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Apprise Notifications

Pulsarr integrates with Apprise to send notifications to 80+ services including Telegram, Slack, Discord, email, SMS gateways, and more through a unified interface.

Overview​

Apprise runs as a separate container that Pulsarr communicates with to dispatch notifications. When events occur, Pulsarr sends the notification payload to Apprise, which then routes it to your configured services.

Key characteristics:

  • Multi-platform delivery: Send to multiple services simultaneously
  • URL-based configuration: Simple protocol://credentials format for all services
  • No Apprise UI required: Pulsarr handles all configuration; the Apprise web UI is not needed

Setup​

Docker Compose​

Run Apprise alongside Pulsarr in a combined stack:

services:
  apprise:
    image: caronc/apprise:latest
    container_name: apprise
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    environment:
      - PUID=${PUID:-1000}
      - PGID=${PGID:-1000}
      - APPRISE_STATEFUL_MODE=simple
      - APPRISE_WORKER_COUNT=1
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
      - ./plugin:/plugin
      - ./attach:/attach
    restart: unless-stopped

  pulsarr:
    image: lakker/pulsarr:latest
    container_name: pulsarr
    ports:
      - "3003:3003"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
      - .env:/app/.env
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file:
      - .env
    depends_on:
      - apprise

Add to your .env file:

appriseUrl=http://apprise:8000
Running Separately

If Apprise runs on a different host, use the full URL: appriseUrl=http://192.168.1.100:8000

Verify Connection​

Once both services are running, Pulsarr automatically detects the Apprise service. Check the Notifications → Apprise page to confirm the connection status.

Configuration​

System Apprise URL​

Set a system-wide notification URL for admin alerts (delete sync results, safety triggers, etc.):

Notifications → Apprise → System Apprise URL

Enter one or more Apprise URLs, comma-separated:

tgram://bot_token/chat_id,pover://user_key@app_token

User Apprise URLs​

Users can configure their own Apprise URLs for personal notifications:

  • Discord bot: /notifications command → Edit Profile
  • Admin panel: Plex → Users → Edit user

Email Sender​

Admins can configure a global email sender so users only need to enter their email address instead of a full Apprise URL.

Setup (Notifications → Apprise):

Set the Email Sender field to your SMTP URL:

mailtos://your-email:app_password@gmail.com

Once configured, users can enter user@example.com anywhere an Apprise URL is accepted. Pulsarr automatically routes the notification through your configured sender.

For Gmail, you'll need an App Password (requires 2-Step Verification).

Common Apprise URLs​

ServiceURL Format
Telegramtgram://{bot_token}/{chat_id}
Slackslack://{tokenA}/{tokenB}/{tokenC}
Pushoverpover://{user_key}@{app_token}
Gotifygotifys://{hostname}/{token}
Emailmailtos://{user}:{app_password}@gmail.com

For the full list, see the Apprise Wiki.

Troubleshooting​

Apprise Not Detected​

  1. Verify both containers are running: docker compose ps
  2. Check the appriseUrl in your .env matches the container name or IP
  3. If using separate networks, ensure Pulsarr can reach Apprise on port 8000

Notifications Not Sending​

  1. Test your Apprise URL directly using the Test button in the UI
  2. Check Pulsarr logs for Apprise-related errors
  3. Verify the Apprise URL format matches the Apprise Wiki examples

Email Not Working​

  1. Confirm the Email Sender URL uses mailtos:// (with TLS) not mailto://
  2. For Gmail, ensure you're using an App Password, not your account password
  3. Check if your email provider blocks "less secure" SMTP access

Advanced Features​

For broadcasting content availability to shared channels independent of individual user watchlists, see Public Content Notifications.