How do I set up Paperless?

Goal

Connect Nova to your Paperless-ngx server, build the search index, and search the archive.

Before you start

• Your own Paperless-ngx server with address, username, and password.
• Expert view. The switch is in How do I switch between Simple and Expert?
• An embedding provider for the search index: OpenAI, OpenRouter, or Ollama on this Mac with an embedding model. See How do I set up AI access?

Steps

1. Settings, Files & knowledge, the Paperless tab. The tab is only in Expert.
2. Section Connection, card Credentials. Enter Server URL, Username, and Password, then Sign in. Nova uses them to fetch an API token and stores the credentials encrypted on this Mac.
3. When the sign-in works, it says Signed in as with your name, and the card shows Connected. After that the field reads “Password (set — leave empty to keep)”.
4. Section Embeddings, menu Embedding provider: OpenRouter (one key), OpenAI, or Ollama (local). The choice applies only on this Mac. Ollama (local) needs an embedding model. Nova downloads the recommended one under Download a model, see How do I set up AI access?
5. Section Actions, card Index & connection. Test connection checks the server. Build index reads the documents in. While it builds it says Build running…, then the button reads Rebuild.
6. Section Index & sync, card Search index. It shows documents and passages. Auto-sync (hours) sets how often Nova fetches new or changed documents. Sync now fetches them right away.
7. Ask the avatar about a document. If Nova is to file a document or a mail attachment, the card Upload to Paperless archive or Upload mail attachment to archive appears. Only Upload sends the file to Paperless. Dismiss sends nothing.

Example

“Find the dentist invoice in Paperless.” — “Put this PDF in Paperless.” Look at the card, then Dismiss if you were only trying it out.

Common problems

• Server URL missing. or Username and password are required.: a field is empty. Sign-in failed (HTTP …) comes from the server, usually the name or password is wrong.
• Without a sign-in the card shows Offline, and the search index says “No index yet”.
• Privacy Lock blocks Paperless, including the background sync. See How do I turn on Privacy Lock?
• If “This Mac only” is on under Hybrid, OpenRouter and OpenAI are blocked in the Embedding provider menu. Ollama (local) remains. See How does an answer stay on this Mac?
• Simple does not show the tab. Notes and text files are in How do I let Nova search my documents?