Paperless-NGX MCP Server
README.md
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# Paperless-NGX MCP Server
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for interacting with a Paperless-NGX API server. This server provides tools for managing documents, tags, correspondents, and document types in your Paperless-NGX instance.
## About this fork
This repository is a fork of [baruchiro/paperless-mcp](https://github.com/baruchiro/paperless-mcp) (ISC license, © Baruch Odem) maintained by Retiform Labs. It adds bounded content reads — ranged `get_document_content` windows, a `search_passages` tool, an inline budget, and `content_length` metadata — so MCP agents can locate and extract document text without flooding their context. The fork point is tagged `upstream-v2.2.1`. Changes are also offered upstream via pull request.
## Quick Start
[](https://cursor.com/install-mcp?name=paperless&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoibnB4IC15IEBiYXJ1Y2hpcm8vcGFwZXJsZXNzLW1jcEBsYXRlc3QiLCJlbnYiOnsiUEFQRVJMRVNTX1VSTCI6Imh0dHA6Ly95b3VyLXBhcGVybGVzcy1pbnN0YW5jZTo4MDAwIiwiUEFQRVJMRVNTX0FQSV9LRVkiOiJ5b3VyLWFwaS10b2tlbiJ9fQ%3D%3D)
### Installation
Add these to your MCP config file:
// STDIO mode (recommended for local or CLI use)
```json
"paperless": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@baruchiro/paperless-mcp@latest",
],
"env": {
"PAPERLESS_URL": "http://your-paperless-instance:8000",
"PAPERLESS_API_KEY": "your-api-token",
"PAPERLESS_PUBLIC_URL": "https://your-public-domain.com"
}
}
```
// HTTP mode (recommended for Docker or remote use)
```json
"paperless": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"ghcr.io/baruchiro/paperless-mcp:latest",
],
"env": {
"PAPERLESS_URL": "http://your-paperless-instance:8000",
"PAPERLESS_API_KEY": "your-api-token",
"PAPERLESS_PUBLIC_URL": "https://your-public-domain.com"
}
}
```
3. Get your API token:
1. Log into your Paperless-NGX instance
2. Click your username in the top right
3. Select "My Profile"
4. Click the circular arrow button to generate a new token
4. Replace the placeholders in your MCP config:
- `http://your-paperless-instance:8000` with your Paperless-NGX URL
- `your-api-token` with the token you just generated
- `https://your-public-domain.com` with your public Paperless-NGX URL (optional, falls back to PAPERLESS_URL)
### Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `PAPERLESS_URL` | Yes | — | Base URL of your Paperless-NGX instance |
| `PAPERLESS_API_KEY` | Yes | — | API token from your Paperless-NGX profile |
| `PAPERLESS_PUBLIC_URL` | No | `PAPERLESS_URL` | Public-facing URL for document links |
| `PAPERLESS_API_VERSION` | No | `9` | Paperless-ngx REST API version. `9` works on Paperless-ngx v2.x (recent) and v3.x. Paperless-ngx v3.0.0 dropped support for versions below `9`, so older defaults now return HTTP 406. If you see HTTP 406 errors, set this to a version your server supports. |
| `PAPERLESS_MCP_UPLOAD_PATHS` | No | — | Colon-separated list of allowed directories for `file_path` uploads. **Recommended for security.** Example: `/var/uploads:/tmp/scans` |
| `PAPERLESS_MCP_MAX_INLINE_CHARS` | No | `50000` | Hard cap on characters a single tool response may inline. Requests above the budget fail with the document size and a hint toward bounded reads instead of silently truncating or flooding context. |
That's it! Now you can ask Claude to help you manage your Paperless-NGX documents.
### Example Usage
Here are some things you can ask Claude to do:
- "Show me all documents tagged as 'Invoice'"
- "Search for documents containing 'tax return'"
- "Create a new tag called 'Receipts' with color #FF0000"
- "Download document #123"
- "List all correspondents"
- "Create a new document type called 'Bank Statement'"
## Available Tools
### Document Operations
#### list_documents
Get a paginated list of documents with simple filters. Use this for straightforward listing tasks. For full-text queries, structured custom field filtering, or advanced Paperless filters, use `query_documents`.
