mcp-nextcloud/docs/configuration.md

# Configuration

The Nextcloud MCP server requires configuration to connect to your Nextcloud instance. Configuration is provided through environment variables, typically stored in a `.env` file.

> **Note:** Configuration was significantly simplified in v0.58.0. If you're upgrading from v0.57.x, see the [Configuration Migration Guide](configuration-migration-v2.md).

## Quick Start

We provide mode-specific configuration templates for quick setup:

```bash
# Choose a template based on your deployment mode:
cp env.sample.single-user .env         # Simplest - one user, local dev
cp env.sample .env                     # Full reference with all options

# For multi-user Login Flow v2 (recommended), see the dedicated guide:
# docs/login-flow-v2.md#setup

# Edit .env with your Nextcloud details
```

> **Note:** The legacy templates `env.sample.oauth-multi-user` and `env.sample.oauth-advanced` configure the deprecated direct-OAuth-to-Nextcloud modes. New deployments should use [Login Flow v2](login-flow-v2.md) for multi-user setups.

Then choose your deployment mode:

- [Single-User BasicAuth](#single-user-basicauth-mode) - Simplest for personal instances
- [Multi-User BasicAuth](#multi-user-basicauth-mode) - Internal deployments with credential pass-through
- [Login Flow v2](#login-flow-v2-mode) - Recommended for hosted / OAuth-based MCP clients
- [Deployment Mode Selection](#deployment-mode-selection) - Explicit mode declaration

---

## Deployment Mode Selection

The server supports three deployment modes. See [Authentication](authentication.md) for the full comparison and [Login Flow v2](login-flow-v2.md) for the recommended multi-user setup.

| Mode | When to use |
|------|-------------|
| `single_user_basic` | Personal use, dev — credentials in env vars |
| `multi_user_basic` | Internal deployments — clients send credentials via `Authorization: Basic` header |
| `login_flow_v2` | Hosted / OAuth-based MCP clients (claude.ai, Astrolabe Cloud) — recommended for multi-user |

You can declare the mode explicitly:

```dotenv
MCP_DEPLOYMENT_MODE=login_flow_v2
```

If `MCP_DEPLOYMENT_MODE` is not set, the server auto-detects from the other env vars below.

---

## Single-User BasicAuth Mode

The simplest mode. Use for personal instances, local development, and testing.

```dotenv
NEXTCLOUD_HOST=https://your.nextcloud.instance.com
NEXTCLOUD_USERNAME=your_nextcloud_username
NEXTCLOUD_PASSWORD=your_app_password
```

| Variable | Required | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| `NEXTCLOUD_HOST` | ✅ Yes | Full URL of your Nextcloud instance |
| `NEXTCLOUD_USERNAME` | ✅ Yes | Your Nextcloud username |
| `NEXTCLOUD_PASSWORD` | ✅ Yes | Use a dedicated [Nextcloud app password](https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/latest/user_manual/en/session_management.html#managing-devices), not your login password |

---

## Multi-User BasicAuth Mode

Each MCP client sends its own Nextcloud credentials in an `Authorization: Basic` header. The server passes them through per-request and never persists them.

```dotenv
NEXTCLOUD_HOST=https://your.nextcloud.instance.com
ENABLE_MULTI_USER_BASIC_AUTH=true

# Optional: enable per-user app-password storage for background sync
TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY=<fernet-key>
TOKEN_STORAGE_DB=/app/data/tokens.db
```

`NEXTCLOUD_USERNAME` and `NEXTCLOUD_PASSWORD` must NOT be set in this mode.

