Optional pre-import movie file rename via download client API using grabbed sourceTitle

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing open and closed issues

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe

There is a known edge case where Radarr grabs a release based on the indexer/source title, but the downloaded movie file inside the torrent has a different, stripped, or poorly named filename.

This can cause Custom Format scores to differ between grab/search and import. The release can be accepted and downloaded, but then remain stuck in Activity because the imported filename no longer contains the tags that were present in the grabbed sourceTitle.

Example:

Search/sourceTitle:
Movie.Title.2024.2160p.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.HEVC-GROUP

Downloaded file:
movie.mkv

Radarr may grab the release because the sourceTitle contains useful release information, but later evaluate the stripped downloaded filename during import.

This can lead to stuck Activity items such as:

• Not a Custom Format upgrade
• Unable to parse file
• Unknown Movie

I understand that Radarr intentionally re-evaluates the actual downloaded file at import time. The problem is that, in this case, the actual file name does not preserve the release information that Radarr already used when deciding to grab the release.

Describe the solution you'd like

I would like an optional advanced setting, disabled by default: Pre-import rename downloaded movie file using grabbed sourceTitle

For Radarr, the behavior could be: sourceTitle + original extension

Example:

Search/sourceTitle:
Movie.Title.2024.2160p.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.HEVC-GROUP

Downloaded file:
movie.mkv

Desired pre-import rename:
Movie.Title.2024.2160p.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.HEVC-GROUP.mkv

This should be done through the download client API, not through filesystem rename, to avoid breaking seeding. For example, qBittorrent supports renaming files inside a torrent via its API.

This would not change Radarr’s import decision logic. Radarr would still evaluate the actual downloaded filename; this option would simply make that filename reflect the sourceTitle that Radarr already selected at grab time.

The goal is not to bypass import validation, but to optionally normalize poor internal torrent filenames before Radarr evaluates them.

Because this relies on the sourceTitle provided by the indexer, this should remain an optional setting controlled by the user. It depends on how much trust the user places in their indexers. For public or low-trust sources, users may prefer to keep the current behavior. However, on private or semi-private indexers, it can be reasonable to trust the source title enough to use it as a basis for the pre-import filename normalization. This option could potentially even be configurable per indexer, allowing users to enable it only for sources they trust enough.

Describe alternatives you've considered

I considered a few alternatives:

1. Lowering or disabling Custom Format scores This avoids some stuck imports, but it also weakens the quality/profile logic. It does not solve the underlying mismatch between the grabbed release title and the downloaded filename.

2. Disabling Custom Format based upgrades/import decisions This can reduce the issue, but it removes useful behavior for users who rely heavily on Custom Formats.

3. Manually renaming files or manually importing This works case by case, but it is not practical for automation.

4. Using filesystem rename scripts This is risky for torrents because renaming files directly on disk can break seeding. A proper solution should use the download client API.

5. External workaround I created a small external proof-of-concept/workaround here: https://github.com/Jojont54/qBit-Rectificarr

It reads stuck queue items, uses the grabbed sourceTitle, and renames files through the qBittorrent API before import.

To be clear, I am not a developer. I made this tool in a quick-and-dirty way with help from AI, mainly to prove the workflow and solve the issue in my own setup. It works as an external workaround, but I think a native implementation designed and reviewed by actual Radarr developers would be much safer, cleaner, and more maintainable.

Anything else?

This is related to the general mismatch between the release title used during grab/search and the actual downloaded filename used during import.

Reference: https://github.com/Radarr/Radarr/issues/8135

I understand that Radarr intentionally evaluates the real downloaded file at import time, and this request is not asking Radarr to blindly trust the sourceTitle.

The proposal is only to optionally rename the downloaded movie file through the download client API before import, so that the filename Radarr evaluates contains the same useful release information that was already used when deciding to grab the release.

This could help users affected by releases where:

• sourceTitle is correct and trustable
• downloaded movie filename is stripped or generic
• Custom Format score changes between grab and import
• item gets stuck in Activity

For qBittorrent specifically, this can be done safely through its file rename API instead of renaming files directly on disk.