Parameters:
- page (optional): Page number
- page_size (optional): Number of documents per page
- search (optional): Simple Paperless search term
- correspondent (optional): Correspondent ID
- document_type (optional): Document type ID
- tag (optional): Tag ID
- storage_path (optional): Storage path ID
- created__date__gte (optional): Created date on or after YYYY-MM-DD
- created__date__lte (optional): Created date on or before YYYY-MM-DD
- ordering (optional): Paperless ordering field
- archive_serial_number (optional): Archive serial number
- archive_serial_number__isnull (optional): Whether the archive serial number is empty
- custom_field_query (optional): Raw JSON-encoded Paperless custom field query string
- custom_fields__icontains (optional): Case-insensitive substring match across custom field values
```typescript
list_documents({
page: 1,
page_size: 25
})
```
#### query_documents
Canonical document query tool. Supports full-text querying, simple Paperless search, custom field filters, and documented `/api/documents/` Paperless query parameters.
Parameters:
- page (optional): Page number
- page_size (optional): Number of documents per page
- ordering (optional): Paperless ordering field
- query (optional): Full-text query string
- search (optional): Simple Paperless search term
- more_like_id (optional): Find documents similar to this document ID
- correspondent (optional): Correspondent ID
- document_type (optional): Document type ID
- tag (optional): Tag ID
- storage_path (optional): Storage path ID
- created__date__gte (optional): Created date on or after YYYY-MM-DD
- created__date__lte (optional): Created date on or before YYYY-MM-DD
- custom_field_query (optional): Structured Paperless custom field query using `[field_name_or_id, operator, value]` leaves or `["AND" | "OR", [clause1, clause2]]` groups
- paperless_filters (optional): Additional documented `/api/documents/` Paperless query parameters, passed as key/value pairs
```typescript
// Full-text query
query_documents({
query: "invoice 2024"
})
// Simple search term
query_documents({
search: "acme"
})
// Custom field exact match
query_documents({
custom_field_query: ["Invoice Number", "exact", "12345"]
})
// Custom field empty
query_documents({
custom_field_query: ["OR", [
["Invoice Number", "isnull", true],
["Invoice Number", "exact", ""]
]]
})
// Custom field missing
query_documents({
custom_field_query: ["Invoice Number", "exists", false]
})
// Combined filters
query_documents({
query: "invoice",
tag: 5,
created__date__gte: "2024-01-01",
custom_field_query: ["Invoice Number", "exists", true]
})
// One documented Paperless filter that is not a first-class argument
query_documents({
paperless_filters: {
id__in: [101, 202, 303]
}
})
```
#### get_document
Get a specific document by ID.
Parameters:
- id: Document ID
```typescript
get_document({
id: 123
})
```
#### search_documents
Deprecated compatibility wrapper for full-text search. Prefer `query_documents({ query: ... })` for new integrations.
Parameters:
- query: Search query string
```typescript
search_documents({
query: "invoice 2024"
})
```
#### get_document_content
Get the text content of a document by ID **in bounded windows**. Returns at most `max_chars` characters (default 8000) starting at `offset`, plus pagination metadata so callers can page through long documents without flooding context.
Parameters:
- id: Document ID
- offset (optional): Character offset to start reading from (default 0)
- max_chars (optional): Maximum characters to return (default 8000)
```typescript
get_document_content({ id: 123 })
// → { content: "<first 8000 chars>", offset: 0, content_length: 726573, returned_chars: 8000, truncated: true, has_more: true }
get_document_content({ id: 123, offset: 8000, max_chars: 8000 })
// → next window
```
Requests above the inline budget (`PAPERLESS_MCP_MAX_INLINE_CHARS`, default 50000) fail with the document size and a hint toward offset reads or the `download_document` resource — never a silent slice, never an unbounded return. The response always carries `content_length`, `truncated`, and `has_more` so callers can page deterministically.
#### search_passages
Search documents full-text and return **bounded text passages around each hit** instead of whole documents. Each window is anchored on the server's own highlighted phrase (falling back to the first verbatim term occurrence, then the document head), so the returned passage contains the actual hit even when the search index stemmed a word variant that does not appear verbatim in the stored text. Returns the document id, title, score, offset, `content_length`, and the highlighted snippet.
