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In Download mode there is no way to ask for a book that has nothing to download yet. The release modal has an "Add to requests" chip for admins, which sends a book-level request, and when the default mode is Download the server answers it with "Download policy requires a concrete release". That is #995, where @expostarv2 used to bookmark unreleased books this way. #1019 is the other side of it: @punkincognito wants a less technical user to be able to download from one source and, when that fails, ask for the book without choosing a release. A book-level request in Download mode now becomes a normal pending book request, stored with the mode `request_book`, when the actor is an admin or when a new setting allows it: **Allow book requests alongside downloads** (`REQUESTS_ALLOW_BOOK_REQUEST_WITH_DOWNLOAD`, off by default, per-user overridable). A request that names a release still goes straight to the download queue as before, and with the setting off a non-admin gets the same error as today, so nothing changes for an existing install unless it turns the setting on. The policy endpoint reports the setting, and the release modal shows "Add to requests" to a non-admin when requests are on and the setting allows it (admins keep it as before, and it stays off while fulfilling a request). The small `canRequestBookFromReleaseModal` helper holds that rule so it can be tested. I chose a setting over making this the default for everyone because it changes what Download mode means, which is yours to decide. The other way to read #1019 is a per-source rule, "Request Book" for Prowlarr and Download for the direct sources. That is not here: the rules matrix excludes Request Book today, the release modal shows such a source as unavailable, and it needs more UI work than I can check without trying it in a browser. This PR covers the half that works with the existing flow, and the rule version can follow if you want it. Tests: four route tests (a user with the setting on, an admin with it off, a release request that must still queue a download, and the policy endpoint reporting the setting), and a frontend test for the helper. The route tests that depend on the change fail on current main. Full backend and frontend suites pass, with ruff, oxlint and tsc clean. I have not tried it in a browser, so this is a draft until someone has looked at the modal. Closes #995. #1019 stays open for the per-source rule. <!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai --> <!-- coderabbit-ai-generated:v1 --> ## Summary by CodeRabbit * **New Features** * Added an off-by-default, user-overridable setting that lets users with download access request a book without selecting a release. These requests remain pending for admin action, and admins can always make book-level requests. * Eligible users can make book-level requests under the download policy when the setting is enabled. This option is unavailable in browse-fulfil mode. * Requests that include release details continue to queue downloads rather than create book-level requests. <!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
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Users & Requests
Configure in Settings → Users & Requests.
Authentication Methods
Shelfmark supports four authentication methods, configured in Settings → Security.
Local
You create user accounts directly in Shelfmark with a username and password. At least one local admin account must exist before this mode can be enabled.
Proxy Authentication
Your reverse proxy handles authentication and passes the username to Shelfmark via a header (e.g. Remote-User). Accounts are created automatically on first sign-in. If a local user with the same username already exists, the proxy identity will be linked to that account rather than creating a duplicate. Admin status can optionally be derived from a groups header.
OIDC (OpenID Connect)
Users sign in through your identity provider. Accounts are created automatically on first login (unless auto-provisioning is disabled, in which case you need to pre-create them). If a local user with a matching verified email already exists, the OIDC identity will be linked to that account on first sign-in. Admin status can optionally be derived from a group claim.
A local admin account is required as a fallback. See OIDC for provider setup.
Calibre-Web Database
User accounts are synced from your Calibre-Web app.db. If a local user with a matching email already exists, the CWA identity will be linked to that account. Roles are kept in sync with CWA. Users removed from CWA are cleaned up on the next sync.
Requires mounting your Calibre-Web app.db to /auth/app.db.
If a method's requirements go missing
Once a method is selected, Shelfmark keeps requiring sign-in even if that method's requirements go missing later (a deleted local admin, a missing app.db, incomplete OIDC settings, or an unrecognized AUTH_METHOD value). It never falls back to "No Authentication" on its own. While Local or OIDC authentication is active, the last local admin can't be deleted or demoted.
If you're locked out, start the container once with AUTH_METHOD=none, create a local admin under Settings → Users, then remove the override. Keep Shelfmark off the public internet while the override is set.
Per-User Settings
Admins can configure per-user settings by editing a user in the user management panel. Non-admin users can also edit their own settings through My Account (accessible from the user menu). Admins control which sections are visible in My Account via the Visible Self-Settings Sections option.
