# scanbutler

scanbutler is a self-hosted productivity app. Turns scanned paper into searchable PDFs, one per document, named by topic and date. It is open source and self-hosted, installable on Unraid.

Canonical page: https://ourlocalhost.com/app/6844/scanbutler

## Description

Turns scanned paper into searchable PDFs, one per document, named by topic and date. The Stacks input splits large scans (hundreds of pages, no separator sheets) into documents by content. The Scanner input takes files from a document scanner, one document per file, and gives them the same OCR and naming. Uses Mistral OCR (batch API) and a Mistral chat model; the text layer comes from a fresh Tesseract pass. No web UI: progress is in the container log, and a review.md per stack in the Work folder lists uncertain splits. An optional third input only adds the text layer and uploads to Paperless-ngx. Optionally reports the queue to a webhook such as Home Assistant. Needs a Mistral API key.

## Platform availability

Available on 1 of 6 install platforms: Unraid.

## Health score

42/100 (Fair), based on 3 of 4 factors.
- Maintained: 75 (last commit 0 days ago)
- Popular: 6 (1 GitHub stars)
- Easy to install: 20 (1 install platform, Docker image)

## Links

- Unraid: https://ca.unraid.net/apps/scanbutler-1fxz5fl1x3nted?q=scanbutler
- GitHub: https://github.com/Tom-Joad/scanbutler

## Common questions

### How can I install Scanbutler on Unraid?

Install it from Community Apps on an Unraid server. The Unraid app page lists it as Scanbutler for Unraid.

### Does Scanbutler have a web UI?

No, there is no web UI. Progress is shown in the container log, and a review.md file per stack in the Work folder lists uncertain splits.

### Can Scanbutler send processed documents to Paperless-ngx?

Yes, an optional third input can add a text layer and upload files to Paperless-ngx.

### Can Scanbutler notify Home Assistant?

Yes, it can optionally report the queue to a webhook such as Home Assistant.

### What external service does Scanbutler need for OCR and naming?

It uses Mistral OCR and a Mistral chat model, so it needs a Mistral API key. Tesseract provides a fresh text layer.

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Source: Our Local Host (https://ourlocalhost.com/app/6844/scanbutler), the self-hosted and open-source app directory.