Queries that the server rejects with an opaque HTTP 400 (django-watson rejects some syntactically valid queries, notably those containing apostrophes) are retried once with a defensively rewritten query — apostrophes and stray quotes removed; structured filter values are never rewritten. Responses from a rewritten retry carry `query_sanitized: true`. Persistent failures throw a structured error naming every attempted query.
Parameters:
- query: Search query string (same syntax as `query_documents`)
- window (optional): Characters per passage (default 800, range 200–4000)
- max_passages (optional): Maximum passages to return (default 5, cap 20)
```typescript
search_passages({ query: "invoice 2024" })
// → { query: "invoice 2024", total_hits: 3, passages: [{ id, title, score, highlights, passage, offset, content_length }, ...] }
search_passages({ query: "God's will" })
// → { ..., query_sanitized: true, ... } // apostrophe stripped on retry after a 400
```
Use this to locate and skim evidence across many documents in a single call; page further into a hit with `get_document_content` offsets. Standard `query_documents` filters (`correspondent`, `tag`, `document_type`, `storage_path`, date ranges, `paperless_filters`) are accepted and behave identically. Note: `total_hits` reflects the server's OR-expanded match count and may exceed the number of top-ranked passages returned.
#### download_document
Download a document file by ID.
Parameters:
- id: Document ID
- original (optional): If true, downloads original file instead of archived version
```typescript
download_document({
id: 123,
original: false
})
```
#### get_document_thumbnail
Get a document thumbnail (image preview) by ID. Returns the thumbnail as a base64-encoded WebP image resource.
Parameters:
- id: Document ID
```typescript
get_document_thumbnail({
id: 123
})
```
#### bulk_edit_documents
Perform bulk operations on multiple documents.
Parameters:
- documents: Array of document IDs
- method: One of:
- set_correspondent: Set correspondent for documents
- set_document_type: Set document type for documents
- set_storage_path: Set storage path for documents
- add_tag: Add a tag to documents
- remove_tag: Remove a tag from documents
- modify_tags: Add and/or remove multiple tags
- delete: Delete documents
- reprocess: Reprocess documents
- set_permissions: Set document permissions
- merge: Merge multiple documents
- split: Split a document into multiple documents
- rotate: Rotate document pages
- delete_pages: Delete specific pages from a document
- Additional parameters based on method:
- correspondent: ID for set_correspondent
- document_type: ID for set_document_type
- storage_path: ID for set_storage_path
- tag: ID for add_tag/remove_tag
- add_tags: Array of tag IDs for modify_tags
- remove_tags: Array of tag IDs for modify_tags
- set_permissions: Object for set_permissions with view/change users and groups (`{"view": {"users": [], "groups": []}, "change": {...}}`). Omitted actions/lists are left untouched
- owner: User ID (or null to remove) for set_permissions. Unless merge is true, omitting owner clears the current owner
- merge: Boolean for set_permissions — true adds to existing permissions and keeps the owner; false (default) replaces the listed users/groups
- metadata_document_id: ID for merge to specify metadata source
- delete_originals: Boolean for merge/split
- pages: String for split "[1,2-3,4,5-7]" or delete_pages "[2,3,4]"
- degrees: Number for rotate (90, 180, or 270)
Examples:
```typescript
// Add a tag to multiple documents
bulk_edit_documents({
documents: [1, 2, 3],
method: "add_tag",
tag: 5
})
// Set correspondent and document type
bulk_edit_documents({
documents: [4, 5],
method: "set_correspondent",
correspondent: 2
})
// Merge documents
bulk_edit_documents({
documents: [6, 7, 8],
method: "merge",
metadata_document_id: 6,
delete_originals: true
})
// Split document into parts
bulk_edit_documents({
documents: [9],
method: "split",
pages: "[1-2,3-4,5]"
})
// Modify multiple tags at once
bulk_edit_documents({
documents: [10, 11],
method: "modify_tags",
add_tags: [1, 2],
remove_tags: [3, 4]
})
// Modify custom fields
bulk_edit_documents({
documents: [12, 13],
method: "modify_custom_fields",
add_custom_fields: [
{ field: 2, value: "year" }
],
remove_custom_fields: []
})
// Set an empty custom field value, e.g. a date field used as a pending marker
bulk_edit_documents({
documents: [14],
method: "modify_custom_fields",
add_custom_fields: [
{ field: 9, value: "" }
],
remove_custom_fields: []
})
```
#### post_document
Upload a new document to Paperless-NGX.