---

## Login Flow v2 Mode

The recommended multi-user mode. MCP clients authenticate to the MCP server via OAuth; the server holds per-user Nextcloud app passwords (encrypted) obtained via Login Flow v2.

```dotenv
NEXTCLOUD_HOST=https://your.nextcloud.instance.com
ENABLE_LOGIN_FLOW=true

# App-password storage (required)
TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY=<fernet-key>
TOKEN_STORAGE_DB=/app/data/tokens.db

# Public URLs for browser redirects
NEXTCLOUD_MCP_SERVER_URL=https://mcp.example.com
NEXTCLOUD_PUBLIC_ISSUER_URL=https://your.nextcloud.instance.com
```

| Variable | Required | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| `NEXTCLOUD_HOST` | ✅ Yes | Internal URL of your Nextcloud instance (server-to-server) |
| `ENABLE_LOGIN_FLOW` | ✅ Yes | Set to `true` to enable Login Flow v2 |
| `TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY` | ✅ Yes | Fernet key for app-password encryption — generate with `python -c "from cryptography.fernet import Fernet; print(Fernet.generate_key().decode())"` |
| `TOKEN_STORAGE_DB` | ✅ Yes | Path to SQLite DB for stored app passwords (use a persistent volume) |
| `NEXTCLOUD_MCP_SERVER_URL` | ✅ Yes | Public URL of the MCP server (OAuth issuer) |
| `NEXTCLOUD_PUBLIC_ISSUER_URL` | ✅ Yes | Public URL of Nextcloud (for browser redirects during Login Flow v2) |

See [Login Flow v2](login-flow-v2.md) for full setup, scope reference, and troubleshooting.

---

## SSL/TLS Configuration (Optional)

If your Nextcloud instance uses a self-signed certificate or a private CA (common with reverse proxies like Traefik or Caddy), the MCP server will reject the connection by default. Use these settings to configure certificate verification.

### Custom CA Bundle (Recommended)

Point the server at your CA certificate file:

```dotenv
NEXTCLOUD_CA_BUNDLE=/etc/ssl/certs/my-ca.pem
```

With Docker, mount the certificate as a read-only volume:

```bash
docker run \
  -v /path/to/my-ca.pem:/etc/ssl/certs/my-ca.pem:ro \
  -e NEXTCLOUD_CA_BUNDLE=/etc/ssl/certs/my-ca.pem \
  -e NEXTCLOUD_HOST=https://nextcloud.local \
  --env-file .env \
  ghcr.io/cbcoutinho/nextcloud-mcp-server:latest
```

### Disable Verification (Development Only)

> [!WARNING]
> Disabling TLS verification is insecure. Only use this for local development or testing.

```dotenv
NEXTCLOUD_VERIFY_SSL=false
```

### Environment Variables Reference

| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|----------|----------|---------|-------------|
| `NEXTCLOUD_VERIFY_SSL` | ⚠️ Optional | `true` | Set to `false` to disable TLS certificate verification |
| `NEXTCLOUD_CA_BUNDLE` | ⚠️ Optional | - | Path to a PEM CA bundle file for custom certificate authorities |

### Scope

These settings apply to **all** outbound connections to Nextcloud and its OIDC endpoints, including:

- Nextcloud API calls (Notes, Calendar, Contacts, WebDAV, etc.)
- OIDC discovery and token endpoints
- OAuth client registration (DCR)
- Health checks

They do **not** affect connections to internal services (Ollama, Qdrant, Unstructured) which have their own SSL configuration.

---

## Semantic Search Configuration (Optional)

**New in v0.58.0:** Simplified semantic search configuration with automatic dependency resolution.

The MCP server includes semantic search capabilities powered by vector embeddings. This feature requires a vector database (Qdrant) and an embedding service.

