sonarr (HD) → Sync to:
├── 4K Sonarr (Ultra HD profiles)
└── Archive Sonarr (Compressed profiles)

Multi-Target Distribution​

Default Sonarr → Syncs to:
├── Family Sonarr
├── Archive Sonarr  
├── Kids Sonarr
└── Backup Sonarr

This powerful multi-instance architecture enables sophisticated content distribution strategies while maintaining automated synchronization and intelligent notification handling.