Usenet Onboarding (Providers → Indexers → Automation)

A pragmatic walkthrough for new users: pick a provider, wire an indexer, point Prowlarr/Sonarr/Radarr to SABnzbd, and verify downloads end up in the right folders.

1) Pick a provider (and why it matters)

Look for: high retention (4000–5000+ days), good completion, SSL (563/443), and connection limits that match your automation.
Common choices: Newshosting, Eweka, UsenetExpress, Frugal. Consider a backup block account if you hit takedowns.
Enter provider creds in SABnzbd (Servers) and enable SSL.

2) Pick an indexer

Indexers observe binary groups and publish NZBs. They are separate from providers.
Examples: NZBGeek (paid/public), DogNZB/DrunkenSlug (invite). Import into Prowlarr so all Arr apps share one place for indexers.
In Prowlarr: add the indexer → set API key → Sync to Sonarr/Radarr/Whisparr/Lidarr with “Sync Level: Full Sync”.

3) Configure the download client

Use SABnzbd (default in this stack). Set host/port/API key in Prowlarr and Arr apps.
Paths: set SAB “Completed Download Folder” to /downloads/sabnzbd/complete (maps to host downloads path).
Enable SSL and set connection count to your provider’s allowed max.

4) Wire the Arr apps

In each Arr app, add your media root: Movies → /movies, TV → /tv, Music → /music, Comics → /comics (adjust to your host mapping).
Quality/Profiles: pick TRaSH guides or your own; keep them consistent across Arr apps for fewer mismatches. See TRaSH Guides alignment.
Connect Download Client: SABnzbd via API key.
Connect Indexer: use Prowlarr “Sync App” to push configs automatically.

5) Verify end-to-end

In Sonarr/Radarr, search for a test item → should show releases.
Grab → Prowlarr hands NZB to SAB → SAB downloads to /downloads → Arr imports to /tv or /movies.
Check logs if it stalls: SAB history, Arr “Activity” for import failures, Prowlarr API errors.

6) Folder mappings (this stack)

Host downloads: ${DOWNLOADS_ROOT} (example: /var/mnt/fast8tb/Local/downloads).
Media roots: ${MEDIA_ROOT}/movies, ${MEDIA_ROOT}/tv (example: /var/mnt/fast8tb/Local/media/<movies|tv>).
Books: ${BOOKS_ROOT} (comics/ebooks/audiobooks).
Containers see these as /downloads, /movies, /tv, /books, /comics via compose volume mappings.

7) Security & hygiene

Always use SSL NNTP ports (563/443). Do not share provider or indexer keys.
Respect indexer API limits; keep Prowlarr as the single sync point to avoid duplicating hits.
Back up configs: Arr apps, Prowlarr, SABnzbd configs live under your *Config directories on the OneDrive-backed disk.

8) Troubleshooting quick hits

“No releases”: indexer key wrong, VIP tier required, or categories not mapped → re-check Prowlarr → Apps mappings.
“Import failed”: path mismatch between SAB and Arr; verify container paths align (/downloads ↔ host downloads path).
“Slow/failed downloads”: switch to alternate provider or add block account; verify SSL and connections.

9) Learn more