**Two upload modes:**
1. **Base64 mode** (traditional): Provide `file` (base64-encoded content) + `filename`
2. **Filesystem mode** (efficient): Provide `file_path` (absolute path on server)
**Security Note:** When using `file_path`, set the `PAPERLESS_MCP_UPLOAD_PATHS` environment variable (colon-separated list of allowed directories) to restrict uploads to specific locations. Without this, any file on the server's filesystem could be uploaded.
Parameters:
- file (optional): Base64 encoded file content. Either `file` or `file_path` required.
- file_path (optional): Absolute path to file on server's filesystem. Either `file` or `file_path` required.
- filename (optional): Name of the file. Required with `file`, optional with `file_path` (derives from path).
- title (optional): Title for the document
- created (optional): DateTime when the document was created (e.g. "2024-01-19" or "2024-01-19 06:15:00+02:00")
- correspondent (optional): ID of a correspondent
- document_type (optional): ID of a document type
- storage_path (optional): ID of a storage path
- tags (optional): Array of tag IDs
- archive_serial_number (optional): Archive serial number
- custom_fields (optional): Array of custom field IDs
**File size limit:** 100MB for both modes
```typescript
// Base64 mode (traditional)
post_document({
file: "base64_encoded_content",
filename: "invoice.pdf",
title: "January Invoice",
created: "2024-01-19",
correspondent: 1,
document_type: 2,
tags: [1, 3],
archive_serial_number: "2024-001",
custom_fields: [1, 2]
})
// Filesystem mode (more efficient for large files)
post_document({
file_path: "/var/uploads/invoice.pdf",
title: "January Invoice",
correspondent: 1,
document_type: 2,
tags: [1, 3]
})
```
### Document Notes
#### list_document_notes
List all notes attached to a document.
Parameters:
- id: Document ID
```typescript
list_document_notes({
id: 123
})
```
#### create_document_note
Add a note to a document. Returns the document's full list of notes.
Parameters:
- id: Document ID
- note: The note text to add
```typescript
create_document_note({
id: 123,
note: "Invoice paid on 2026-06-30 from Commerzbank account."
})
```
#### delete_document_note
⚠️ Delete a single note from a document by its note ID. This operation is irreversible.
Parameters:
- id: Document ID
- note_id: The ID of the note to delete
- confirm: Must be `true` to confirm this destructive operation
```typescript
delete_document_note({
id: 123,
note_id: 5,
confirm: true
})
```
### Tag Operations
#### list_tags
Get all tags.
```typescript
list_tags()
```
#### create_tag
Create a new tag.
Parameters:
- name: Tag name
- color (optional): Hex color code (e.g. "#ff0000")
- match (optional): Text pattern to match
- matching_algorithm (optional): Number between 0 and 6:
0 - None
1 - Any word
2 - All words
3 - Exact match
4 - Regular expression
5 - Fuzzy word
6 - Automatic
```typescript
create_tag({
name: "Invoice",
color: "#ff0000",
match: "invoice",
matching_algorithm: 5
})
```
### Correspondent Operations
#### list_correspondents
Get all correspondents.
```typescript
list_correspondents()
```
#### create_correspondent
Create a new correspondent.
Parameters:
- name: Correspondent name
- match (optional): Text pattern to match
- matching_algorithm (optional): Number between 0 and 6:
0 - None
1 - Any word
2 - All words
3 - Exact match
4 - Regular expression
5 - Fuzzy word
6 - Automatic
```typescript
create_correspondent({
name: "ACME Corp",
match: "ACME",
matching_algorithm: 5
})
```
### Document Type Operations
#### list_document_types
Get all document types.
```typescript
list_document_types()
```
#### create_document_type
Create a new document type.
Parameters:
- name: Document type name
- match (optional): Text pattern to match
- matching_algorithm (optional): Number between 0 and 6:
0 - None
1 - Any word
2 - All words
3 - Exact match
4 - Regular expression
5 - Fuzzy word
6 - Automatic
```typescript
create_document_type({
name: "Invoice",
match: "invoice total amount due",
matching_algorithm: 1
})
```
### Custom Field Operations
#### list_custom_fields
Get all custom fields.
