Adds a section about how the 2 install types can add external plugins

This commit is contained in:
Trenton H
2026-03-20 14:55:17 -07:00
parent bd9e529a63
commit 1e30490a46

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@@ -723,6 +723,81 @@ services:
1. Note the `:ro` tag means the folder will be mounted as read only. This is for extra security against changes
## Installing third-party parser plugins {#parser-plugins}
Third-party parser plugins extend Paperless-ngx to support additional file
formats. A plugin is a Python package that advertises itself under the
`paperless_ngx.parsers` entry point group. Refer to the
[developer documentation](development.md#making-custom-parsers) for how to
create one.
!!! warning "Third-party plugins are not officially supported"
The Paperless-ngx maintainers do not provide support for third-party
plugins. Issues caused by or requiring changes to a third-party plugin
will be closed without further investigation. Always reproduce problems
with all plugins removed before filing a bug report.
### Docker
Use a [custom container initialization script](#custom-container-initialization)
to install the package before the webserver starts. Create a shell script and
mount it into `/custom-cont-init.d`:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# /path/to/my/scripts/install-parsers.sh
pip install my-paperless-parser-package
```
Mount it in your `docker-compose.yml`:
```yaml
services:
webserver:
# ...
volumes:
- /path/to/my/scripts:/custom-cont-init.d:ro
```
The script runs as `root` before the webserver starts, so the package will be
available when Paperless-ngx discovers plugins at startup.
### Bare metal
Install the package into the same Python environment that runs Paperless-ngx.
If you followed the standard bare-metal install guide, that is the `paperless`
user's environment:
```bash
sudo -Hu paperless pip3 install my-paperless-parser-package
```
If you are using `uv` or a virtual environment, activate it first and then run:
```bash
uv pip install my-paperless-parser-package
# or
pip install my-paperless-parser-package
```
Restart all Paperless-ngx services after installation so the new plugin is
discovered.
### Verifying installation
On the next startup, check the application logs for a line confirming
discovery:
```
Loaded third-party parser 'My Parser' v1.0.0 by Acme Corp (entrypoint: 'my_parser').
```
If this line does not appear, verify that the package is installed in the
correct environment and that its `pyproject.toml` declares the
`paperless_ngx.parsers` entry point.
## MySQL Caveats {#mysql-caveats}
### Case Sensitivity