Connect a Server
After installing Tracearr, you’ll connect your first media server during the initial setup.
Initial Setup
When you first access Tracearr, you’ll be prompted to sign in or create an account.
Plex (Recommended)
- Click Sign in with Plex
- A popup opens — sign in with your Plex account
- Tracearr discovers your Plex servers automatically
- Select the server you want to monitor
- You’re done — Tracearr begins tracking sessions
Plex servers must be owned by (or shared with admin access to) the Plex account you sign in with.
Single Sign-On (OIDC)
If your Tracearr instance is configured with an OIDC identity provider (Authentik, Authelia, Keycloak, and similar), the login page shows an SSO button. Click it to sign in through your provider, then connect servers as described below. See OIDC Single Sign-On for the required environment variables.
Jellyfin
- Click Create Account and set up a local Tracearr account
- After account creation, go to Settings → Servers
- Click Add Server and select Jellyfin
- Enter your server details:
- Server URL — e.g.,
http://192.168.1.100:8096 - Server Name — A friendly name for the server
- API Key — From Jellyfin Dashboard → API Keys
- Server URL — e.g.,
- Click Connect
Emby
- Click Create Account and set up a local Tracearr account
- After account creation, go to Settings → Servers
- Click Add Server and select Emby
- Enter your server details:
- Server URL — e.g.,
http://192.168.1.100:8096 - Server Name — A friendly name for the server
- API Key — From Emby Server → API Keys
- Server URL — e.g.,
- Click Connect
Jellyfin and Emby sessions are detected by polling out of the box. For instant, push-based sessions like Plex, install the Tracearr SSE plugin.
Signing in to Tracearr with Jellyfin credentials was removed. You sign in with a local Tracearr account, Plex, or SSO; Jellyfin and Emby servers are still fully supported for monitoring via API key as described above. If your install only ever logged in with Jellyfin credentials, see Account Recovery to regain access.
Adding More Servers
You can monitor multiple servers from a single Tracearr instance. Go to Settings → Servers to add more.
Adding Plex Servers
Plex servers are tied to Plex accounts. To add servers from a different Plex account:
- Go to Settings → Servers
- Scroll to Linked Plex Accounts
- Click Link Account and sign in with the additional Plex account
- Return to Add Server → Plex and select from the newly linked account’s servers
Adding Jellyfin/Emby Servers
Click Add Server, select the server type, and enter the URL and API key. You’ll need administrator access to generate an API key.
Getting API Keys
Jellyfin
- Open Jellyfin and go to Dashboard → API Keys
- Click the + button to create a new key
- Give it a name (e.g., “Tracearr”)
- Copy the generated key
Emby
- Open Emby and go to Dashboard → API Keys
- Click New API Key
- Give it a name (e.g., “Tracearr”)
- Copy the generated key
Next Steps
Once connected, Tracearr will begin tracking sessions and collecting analytics. Check out the Configuration guide to customize alerts, sharing detection rules, and more.