What is spotweb?

This PHP application implements the Spotnet protocol for a decentralized Usenet community. Users browse and filter curated posts called spots, each with descriptions and images. The system supports posting comments, rating content, and maintaining personal watchlists. It integrates with download clients Sabnzbd, NZBGet, and NZBVortex, and serves as a Newznab provider for automation tools such as Sick Gear, SickBeard, and CouchPotato. A granular permission system manages multiple users, while themes can be customized via CSS. The software runs on Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, and NAS devices (Synology, QNAP). Setup requires a web server, PHP 7.2+ with several extensions, and a database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite). Stable releases are published (latest 1.5.8) and development remains active.

Should you self-host spotweb?

spotweb scores 51/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #24 of 85 in Feed Reader. It has 686 GitHub stars.

There was no stable release in the past 12 months, so check the repository's recent activity before you rely on it.

Setup is advanced: plan for several services and some ongoing maintenance. It is BSD-3-Clause-licensed and written mostly in PHP.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is RSSHub (85/100, 46 702 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See spotweb vs RSSHub side by side.

Features

Comments and spot posting
Cross-platform
Customizable Themes
Download client integration
Multi-file download
Multi-language Support
Multi-user with permissions
NAS compatibility
Newznab API provider
Notification integrations
Spam reporting
Spot browsing and filtering
Spotnet protocol support
Spot rating
Watchlist

FAQ

Spotweb (the user interface) is really, really slow

Enable 'timing' in settings to create a timing trace at the bottom of each page, then submit it as an issue for analysis.

Why is the security system so complicated?

The security system was built to fulfill many different user requests for access control, resulting in a powerful but complex system.

What do all the 'Retrieve ...' options mean?

Options control whether to fetch full spots, prefetch images/NZBs, retrieve comments, full comments, and spam reports. Enabling them makes Spotweb faster but retrieval slower and database larger.

I've changed some security group settings and all I get is 'access denied'

Run upgrade-db.php with --reset-groupmembership and --reset-securitygroups commands to reset security settings to defaults.

I've changed some filters but now everything is wrong

Run upgrade-db.php with the --reset-filters command to reset everyone's filters.

I do not have a "Retrieve new spots" button on the index

This feature has been implemented. Make sure you are logged in and not using the built-in 'admin' account.

Will you implement posting of spots / comments / reporting of spam?

This has been implemented. Make sure you are logged in and not using the built-in 'admin' account.

I'm getting an error "Call to undefined function mysql_connect()"

Your PHP is not properly set up to use the MySQL PHP module. Install the module and restart Apache.

How to configure a new template/theme?

Add the template to ownsettings.php valid_templates, create a security group with 'Select own template' permission for that template, add users to the group, then select it in preferences.

I have upgraded Spotweb but now I get an error about needing to run install.php

Run the install.php wizard in your browser, or create a dbsettings.inc.php file with your database configuration.

My Spotweb is in English

My Spotweb is in Dutch

I only see Dutch spots

Spotnet originated from the Netherlands. Most Dutch people speak English so content is available in English. You can add spots yourself.

I'm missing posts I see in other Usenet indexers

Spotweb only shows actual Spots which are manually created by humans with categorization, images, and descriptions. It's a moderated, curated system unlike automated indexers like Newznab.