Paperless adding documents Basics

How to Paperless adding documents Basics. The details and information on the respective document are also important.

Options for adding documents to Paperless-ngx

Paperless-ngx is an excellent tool for digitally archiving your documents. It offers various flexible ways to integrate new documents into your system.

Email import

One of the most convenient methods is email import. You can configure Paperless-ngx to monitor a specific email inbox. Any email with attached documents (e.g. PDFs, images) will then be imported automatically. This is particularly useful for invoices or confirmations that you receive by email.

I will go into the topic of e-mail in more detail in a separate video. I will therefore not explain it in detail here.

consumption folder (Consumption Folder)

The consumption folder is a core part of the Paperless-ngx workflow. You define a folder on your system that Paperless-ngx continuously monitors. As soon as you place a document in this folder, Paperless-ngx recognizes it, imports it and processes it automatically (OCR, tagging etc.). This is ideal if you want to add documents from a scanner or file system.

Setting up the share – e.g. under Windows

As shown and explained in the video: Share the “consume” folder that is mounted in your container. To set up the network share, please follow the video and also note the security settings shown there.

If you want to use the Paperless import directory on multiple computers, you should allow the share to connect automatically and enable “Restore on startup”.

If you are working on a single computer, you do not need a share – you can use the directory directly.

Customize the Paperless configuration (automatic processing)

You still have to tell Paperless that the import directory should be read in automatically.

To do this, add the following line to your docker-compose.yml:

PAPERLESS_CONSUMER_POLLING: 600       # (600 Sekunden = 10 Minuten)

As shown in the video, you must then restart Paperless for the change to take effect.

docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

If you are using “Portainer”, add the line to your configuration and click on “Deploy”

web uploader

Paperless-ngx has a user-friendly web interface. You can use the web uploader to upload documents directly via your browser. This is handy for individual documents or if you do not have direct access to the consumer folder.

Simply drag and drop the file or files into the Paperless window and then release the mouse button. Paperless will immediately start processing the files.

4 REST API

For advanced users or integration with other systems, Paperless-ngx offers a REST API. This programming interface allows you to add documents automatically, which is ideal for individual scripts or specialized applications that are supposed to transfer documents to Paperless-ngx.

I’m deliberately leaving out the topic of email – it’s quite complex and rather uninteresting for us mere mortals.

Mobile apps (unofficial)

Although there is no official Paperless-ngx mobile app, there are unofficial apps and third-party integrations that allow you to upload documents directly from your smartphone or tablet. Search for “Paperless-ngx” or “Paperless Mobile” in the app stores to find possible options. Pay attention to the respective compatibility and security.

I will go into the topic of email in more detail in a separate video. I will therefore not explain it in detail here.

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