Message "Got an unexpected keyword argument 'api_key'" in logs for Download Client

[Cloufish]

Hi
I am struggling with integrating qBittorrent with declutarr
What I have already done

1. I double checked the correct name, qBittorrent, in every one of my instances
2. Checked inside the Docker container if the variables are set correctly

I have the following config

general:
  log_level: INFO
  test_run: false
  timer: 10
  # request_timeout: 15 # Optional: timeout for all HTTP/API calls in seconds
  # ignored_download_clients: ["emulerr"]
  # ssl_verification: false # Optional: Defaults to true
  # request_timeout: 15 # Optional: Request timeout in seconds. Defaults to 15. Can be overridden per instance.
  # private_tracker_handling: "obsolete_tag" # remove, skip, obsolete_tag. Optional. Default: remove
  # public_tracker_handling: "remove"  # remove, skip, obsolete_tag. Optional. Default: remove
  # obsolete_tag: "Obsolete" # optional. Default: "Obsolete"
  # protected_tag: "Keep" # optional. Default: "Keep"

job_defaults:
  max_strikes: 3
  min_days_between_searches: 7
  max_concurrent_searches: 3

jobs:
  remove_bad_files:
    # keep_archives: true
  remove_done_seeding:
    # target_tags:
    #   - "Obsolete"
    # target_categories:
    #  - "autobrr"
  remove_failed_downloads:
  remove_failed_imports:
    message_patterns:
      - "Not a Custom Format upgrade for existing*"
      - "Not an upgrade for existing*"
      - "*Found potentially dangerous file with extension*"
      - "Invalid video file*"
      - "No files found are eligible for import*"
      - "One or more episodes expected in this release were not imported or missing from the release"
  remove_metadata_missing:
    # max_strikes: 3
  remove_missing_files:
  remove_orphans:
  remove_slow:
    # min_speed: 100
    # max_strikes: 3
  remove_stalled:
    # max_strikes: 3
  remove_unmonitored:
  search_unmet_cutoff:
    # min_days_between_searches: 7
    # max_concurrent_searches: 3
  search_missing:
    # min_days_between_searches: 7
    # max_concurrent_searches: 3

instances:
  sonarr:
    - base_url: "https://sonarr<secret domain>.xyz"
      api_key: "{{SONARR_API_KEY}}"
      # timeout: 30 # Optional: Overrides general timeout for this instance.
  radarr:
    - base_url: "https://radarr.<secret domain>.xyz"
      api_key: "{{RADARR_API_KEY}}"
  lidarr:
    - base_url: "https://lidarr.<secret domain>.xyz"
      api_key: "{{LIDARR_API_KEY}}"

download_clients:
  qbittorrent:
    - base_url: "https://qbittorrent.<secret domain>.xyz:443" # You can use decluttarr without qbit (not all features available, see readme).
      api_key: "{{QBITTORRENT_API_KEY}}" # (recommended -> requires qBittorrent 5.2.0+; generate under Web UI settings. Takes precedence over username/password.)
      name: "qBittorrent" # (optional -> if not provided, assuming "qBittorrent". Must correspond with what is specified in your *arr as download client name)
      # timeout: 30 # (optional -> overrides general timeout for this instance)
  # sabnzbd:
  #   - base_url: "http://sabnzbd:8080" # SABnzbd server URL
  #     api_key: "your_api_key_here" # (required -> SABnzbd API key)
  #     # name: "SABnzbd" # (optional -> if not provided, assuming "SABnzbd". Must correspond with what is specified in your *arr as download client name)