### Quick Start

**Single-User Mode:**
```dotenv
NEXTCLOUD_HOST=http://localhost:8080
NEXTCLOUD_USERNAME=admin
NEXTCLOUD_PASSWORD=password

# Enable semantic search
ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH=true

# Vector database
QDRANT_LOCATION=:memory:

# Embedding provider
OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://ollama:11434
```

**Multi-User Login Flow v2 Mode:**
```dotenv
NEXTCLOUD_HOST=https://nextcloud.example.com
MCP_DEPLOYMENT_MODE=login_flow_v2
ENABLE_LOGIN_FLOW=true

# Enable semantic search
# In multi-user modes, this AUTOMATICALLY enables background operations!
ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH=true

# Required for background operations (auto-enabled by semantic search)
TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-key-here
TOKEN_STORAGE_DB=/app/data/tokens.db

# Vector database
QDRANT_URL=http://qdrant:6333

# Embedding provider
OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://ollama:11434
```

> **Note:** In multi-user modes (Login Flow v2, Multi-User BasicAuth), enabling `ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH` automatically enables background operations and refresh token storage. You don't need to set `ENABLE_BACKGROUND_OPERATIONS` separately!

### Qdrant Vector Database Modes

The server supports three Qdrant deployment modes:

1. **In-Memory Mode** (Default) - Simplest for development and testing
2. **Persistent Local Mode** - For single-instance deployments with persistence
3. **Network Mode** - For production with dedicated Qdrant service

#### 1. In-Memory Mode (Default)

No configuration needed! If neither `QDRANT_URL` nor `QDRANT_LOCATION` is set, the server defaults to in-memory mode:

```dotenv
# No Qdrant configuration needed - defaults to :memory:
ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH=true
```

**Pros:**
- Zero configuration
- Fast startup
- Perfect for testing

**Cons:**
- Data lost on restart
- Limited to available RAM

#### 2. Persistent Local Mode

For single-instance deployments that need persistence without a separate Qdrant service:

```dotenv
# Local persistent storage
QDRANT_LOCATION=/app/data/qdrant  # Or any writable path
ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH=true
```

**Pros:**
- Data persists across restarts
- No separate service needed
- Suitable for small/medium deployments

**Cons:**
- Limited to single instance
- Shares resources with MCP server

#### 3. Network Mode

For production deployments with a dedicated Qdrant service:

```dotenv
# Network mode configuration
QDRANT_URL=http://qdrant:6333
QDRANT_API_KEY=your-secret-api-key  # Optional
QDRANT_COLLECTION=nextcloud_content  # Optional
ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH=true
```

**Pros:**
- Scalable and performant
- Can be shared across multiple MCP instances
- Supports clustering and replication

**Cons:**
- Requires separate Qdrant service
- More complex deployment

### Qdrant Collection Naming

Collection names are automatically generated to include the embedding model, ensuring safe model switching and preventing dimension mismatches.

#### Auto-Generated Naming (Default)

**Format:** `{deployment-id}-{model-name}`

**Components:**
- **Deployment ID:** `OTEL_SERVICE_NAME` (if configured) or `hostname` (fallback)
- **Model name:** `OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL`

**Examples:**

```bash
# With OTEL service name configured
OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=my-mcp-server
OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL=nomic-embed-text
# → Collection: "my-mcp-server-nomic-embed-text"

# Simple Docker deployment (OTEL not configured)
# hostname=mcp-container
OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL=all-minilm
# → Collection: "mcp-container-all-minilm"
```

#### Switching Embedding Models

When you change `OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL`, a new collection is automatically created:

```bash
# Initial setup
OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL=nomic-embed-text
# Collection: "my-server-nomic-embed-text" (768 dimensions)

# Change model
OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL=all-minilm
# Collection: "my-server-all-minilm" (384 dimensions)
# → New collection created, full re-embedding occurs
```

**Important:**
- **Collections are mutually exclusive** - vectors cannot be shared between different embedding models
- **Switching models requires re-embedding** all documents (may take time for large note collections)
- **Old collection remains** in Qdrant and can be deleted manually if no longer needed

#### Explicit Override

Set `QDRANT_COLLECTION` to use a specific collection name:

```bash
QDRANT_COLLECTION=my-custom-collection  # Bypasses auto-generation
```

**Use cases:**
- Backward compatibility with existing deployments
- Custom naming schemes
- Sharing a collection across deployments (advanced)

