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paperless-mcp

MCP.Pizza Chef: nloui

Sixteen commands reach into a Paperless-NGX archive you already run: full-text search, fetching and downloading a file, uploading a new one, and bulk changes across many documents at once, covering tags, sender, document type, merge, split, rotate and page deletion. Tags, senders and document types can be created and edited too. A token from your Paperless profile page is required. Note that the instructions describe a plain list-all-documents command that was never actually built; search does the same job. The code has not changed since November 2025.

Data
Files/PDF

Use This MCP server To

Find every invoice from last tax year Search my scans for a phrase I half remember Tag a batch of receipts all at once Upload a new scan and file it under the right sender Download a specific document to my computer Split one long scan into separate documents

README

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.

Quick Start

Installation

  1. Install the MCP server:
npm install -g paperless-mcp
  1. Add it to your Claude's MCP configuration:

For VSCode extension, edit ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paperless": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["paperless-mcp", "http://your-paperless-instance:8000", "your-api-token"]
    }
  }
}

For Claude desktop app, edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paperless": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["paperless-mcp", "http://your-paperless-instance:8000", "your-api-token"]
    }
  }
}

  1. 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

  2. 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

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'"

paperless-mcp FAQ

Do I need anything before this works?
Yes. You need a Paperless-NGX archive already running, on your own machine or a home server. This adds chat access to it; it does not store documents itself.
Do I need a key or token?
Yes, despite what some listings say. Log into Paperless, open My Profile, generate a token, and paste it into the config beside your server address.
Can I use this to find an old invoice?
Yes — ask in plain words and it searches the full text of every scanned document, then hands back the matches.
Which apps does it work in?
Claude Desktop and the Cline extension for VS Code are both documented, and any other MCP app that can run a local command works the same way.
Can it delete my documents?
Yes. Bulk editing includes delete, merge, split and page removal, so be specific about what you want changed.
Is the project still being updated?
Not recently. The last code change was November 2025. It still installs and runs, but do not expect new features.
Does everything in the instructions actually exist?
Almost. A plain list-all-documents command is written up but was never built. Search covers the same ground.
How hard is setup?
You paste one block into your app's settings with your Paperless address and token filled in. No building or coding involved.