Papra is a minimalistic document management and archiving platform. It is designed to be simple to use and accessible to everyone. Papra is a platform for long-term document storage and management, like a digital archive for your documents. In this step by step guide I will show you how to install Papra on your UGREEN NAS using Docker & Portainer.

💡Note: This guide works perfectly with the latest version of Papra v26.0.0

💡Note: Check out my guide on how to Install Papra on Your Synology NAS.

• STEP 1

Please Support My work by Making a Donation.

• STEP 2

Install Portainer using my step by step guide. If you already have Portainer installed on your UGREEN NAS, skip this STEP. Attention: Make sure you have installed the latest Portainer version.

• STEP 3

⚠️Mandatory: Enable HTTPS on your UGREEN NAS.

• STEP 4

Create a new hostname on the noip website using your noip account. For example, I have created mariuspapra as Host and I use the free ddns.net domain. In the IP Address area, type in your own IPV4 IP address from your ISP, then click Create. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 5

Go to Files and open the docker folder. Inside the docker folder, create one new folder and name it papra. Follow the instructions in the image below.
Note: Be careful to enter only lowercase, not uppercase letters.

• STEP 6

Now create one new folder inside the papra folder that you have previously created at STEP 5 and name it db. Follow the instructions in the image below.
Note: Be careful to enter only lowercase, not uppercase letters.

• STEP 7

Follow my step by step guide on how to activate SMTP for your Gmail account. This step is mandatory. Note: If you don’t want to use the easiest way for SMTP with Google and you already have SMTP details from your own Mail Server, you can just skip this STEP and use your personalized email SMTP details instead.

• STEP 8

Log into Portainer using your username and password. On the left sidebar in Portainer, click on Home then Live connect. Follow the instructions in the image below.

On the left sidebar in Portainer, click on Stacks then + Add stack. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 9

In the Name field type in papra. Follow the instructions in the image below.

Note: Copy Paste the code below in the Portainer Stacks Web editor.

services:
  papra:
    image: ghcr.io/papra-hq/papra:latest
    container_name: Papra
    user: 999:10
    healthcheck:
      test: timeout 10s bash -c ':> /dev/tcp/127.0.0.1/1221' || exit 1
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 3
      start_period: 90s
    environment:
      AUTH_SECRET: dOxZYTTZgXKMHkqLBIQVImayQXAVWdzGBPuFJKggzcgvgPJPXpWzqzKaUOIOGGIr
      APP_BASE_URL: https://mariuspapra.ddns.net #or http://yourNASIP:1221 if you want to use Papra only on localhost.
      DOCUMENT_STORAGE_MAX_UPLOAD_SIZE: 0 #The number 0 allows you to upload documents of any size.
      AUTH_FIRST_USER_AS_ADMIN: true #First user registration becomes Admin automatically.
      AUTH_IS_REGISTRATION_ENABLED: true #You can disable it after first user registration by adding false instead of true.
      INTAKE_EMAILS_IS_ENABLED: false #Intake emails address are used to automatically ingest emails into Papra.
      EMAILS_DRIVER: smtp
      LOGGER_EMAIL_DRIVER_LOG_LEVEL: info
      SMTP_HOST: smtp.gmail.com
      SMTP_PORT: 465
      SMTP_USER: Your-own-gmail-address
      SMTP_PASSWORD: Your-own-app-password
      SMTP_SECURE: true
    ports:
      - 1221:1221
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/papra:/app/app-data:rw
      - /volume1/docker/papra/db:/app-data/db/db.sqlite
    restart: on-failure:5

Note: Before you paste the code above in the Web editor area below, change the value numbers for user with your own UID and GID values. (Follow my step by step guide on how to do this.) 999 is my personal UID value and 10 is my personal GID value. You have to type in your own values.
Note: Before you paste the code above in the Web editor area below, change the value for AUTH_SECRET. (Generate your own Random 64 length AUTH_SECRET.)
Note: Before you paste the code above in the Web editor area below, change the value for APP_BASE_URL and type in your own NO IP DDNS with https:// at the beginning that you have previously created at STEP 4.
Note: Before you paste the code above in the Web editor area below, change the value for SMTP_USER and type in your own Gmail address. STEP 7.
Note: Before you paste the code above in the Web editor area below, change the value for SMTP_PASSWORD and type in your own Gmail app password. STEP 7. ⚠️Warning: Do NOT confuse with your own Gmail password. This is the Gmail APP password.

• STEP 10

Scroll down on the page until you see a button named Deploy the stack. Click on it. Follow the instructions in the image below. The installation process can take up to a few minutes. It will depend on your Internet speed connection.

• STEP 11

If everything goes right, you will see this message at the top right of your screen: “Success Stack successfully deployed“.

• STEP 12

Open your Nginx Proxy Manager container that you have previously installed at STEP 3. Click Add Proxy Host. A new pop up window will open. Add the following details:

Domain Names: Type in your own noip domain name that you have previously created at STEP 4.
Scheme: http
Forward Hostname/IP: Type in the local NAS IP of your UGREEN NAS.
Forward Port: Type in the Papra local Port that is 1221
Check Block Common Exploits
Check Websockets Support
Click the SSL tab. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 13

After you click the SSL tab, add the following details:

SSL Certificate: Request a new SSL Certificate
Check: Force SSL
Check: HSTS Enabled
Check: HTTP/2 Support
Click Save. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 14

In the Proxy Hosts area, if everything goes right, you will see that your papra hostname has been generated. Click on it. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 15

🟢Please Support My work by Making a Donation. Almost 99,9% of the people that install something using my guides forget to support my work, or just ignore STEP 1. I’ve been very honest about this aspect of my work since the beginning: I don’t run any ADS, I don’t require subscriptions, paid or otherwise, I don’t collect IPs, emails, and I don’t have any referral links from Amazon or other merchants. I also don’t have any POP-UPs or COOKIES. I have repeatedly been told over the years how much I have contributed to the community. It’s something I love doing and have been honest about my passion since the beginning. But I also Need The Community to Support me Back to be able to continue doing this work.

• STEP 16

Now open your browser and type in your HTTPS/SSL certificate like this https://yourname.ddns.net In my case it’s https://mariuspapra.ddns.net If everything goes right, you will see the Papra login page. Click Register. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 17

Type in your own details, then click Register. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 18

In the apposite field, type in a name for your organization. Click Create organization. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 19

Upload your documents!

• STEP 20

View your documents!

• STEP 21

Your documents at a glance!

• STEP 22

Invite new members on your team. On the left sidebar, click Members, then + Invite member. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 23

Type in the email of the user you want to invite. Select the Role. Click Invite to organization. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 24

Your invitation email at a glance!

Enjoy Papra on your UGREEEN NAS!

🆘TROUBLESHOOTING

⚠️Mandatory Add Read & Write Permissions to the Docker Folder. If you have already added the Read and Write Permissions to the Docker Folder, skip this STEP.

🆙Note/Update/Container: How to Update Your Docker Containers on UGREEN NAS Using Portainer.
🐳Note: How to Create Docker Shortcuts on Desktop.
🆕Note: How to Update Portainer to the latest version.
🆕Note: How to Clean Docker.

This post was updated on Wednesday / January 21st, 2026 at 3:14 PM