#### Multi-Server Deployments

Each server should have a unique deployment ID to avoid collection collisions:

```bash
# Server 1 (Production)
OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=mcp-prod
OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL=nomic-embed-text
# → Collection: "mcp-prod-nomic-embed-text"

# Server 2 (Staging)
OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=mcp-staging
OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL=nomic-embed-text
# → Collection: "mcp-staging-nomic-embed-text"

# Server 3 (Different model)
OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=mcp-experimental
OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL=bge-large
# → Collection: "mcp-experimental-bge-large"
```

**Benefits:**
- Multiple MCP servers can share one Qdrant instance safely
- No naming collisions between deployments
- Clear collection ownership (can see which deployment and model)

#### Dimension Validation

The server validates collection dimensions on startup:

```
Dimension mismatch for collection 'my-server-nomic-embed-text':
  Expected: 384 (from embedding model 'all-minilm')
  Found: 768
This usually means you changed the embedding model.
Solutions:
  1. Delete the old collection: Collection will be recreated with new dimensions
  2. Set QDRANT_COLLECTION to use a different collection name
  3. Revert OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL to the original model
```

**What this prevents:**
- Runtime errors from dimension mismatches
- Data corruption in Qdrant
- Confusing error messages during indexing

### Background Indexing Configuration

Control background indexing behavior:

```dotenv
# Semantic search (ADR-007, ADR-021)
ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH=true           # Enable background indexing

# Tuning parameters (advanced - only modify if needed)
VECTOR_SYNC_SCAN_INTERVAL=300         # Scan interval in seconds (default: 5 minutes)
VECTOR_SYNC_PROCESSOR_WORKERS=3       # Concurrent indexing workers (default: 3)
VECTOR_SYNC_QUEUE_MAX_SIZE=10000      # Max queued documents (default: 10000)

# Document chunking settings (for vector embeddings)
DOCUMENT_CHUNK_SIZE=512               # Words per chunk (default: 512)
DOCUMENT_CHUNK_OVERLAP=50             # Overlapping words between chunks (default: 50)
```

> **Note:** The `VECTOR_SYNC_*` tuning parameters keep their names as they're implementation details. Only the user-facing feature flag was renamed to `ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH`.

### Embedding Service Configuration

The server uses an embedding service to generate vector representations. Two options are available:

#### Ollama (Recommended)

Use a local Ollama instance for embeddings:

```dotenv
OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://ollama:11434
OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL=nomic-embed-text  # Default model
OLLAMA_VERIFY_SSL=true                   # Verify SSL certificates
```

#### Simple Embedding Provider (Fallback)

If `OLLAMA_BASE_URL` is not set, the server uses a simple random embedding provider for testing. This is **not suitable for production** as it generates random embeddings with no semantic meaning.

### Document Chunking Configuration

The server chunks documents before embedding to handle documents larger than the embedding model's context window. Chunk size and overlap can be tuned based on your embedding model and content type.

#### Choosing Chunk Size

**Smaller chunks (256-384 words)**:
- More precise matching
- Less context per chunk
- Better for finding specific information
- Higher storage requirements (more vectors)

**Larger chunks (768-1024 words)**:
- More context per chunk
- Less precise matching
- Better for understanding broader topics
- Lower storage requirements (fewer vectors)

**Default (512 words)**:
- Balanced approach suitable for most use cases
- Works well with typical note lengths
- Good compromise between precision and context

#### Choosing Overlap

Overlap preserves context across chunk boundaries. Recommended settings:

- **10-20% of chunk size** (e.g., 50-100 words for 512-word chunks)
- **Too small** (<10%): May lose context at boundaries
- **Too large** (>20%): Redundant storage, diminishing returns

**Examples**:
```dotenv
# Precise matching for short notes
DOCUMENT_CHUNK_SIZE=256
DOCUMENT_CHUNK_OVERLAP=25

# Default balanced configuration
DOCUMENT_CHUNK_SIZE=512
DOCUMENT_CHUNK_OVERLAP=50

# More context for long documents
DOCUMENT_CHUNK_SIZE=1024
DOCUMENT_CHUNK_OVERLAP=100
```

**Important**: Changing chunk size requires re-embedding all documents. The collection naming strategy (see "Qdrant Collection Naming" above) helps manage this by creating separate collections for different configurations.