Here are the logs
Notice the first line

decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | 2026-07-21 16:58:48 | ERROR   | Error parsing qbittorrent client config: QbitClient.__init__() got an unexpected keyword argument 'api_key'
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | INFO    | 🎉🎉🎉 Decluttarr - Application Started! 🎉🎉🎉
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | ⭐️ Like this app?
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | Thanks for giving it a ⭐️ on GitHub!
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | https://github.com/ManiMatter/decluttarr/
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    |
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | 💡 Tip: More logs?
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | If you want to know more about what's going on, switch log level to 'VERBOSE'
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    |
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | 🐛 Found a bug?
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | Before reporting bugs on GitHub, please:
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | 1) Check the readme on github
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | 2) Check open and closed issues on github
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | 3) Switch your logs to 'DEBUG' level
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | 4) Turn off any features other than the one(s) causing it
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | 5) Provide the full logs via pastebin on your GitHub issue
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | Once submitted, thanks for being responsive and helping debug / re-test
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    |
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | =================== IMPORTANT ====================
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    |      ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️  TEST MODE IS ACTIVE  ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | Decluttarr won't actually do anything for you...
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | You can change this via the setting 'test_run'
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | ==================================================
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    |
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | INFO    | *** Checking Instances ***
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | INFO    | OK | Sonarr (https://sonarr.swarm.cloufish.xyz)
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | INFO    | 💡 Tip: In the settings of your Sonarr instance, you have a qbittorrent download client configured named 'qBittorrent'.
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | However, in your decluttarr settings under 'download_clients', there is nothing configured.
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | Adding a matching entry to your decluttarr settings will enable you to fully leverage the features and benefits that decluttarr brings.
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | INFO    | OK | Radarr (https://radarr.swarm.cloufish.xyz)
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | INFO    | 💡 Tip: In the settings of your Radarr instance, you have a qbittorrent download client configured named 'qBittorrent'.
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | However, in your decluttarr settings under 'download_clients', there is nothing configured.
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | Adding a matching entry to your decluttarr settings will enable you to fully leverage the features and benefits that decluttarr brings.
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | INFO    | OK | Lidarr (https://lidarr.swarm.cloufish.xyz)
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | INFO    | 💡 Tip: In the settings of your Lidarr instance, you have a qbittorrent download client configured named 'qBittorrent'.
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | However, in your decluttarr settings under 'download_clients', there is nothing configured.
decluttarr_decluttarr.1.vky61tuwtszl@swarm-lite    | Adding a matching entry to your decluttarr settings will enable you to fully leverage the features and benefits that decluttarr brings.

[ManiMatter]

Api_key isnt in latest yet, only in dev-image.

[ManiMatter]

You read the dev-readme. If you switch to the latest branch you see no mentioning of api_key

[mournfully]

Well, now I just feel silly. Not sure how I managed to miss the repeated
"Note: Always pull the 'latest' version. The 'dev' version is for testing only..."
and also not check which branch I was on.

Although it would be nice if there was an explicit warning like this:

# https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ManiMatter/decluttarr/refs/heads/dev/README.md
  ## Getting started
+ Note: the following instructions assume you're using the 'dev' version (for testing only) instead of the ['latest'](https://github.com/ManiMatter/decluttarr/tree/latest#getting-started) version (recommended).
  You can run decluttarr either as local python script, or as a docker container. Follow the instructions as per your setup:

[ManiMatter]

Its not that simple unfortunately. If we added that warning, next time we merge to latest the users will see „assuming you are using dev“ on latest branch, since also that comment propagates..

we can add smth generic along these lines:

Check that the readme version corresponds to the branch you are using. Default view is dev branch, but you are most likely using latest. Thus make sure you change the branch of the readme if that‘s the case:
LATEST Readme: link
DEV Readme: link

[ManiMatter]

Added it. Have a look

[mournfully]

Looks good, and yeah I completely forgot comments like "assuming you're using the 'dev' version" would propagate to the 'latest' branch. I'd like to propose writing something like this instead:

  # **Decluttarr**
  _Couple of quick hints:_

- **1. Are you looking at the right ReadMe?**
- Check that the ReadMe version corresponds to the branch you are using (i.e. ```latest``` or ```dev```). Default view on this GitHub repo is ```dev``` branch, but you are most likely using ```latest``` (as per below [instructions](#getting-started)). Thus make sure you   change the branch of the ReadMe if that‘s the case:
- - [**LATEST** ReadMe](https://github.com/ManiMatter/decluttarr/blob/latest/README.md)
- - [**DEV** ReadMe](https://github.com/ManiMatter/decluttarr/blob/dev/README.md)
+ **1. Are you looking at the right README?**
+ Before [getting started](#getting-started), make sure that the README version
+ corresponds to the branch/image you are using (i.e., `latest` or
+ `dev`). Default view on this GitHub repo is the `dev` branch (for
+ testing only), but you should be using `latest` (recommended). So,
+ if you're on the wrong branch, you should either switch branches or 
+ [click here for the README on the latest branch](https://github.com/ManiMatter/decluttarr/blob/latest/README.md),
+ or [here for the README on the dev branch](https://github.com/ManiMatter/decluttarr/blob/dev/README.md).

**2. Decluttar V2 was released on Nov 1st, 2025 with _breaking config file changes_.**

If that's not possible the only thing you should consider changing is ReadMe -> README or Readme so it's the same format as other occurrences of that word. And lastly, I found the way "(as per below instructions)." was written a little confusing. But other than that it's good.