arr-mcp

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Pause, resume or throttle a download client

pause_downloads

Pause, resume, or limit one download client (SABnzbd, NZBGet, Transmission, qBittorrent) or pause a single queue item. Use speed caps to slow downloads instead of stopping them.

Instructions

Pauses, resumes or throttles one download client — SABnzbd, NZBGet, Transmission or qBittorrent — or pauses one item in its queue when id is given. The bandwidth answer: "stop downloading for an hour", or action: "limit" with speed_limit_kbps to slow it down instead of stopping it (0 removes the cap). A limit is always client-wide, never per item. Safe tier, because the undo is this same tool with the other action. It does NOT stop Radarr or Sonarr grabbing: they carry on finding and sending releases, which then sit in the paused client. service is required and names one client; pausing "everything" means one call each. Previews first; confirm to apply it.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`id`	No	One queue item to pause, exactly as get_queue reported its id. Omit to pause the whole client.
`action`	Yes	pause, resume, or limit to cap the download speed without stopping anything.
`confirm`	No	The token from this tool's preview, passed back verbatim to apply it. Single-use and bound to the previewed arguments.
`dry_run`	No	Preview without a confirm token, for "what would happen if" questions; not the first step of a real change.
`service`	Yes
`instance`	No	Which instance (e.g. "4k") when several of this service exist. Omit it when there is one.
`speed_limit_kbps`	No	With action: "limit", the download cap in KB/s — 0 removes the cap. Client-wide, never per item. Required for "limit" and ignored otherwise.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`noop`	Yes
`tier`	Yes
`tool`	Yes
`result`	No
`target`	Yes
`applied`	Yes
`dry_run`	Yes
`effects`	Yes
`service`	Yes
`summary`	Yes
`audit_id`	No
`warnings`	No
`operation`	Yes
`unchecked`	No
`next_steps`	No
`permission`	Yes
`confirm_error`	No
`confirm_token`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed21 schema fields changedv1.74.0Nov 9, 2026

removedInput schema / $schema

Removed value: -"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedInput schema / properties / confirm / description

Previous value: -"The confirmation token from this same tool's preview of this same operation. Omit it to get a preview and a token; pass the token back verbatim to apply the change. Tokens are single-use, expire, and are bound to the exact operation and arguments previewed."New value: +"The token from this tool's preview, passed back verbatim to apply it. Single-use and bound to the previewed arguments."

changedInput schema / properties / dry_run / description

Previous value: -"Preview only: resolve the target and describe exactly what would happen, then stop. Never mutates anything and never returns a confirmation token. Use this to answer \"what would happen if…\" — not as the first step of actually doing it."New value: +"Preview without a confirm token, for \"what would happen if\" questions; not the first step of a real change."

changedInput schema / properties / instance / description

Previous value: -"Which instance, when several of this service are configured — for example \"4k\" or \"hd\". Omit it when there is only one. If several are configured and you omit it, the call is refused and the names are listed."New value: +"Which instance (e.g. \"4k\") when several of this service exist. Omit it when there is one."

removedInput schema / properties / service / description

Removed value: -"sabnzbd, nzbget, transmission or qbittorrent."

changedInput schema / properties / service / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "radarr",
-  "sonarr",
-  "whisparr",
-  "lidarr",
-  "prowlarr",
-  "bazarr",
-  "jellyfin",
-  "seerr",
-  "sabnzbd",
-  "nzbget",
-  "transmission",
-  "qbittorrent",
-  "plex",
-  "profilarr",
-  "cleanuparr",
-  "reclaimerr",
-  "dispatcharr",
-  "shelfmark",
-  "grimmory"
-]New value: +[
+  "sabnzbd",
+  "nzbget",
+  "transmission",
+  "qbittorrent"
+]

removedInput schema / properties / speed_limit_kbps / maximum
```
Removed value: -9007199254740991
```

removedOutput schema / $schema

Removed value: -"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

removedOutput schema / properties / applied / description

Removed value: -"Whether the change actually happened. False on every preview, refusal and no-op."

removedOutput schema / properties / audit_id / description

Removed value: -"The audit row this call wrote. Every branch writes one, including previews and refusals."

removedOutput schema / properties / confirm_error / description

Removed value: -"Why a presented token was rejected. Present only when one was presented."

removedOutput schema / properties / confirm_token / description

Removed value: -"Present when a preview is awaiting confirmation. Single-use, expiring, bound to this exact operation and arguments."

removedOutput schema / properties / dry_run / description

Removed value: -"Whether this was an explicit preview."

removedOutput schema / properties / effects / description

Removed value: -"Itemised consequences, most severe first. Empty is legitimate for a no-op."

removedOutput schema / properties / next_steps / description

Removed value: -"Present on an applied write when another call is worth offering. Offer it to the person; do not run it."

removedOutput schema / properties / noop / description

Removed value: -"True when the request resolved but there was nothing to do — already monitored, already approved."

removedOutput schema / properties / result / description

Removed value: -"Whatever the service returned, on a write that landed."

removedOutput schema / properties / summary / description
```
Removed value: -"One sentence, safe to show a human."
```

removedOutput schema / properties / target / description

Removed value: -"The resolved id the write acts on — what the confirmation token is bound to."

removedOutput schema / properties / unchecked / description

Removed value: -"Present when a service could not be asked, so its absence from `warnings` means nothing."

removedOutput schema / properties / warnings / description

Removed value: -"Present on a preview when another service has something to say about this change. Tell the user before confirming."

First observedv0.1.0Nov 9, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare a safe, non-destructive write, and the description reinforces that with the explicit reversibility model: "the undo is this same tool with the other action." It further discloses the preview-then-confirm apply flow and the non-obvious side effect that *arr services keep sending releases into a paused client.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the multi-action purpose and the scope trap, and every sentence contributes operational information. It is dense rather than wasteful, though the quoted example phrasing and em-dash chain make it longer than strictly necessary.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Output schema exists, so return values need not be explained, and the description covers the decision-critical traps: per-client scope, item vs client-wide limiting, and downstream *arr behavior. Nothing essential is missing for a 7-parameter tool with a preview/confirm flow.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 86%, so the schema already carries most parameter meaning and 3 is the baseline. The description adds real value on a few points — limit is client-wide and never per item, 0 removes the cap, `service` must name exactly one client — but leaves `instance` and the confirm/dry_run token lifecycle to the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb set (pauses, resumes, throttles) and a precise resource scope (one download client among four named clients), plus the item-level variant gated on `id`. It is unmistakable against siblings like `get_queue`, `remove_queue_item` and `retry_download`.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Maps a concrete user intent ("stop downloading for an hour") to the exact invocation, and distinguishes throttling from stopping with the `action: "limit"` path and 0-to-uncap rule. It also states the exclusion that matters most — it does NOT stop Radarr/Sonarr grabbing — and clarifies that pausing "everything" requires one call per client.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.