How-to

How do I…?

Short, practical guides — one question, one answer. Everything here works with the current version of dossier for macOS.

Set up

How do I set up my first project?Point dossier at a folder, drop files into the INBOX, and file your first document.How do I connect Claude (Anthropic)?Use an Anthropic API key for high-quality proposals and the assistant.How do I connect OpenAI?Use an OpenAI API key (the platform kind, not ChatGPT) as dossier's AI provider.How do I run fully local with Ollama?Use a local model so no document text ever leaves your Mac — no key, no cost.

Everyday filing

How do I write my convention?Describe your filing rules in plain language in CONVENTION.md — dossier applies them to every proposal.How do I file a whole backlog at once?Auto-file everything in the INBOX in one run — only high-confidence matches are filed, the rest wait for review.How do I make scanned PDFs searchable?Image-only PDFs get a text layer via Apple Vision OCR — on your Mac, not in a cloud.

Power features

How do I search across everything?Full-text search covers filenames, AI summaries, your notes, and the complete extracted text.How do I group files with paperclips?Clips collect related documents across folders — without moving a single file.How do I use the AI Assistant?A chat that can actually touch your archive — search, inspect, clip, and navigate to files.