```typescript
list_custom_fields()
```
#### get_custom_field
Get a specific custom field by ID.
Parameters:
- id: Custom field ID
```typescript
get_custom_field({
id: 1
})
```
#### create_custom_field
Create a new custom field.
Parameters:
- name: Custom field name
- data_type: One of "string", "url", "date", "boolean", "integer", "float", "monetary", "documentlink", "select"
- extra_data (optional): Extra data for the custom field, such as select options
```typescript
create_custom_field({
name: "Invoice Number",
data_type: "string"
})
```
#### update_custom_field
Update an existing custom field.
Parameters:
- id: Custom field ID
- name (optional): New custom field name
- data_type (optional): New data type
- extra_data (optional): Extra data for the custom field
```typescript
update_custom_field({
id: 1,
name: "Updated Invoice Number",
data_type: "string"
})
```
#### delete_custom_field
Delete a custom field.
Parameters:
- id: Custom field ID
```typescript
delete_custom_field({
id: 1
})
```
#### bulk_edit_custom_fields
Perform bulk operations on multiple custom fields.
Parameters:
- custom_fields: Array of custom field IDs
- operation: One of "delete"
```typescript
bulk_edit_custom_fields({
custom_fields: [1, 2, 3],
operation: "delete"
})
```
### Mail Operations
Tools for managing Paperless mail accounts and the mail rules that drive
automatic email ingestion. Account passwords/tokens are never exposed: they are
redacted from every tool response.
#### list_mail_accounts
List mail accounts so you can pick the account ID needed when creating a mail
rule. Passwords are redacted.
Parameters:
- page (optional): Page number
- page_size (optional): Number of results per page
```typescript
list_mail_accounts()
```
#### get_mail_account
Get a single mail account by ID. Password/token fields are redacted.
Parameters:
- id: Mail account ID
```typescript
get_mail_account({
id: 1
})
```
#### process_mail_account
Manually trigger Paperless mail processing for one account. This can consume
matching mails according to the account's enabled mail rules.
Parameters:
- id: Mail account ID
```typescript
process_mail_account({
id: 1
})
```
#### list_mail_rules
List mail rules with optional pagination.
Parameters:
- page (optional): Page number
- page_size (optional): Number of results per page
```typescript
list_mail_rules()
```
#### get_mail_rule
Get a single mail rule by ID.
Parameters:
- id: Mail rule ID
```typescript
get_mail_rule({
id: 1
})
```
#### create_mail_rule
Create a mail rule. Use `list_mail_accounts` first to choose the account.
Required parameters:
- name: Rule name
- account: Mail account ID
- folder: IMAP folder to scan (e.g. "INBOX")
Common optional parameters:
- enabled (default true): Whether the rule is active
- filter_from / filter_to / filter_subject / filter_body: Match incoming mail
- maximum_age: Only process mail newer than this many days
- action: 1=Delete, 2=Move to folder, 3=Mark as read, 4=Flag, 5=Tag
- action_parameter: Target folder/tag for the chosen action
- assign_title_from: 1=Subject, 2=Attachment filename, 3=Do not assign
- assign_tags / assign_correspondent / assign_document_type: Metadata to apply
- assign_correspondent_from: 1=None, 2=Mail address, 3=Sender name, 4=Use assign_correspondent
- attachment_type: 1=Attachments only, 2=All files incl. inline
- consumption_scope: 1=Attachments only, 2=Full mail as .eml, 3=Both
- pdf_layout: 0=System default, 1=Text+HTML, 2=HTML+text, 3=HTML only, 4=Text only
```typescript
create_mail_rule({
name: "Invoices",
account: 1,
folder: "INBOX",
filter_subject: "invoice",
action: 3,
attachment_type: 1
})
```
#### update_mail_rule
Patch an existing mail rule. Only the fields you supply are changed.
Parameters:
- id: Mail rule ID
- ...any of the `create_mail_rule` fields to update
```typescript
update_mail_rule({
id: 1,
enabled: false
})
```
#### delete_mail_rule
Delete a mail rule. Requires an explicit confirmation flag. This changes future
mail ingestion behavior but does not delete any existing documents.