### Environment Variables Reference

| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|----------|----------|---------|-------------|
| `ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH` | ⚠️ Optional | `false` | Enable semantic search with background indexing (replaces `VECTOR_SYNC_ENABLED`) |
| `QDRANT_URL` | ⚠️ Optional | - | Qdrant service URL (network mode) - mutually exclusive with `QDRANT_LOCATION` |
| `QDRANT_LOCATION` | ⚠️ Optional | `:memory:` | Local Qdrant path (`:memory:` or `/path/to/data`) - mutually exclusive with `QDRANT_URL` |
| `QDRANT_API_KEY` | ⚠️ Optional | - | Qdrant API key (network mode only) |
| `QDRANT_COLLECTION` | ⚠️ Optional | Auto-generated | Qdrant collection name |
| `VECTOR_SYNC_SCAN_INTERVAL` | ⚠️ Optional | `300` | Document scan interval (seconds) |
| `VECTOR_SYNC_PROCESSOR_WORKERS` | ⚠️ Optional | `3` | Concurrent indexing workers |
| `VECTOR_SYNC_QUEUE_MAX_SIZE` | ⚠️ Optional | `10000` | Max queued documents |
| `OLLAMA_BASE_URL` | ⚠️ Optional | - | Ollama API endpoint for embeddings |
| `OLLAMA_EMBEDDING_MODEL` | ⚠️ Optional | `nomic-embed-text` | Embedding model to use |
| `OLLAMA_VERIFY_SSL` | ⚠️ Optional | `true` | Verify SSL certificates |
| `DOCUMENT_CHUNK_SIZE` | ⚠️ Optional | `512` | Words per chunk for document embedding |
| `DOCUMENT_CHUNK_OVERLAP` | ⚠️ Optional | `50` | Overlapping words between chunks (must be < chunk size) |

**Deprecated variables (still functional):**
- `VECTOR_SYNC_ENABLED` - Use `ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH` instead (will be removed in v1.0.0)

### Docker Compose Example

Enable network mode Qdrant with docker-compose:

```yaml
services:
  mcp:
    environment:
      - QDRANT_URL=http://qdrant:6333
      - ENABLE_SEMANTIC_SEARCH=true

  qdrant:
    image: qdrant/qdrant:latest
    ports:
      - 127.0.0.1:6333:6333
    volumes:
      - qdrant-data:/qdrant/storage
    profiles:
      - qdrant  # Optional service

volumes:
  qdrant-data:
```

Start with Qdrant service:
```bash
docker-compose --profile qdrant up
```

Or use default in-memory mode (no `--profile` needed):
```bash
docker-compose up
```

---

## Loading Environment Variables

After creating your `.env` file, load the environment variables:

### On Linux/macOS

```bash
# Load all variables from .env
export $(grep -v '^#' .env | xargs)
```

### On Windows (PowerShell)

```powershell
# Load variables from .env
Get-Content .env | ForEach-Object {
    if ($_ -match '^\s*([^#][^=]*)\s*=\s*(.*)$') {
        [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable($matches[1].Trim(), $matches[2].Trim(), "Process")
    }
}
```

### Via Docker

```bash
# Docker automatically loads .env when using --env-file
docker run -p 127.0.0.1:8000:8000 --env-file .env --rm \
  ghcr.io/cbcoutinho/nextcloud-mcp-server:latest
```

---

## CLI Configuration

Some configuration options can also be provided via CLI arguments. CLI arguments take precedence over environment variables.