There are four categories of per-user settings:
Delivery Preferences
Override where a user's downloads are sent. Options depend on the global output mode configuration:
- Output mode — Folder, Email (SMTP), or Grimmory (API)
- Destination — A custom folder path for this user's ebook downloads
- Audiobook destination — A custom folder path for audiobook downloads
- Grimmory library/path — Per-user Grimmory target (when using Grimmory output mode)
- Email recipient — Per-user email address (when using Email output mode)
Search Preferences
Override how a user searches, on top of the global search defaults:
- Search mode — Direct or Universal for this user
- Default book languages — The languages a user's searches fall back to when they don't pick one themselves. Useful for a shared instance where readers want different languages.
- Metadata providers — Book, audiobook, and combined-mode provider for this user
- Default release sources — The release tab opened first for books and audiobooks
Notifications
Users can configure personal notification routes, separate from the global notification settings. Each route targets a URL (e.g. an Apprise-compatible endpoint) and can be scoped to specific event types or all events.
Route URLs can use {User} and {Email} in their path or query, filled in from each user's account when a notification is sent. A route is skipped for users without the value it needs, or whose value contains spaces or any of , ; / \ " (or is only dots, such as ..), since those would split it into several targets or change the URL path. The admin-set default routes apply to every user who hasn't set routes of their own and can use any service, so one default such as mailtos://user:pass@smtp.example.com?to={Email} reaches each user at their own address. The service a default points to then receives each user's email address, so only use one you trust with it. Routes a user sets themselves stay limited to the personal-route services, e.g. ntfys://ntfy.sh/shelfmark-{User}.
Request Policy (admin-only)
Admins can override the default ebook/audiobook modes and request rules for individual users. See Per-User Overrides below.
Clearing the activity list
Clear Completed in the activity list clears finished downloads and their requests, and also finished requests that never had a download, such as a request closed because the book was already in the library. Pending and rejected requests are left alone.
Requests
The request system controls whether users can download directly or need admin approval first.
Policy Modes
Each content type (ebook, audiobook) has a default mode that sets the baseline:
| Mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Download | Users download directly, no approval needed |
| Request Release | Users pick a specific release, then submit it for admin approval |
| Request Book | Users request the book itself — an admin picks the release and fulfils it |
| Blocked | No downloads or requests allowed |
Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Requests | Master toggle. When off, everyone downloads directly | Off |
| Default Ebook Mode | Baseline mode for all ebook sources | Download |
| Default Audiobook Mode | Baseline mode for all audiobook sources | Download |
| Request Rules | Per-source overrides (see below) | None |
| Max Pending Requests Per User | Open request limit per user | 20 |
| Allow Notes on Requests | Let users attach a note when submitting | On |
| Allow book requests alongside downloads | Let users who can download also request a book without choosing a release, for a book nobody has released yet or one no source has. The request waits for an admin, and the user gets the Requests tab to follow or cancel it. Admins can always do this | Off |
Request Rules
The rules matrix lets you override the mode for specific source + content type combinations. Rules can only be equal to or more restrictive than the content-type default — they cannot grant more access than the baseline.
For example, if the default ebook mode is "Download", a rule can restrict a specific source to "Request Release" or "Blocked", but not the other way around. If no rule matches, the content-type default applies.
Rules cannot use "Request Book". Sources whose browse results are already concrete releases are also treated as "Request Release" when the default mode is "Request Book", since there is no book-level request to make for them.
Per-User Overrides
Admins can override the default ebook/audiobook modes and request rules for individual users. Per-user rules are overlaid on the global rules, not replacing them.
Request Lifecycle
- User submits a request (book or release level, depending on the resolved policy mode)
- Request appears in the admin request queue as pending
- Admin either fulfils (queues a download) or rejects the request
- For fulfilled requests, delivery state is tracked through the download pipeline
- If delivery fails and the download cannot be retried, the request goes back to pending automatically so an admin can approve it again with a different release. An admin can also reopen a rejected request
- Users can cancel their own pending requests
- An admin can reopen a rejected request, from the Requests tab or from History. It goes back to pending with what the user originally asked for, and shows in the activity list again even if the user had dismissed it.