Parameters:
- id: Mail rule ID
- confirm: Must be `true` to confirm deletion
```typescript
delete_mail_rule({
id: 1,
confirm: true
})
```
## Error Handling
The server will show clear error messages if:
- The Paperless-NGX URL or API token is incorrect
- The Paperless-NGX server is unreachable
- The requested operation fails
- The provided parameters are invalid
## Testing
### Unit tests
Run the unit test suite (no external dependencies required):
```bash
npm test
```
### E2E tests
The E2E suite boots an empty Paperless-ngx instance, runs the compiled MCP server, and drives a deterministic serial scenario through `tools/call` requests — creating a tag, correspondent, and document type, uploading a PDF, then exercising list / get / search / download / thumbnail / bulk-edit on the same document. No LLM and no Paperless REST client outside MCP.
**Prerequisites:** Docker, Docker Compose, and `jq`.
```bash
# 1. Build the MCP server
npm run build
# 2. Start Paperless-ngx
docker compose -f docker-compose.e2e.yml up -d
# 3. Wait for Paperless to be ready, then get a token
TOKEN=$(curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/token/ \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"username":"admin","password":"admin123"}' | jq -r '.token')
# 4. Start the MCP server
node build/index.js --http --port 3001 \
--baseUrl http://localhost:8000 --token "$TOKEN" &
MCP_PID=$!
# 5. Run the E2E tests
MCP_URL=http://localhost:3001/mcp \
PAPERLESS_URL=http://localhost:8000 \
PAPERLESS_TOKEN="$TOKEN" \
npm run test:e2e
# 6. Cleanup
kill "$MCP_PID"
docker compose -f docker-compose.e2e.yml down -v
```
E2E tests also run automatically in CI on every pull request and push to `main`, covering both the `build/index.js` CLI and the published Docker image.
## Development
Want to contribute or modify the server? Here's what you need to know:
1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies:
```bash
npm install
```
3. Make your changes to server.js
4. Test locally:
```bash
node server.js http://localhost:8000 your-test-token
```
The server is built with:
- [litemcp](https://github.com/wong2/litemcp): A TypeScript framework for building MCP servers
- [zod](https://github.com/colinhacks/zod): TypeScript-first schema validation
## API Documentation
This MCP server implements endpoints from the Paperless-NGX REST API. For more details about the underlying API, see the [official documentation](https://docs.paperless-ngx.com/api/).
## Running the MCP Server
The MCP server can be run in two modes:
### 1. stdio (default)
This is the default mode. The server communicates over stdio, suitable for CLI and direct integrations.
```
npm run start -- <baseUrl> <token>
```
### 2. HTTP (Streamable HTTP Transport)
To run the server as an HTTP service, use the `--http` flag. You can also specify the port with `--port` (default: 3000). This mode requires [Express](https://expressjs.com/) to be installed (it is included as a dependency).
```
npm run start -- <baseUrl> <token> --http --port 3000
```
- The MCP API will be available at `POST /mcp` on the specified port.
- Each request is handled statelessly, following the [StreamableHTTPServerTransport](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk) pattern.
- GET and DELETE requests to `/mcp` will return 405 Method Not Allowed.
#### Per-request API token (HTTP/Docker mode)
In HTTP mode, clients authenticate by supplying a Paperless-NGX API token via the standard `Authorization` header:
```
Authorization: Bearer <paperless-ngx-api-token>
```
The token is passed straight through to Paperless-NGX, so each client's own Paperless permissions are enforced end-to-end. This lets a single server instance serve multiple users, each with their own token. The same behaviour applies to both `/mcp` and `/sse` endpoints.
> **⚠️ Breaking change in v2.0.0 — HTTP mode is now authenticated by default.**
>
> Previously, a request with no `Authorization` header silently fell back to the server-configured `PAPERLESS_API_KEY`, which left the HTTP endpoint open to anyone who could reach the port. As of v2.0.0, requests without a `Bearer` token are rejected with `401 Unauthorized`. The server token is **never** used for unauthenticated requests unless you explicitly opt in with `--no-auth`.
| Scenario | `--no-auth` off (default) | `--no-auth` on |
|---|---|---|
| Client sends `Authorization: Bearer <tok>` | `<tok>` (client-supplied) | `<tok>` (client-supplied) |
| No header, `PAPERLESS_API_KEY` / `--token` set | `401 Unauthorized` | server token |
| No header, no server token | `401 Unauthorized` | `401 Unauthorized` |
**Migrating from v1.x:** if you relied on the old fallback (a single shared `PAPERLESS_API_KEY` with clients that don't send a token), you have two options:
1. **Recommended:** have each client send `Authorization: Bearer <paperless-token>`.