### OAuth-related CLI Options

```bash
uv run nextcloud-mcp-server --help

Options:
  --oauth / --no-oauth            Force OAuth mode (if enabled) or
                                  BasicAuth mode (if disabled). By default,
                                  auto-detected based on environment
                                  variables.
  --oauth-client-id TEXT          OAuth client ID (can also use
                                  NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_ID env var)
  --oauth-client-secret TEXT      OAuth client secret (can also use
                                  NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET env var)
  --mcp-server-url TEXT           MCP server URL for OAuth callbacks (can
                                  also use NEXTCLOUD_MCP_SERVER_URL env
                                  var)  [default: http://localhost:8000]
```

### Server Options

```bash
Options:
  -h, --host TEXT                 Server host  [default: 127.0.0.1]
  -p, --port INTEGER              Server port  [default: 8000]
  -w, --workers INTEGER           Number of worker processes
  -r, --reload                    Enable auto-reload
  -l, --log-level [critical|error|warning|info|debug|trace]
                                  Logging level  [default: info]
  -t, --transport [sse|streamable-http|http]
                                  MCP transport protocol  [default: sse]
```

### App Selection

```bash
Options:
  -e, --enable-app [notes|tables|webdav|calendar|contacts|deck]
                                  Enable specific Nextcloud app APIs. Can
                                  be specified multiple times. If not
                                  specified, all apps are enabled.
```

### Example CLI Usage

```bash
# OAuth mode with custom client and port
uv run nextcloud-mcp-server --oauth \
  --oauth-client-id abc123 \
  --oauth-client-secret xyz789 \
  --port 8080

# BasicAuth mode with specific apps only
uv run nextcloud-mcp-server --no-oauth \
  --enable-app notes \
  --enable-app calendar
```

---

## Configuration Best Practices

### For Development

- Use Single-User BasicAuth for the fastest local setup (one user, one app password)
- Store `.env` file in your project directory
- Add `.env` to `.gitignore`

### For Production

Pick the mode that matches your deployment topology — there is no single "always" answer:

- **Multi-user / hosted** — use [Login Flow v2](login-flow-v2.md). MCP clients authenticate via OAuth 2.1 + DCR (no pre-configured client to manage); per-user Nextcloud access is stored as encrypted app passwords.
- **Internal multi-user** — Multi-User BasicAuth pass-through (clients send `Authorization: Basic` headers) is fully supported when users manage their own Nextcloud credentials.
- **Personal / self-hosted** — Single-User BasicAuth with a Nextcloud app password is the simplest production setup.

In all modes:

- Use environment variables from your deployment platform (Docker secrets, Kubernetes ConfigMaps, etc.)
- Never commit credentials to version control
- SQLite database permissions are handled automatically by the server

### For Docker

- Under Login Flow v2, mount the encrypted app-password store as a volume so per-user provisioning survives container restarts:
  ```bash
  docker run -v $(pwd)/data:/app/data --env-file .env \
    ghcr.io/cbcoutinho/nextcloud-mcp-server:latest --oauth
  ```
  (`TOKEN_STORAGE_DB=/app/data/tokens.db` in `.env`.)
- Use Docker secrets for sensitive values in production (`TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY`, `NEXTCLOUD_PASSWORD`, etc.)

---

## See Also

- [Configuration Migration Guide v2](configuration-migration-v2.md) - **New in v0.58.0:** Migrate from old variable names
- [Authentication](authentication.md) - Authentication modes comparison
- [Login Flow v2](login-flow-v2.md) - Recommended multi-user setup
- [Running the Server](running.md) - Starting the server with different configurations
- [Troubleshooting](troubleshooting.md) - Common configuration issues
- [ADR-021](ADR-021-configuration-consolidation.md) - Configuration consolidation architecture decision
- [ADR-022](ADR-022-deployment-mode-consolidation.md) - Deployment mode consolidation