Client Detection

Client detection rules let you serve different encoding profiles based on who's watching.

How It Works

When a player requests a stream:

1. tvarr examines the request (headers, IP, query params)
2. Matches against client detection rules
3. Applies the matched encoding profile

Creating a Rule

Go to Admin > Client Detection and click Add Rule.

1. Name - Descriptive name (e.g., "Mobile Devices")
2. Expression - Condition to match
3. Encoding Profile - Which profile to use when matched
4. Priority - Higher priority rules match first

Available Fields

Field	Description	Example
client_ip	Client's IP address	192.168.1.100
host	Host header	tvarr.example.com
request_path	URL path	/api/v1/relay/...

Dynamic Headers

Access any request header:

@dynamic(request.headers):user-agent
@dynamic(request.headers):x-video-codec
@dynamic(request.headers):x-audio-codec

Dynamic Query Parameters

Access query string values:

@dynamic(request.query):quality
@dynamic(request.query):format

Common Patterns

Android Devices

@dynamic(request.headers):user-agent contains "Android"

iOS Devices

@dynamic(request.headers):user-agent contains "iPhone" OR
@dynamic(request.headers):user-agent contains "iPad"

Jellyfin Clients

@dynamic(request.headers):user-agent contains "Jellyfin"

Local Network

client_ip starts_with "192.168."

Codec Preferences

When clients send codec preferences (like Jellyfin does):

@dynamic(request.headers):x-video-codec equals "h264"

Example Setup

Mobile Gets 720p

1. Create encoding profile "Mobile 720p" with lower bitrate
2. Create client detection rule:
   • Expression: @dynamic(request.headers):user-agent contains "Android"
   • Profile: Mobile 720p
   • Priority: 100

TV Gets 4K

1. Create encoding profile "4K HDR"
2. Create client detection rule:
   • Expression: @dynamic(request.headers):user-agent contains "AndroidTV"
   • Profile: 4K HDR
   • Priority: 200 (higher than mobile)

Rules are evaluated in priority order. First match wins.