2. **Restore the old behaviour** (trusted/local networks only): start the server with the `--no-auth` flag, e.g. append it to the Docker `command`/args or your CLI invocation. This requires a server token (`PAPERLESS_API_KEY` or `--token`) to be configured.
<details>
<summary>Docker Deployment</summary>
The MCP server can be deployed using Docker and Docker Compose. The Docker image automatically runs in HTTP mode with SSE (Server-Sent Events) support on port 3000.
### Docker Compose Configuration
Create a `docker-compose.yml` file:
```yaml
services:
paperless-mcp:
container_name: paperless-mcp
image: ghcr.io/baruchiro/paperless-mcp:latest
environment:
- PAPERLESS_URL=http://your-paperless-ngx-server:8000
- PAPERLESS_API_KEY=your-paperless-api-key
- PAPERLESS_PUBLIC_URL=https://paperless-ngx.yourpublicurl.com
ports:
- "3000:3000"
restart: unless-stopped
```
Then run:
```bash
docker-compose up -d
```
### Using with Continue VS Code Extension
If you're using the [Continue VS Code extension](https://continue.dev/), you can configure it to use the Dockerized MCP server via SSE.
Create or edit `.continue/mcpServers/paperless-mcp.yaml` at your workspace root:
```yaml
name: Paperless
version: 0.0.1
schema: v1
mcpServers:
- name: Paperless
type: sse
url: http://localhost:3000/sse
```
**Notes:**
- Replace `localhost` with your Docker host's IP address or hostname if running on a remote server
- The Docker container handles authentication via environment variables, so no credentials are needed in the Continue config
- The SSE endpoint is available at `/sse` on the configured port (default: 3000)
</details>
# Credits
This project is a fork of [nloui/paperless-mcp](https://github.com/nloui/paperless-mcp). Many thanks to the original author for their work. Contributions and improvements may be returned upstream.
## Debugging
To debug the MCP server in VS Code, use the following launch configuration:
```json
{
"type": "node",
"request": "launch",
"name": "Debug Paperless MCP (HTTP, ts-node ESM)",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/ts-node/dist/bin.js",
"args": [
"--esm",
"src/index.ts",
"--http",
"--baseUrl",
"http://your-paperless-instance:8000",
"--token",
"your-api-token",
"--port",
"3002"
],
"env": {
"NODE_OPTIONS": "--loader ts-node/esm",
},
"console": "integratedTerminal",
"skipFiles": [
"<node_internals>/**"
]
}
```
**Important:** Before debugging, uncomment the following line in `src/index.ts` (around line 175):
```typescript
// await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000000));
```
This prevents the server from exiting immediately and allows you to set breakpoints and debug the code.
TDQS
B3.2/5.0
Scored across 45 tools
Disambiguation4/5
Most tools target a distinct resource+action, and descriptions clearly delineate overlapping areas (query_documents vs search_passages vs list_documents). The lingering deprecated search_documents alongside three other document-retrieval tools introduces some confusion, and bulk_edit_* tools partially overlap with individual delete_* operations, but boundaries are mostly clear.
Naming Consistency4/5
The set follows a strong verb_noun convention (list_, get_, create_, update_, delete_, bulk_edit_, search_, query_). Minor deviations exist: post_document instead of create_document/upload_document, and process_mail_account vs the mail-rule verbs, but these are readable and few.
Tool Count2/5
At 45 tools this surface is heavy. While each does roughly map to a resource/action across documents, tags, correspondents, document types, custom fields, notes, and mail accounts/rules, the sheer number (with deprecated and bulk variants layered on top) exceeds what most agents can select from reliably.
Completeness4/5
Coverage is broad: full CRUD for correspondents, document types, tags, custom fields, and mail rules, plus rich document read/upload/query/notes operations. Minor gaps remain — no singular get_tag and no first-class delete_document (only via bulk_edit_documents) — but agents can work around these.
Maintenance
ActivityMaintained
ResponsivenessNo issues