Search Inside Nextcloud and WebDAV Files with AI

Two Nextcloud connectors, two jobs

AnythingMCP has a Nextcloud connector for the Nextcloud API: users, groups, shares, server status. It does not read what is inside your files.

The WebDAV File Search connector does: it indexes the text of the files in a Nextcloud folder (or any WebDAV server) and lets your AI assistant search them by content, read pages and hand you a file. Use both if you need both.

Set it up

Step 1: Create an app password

In Nextcloud: Personal settings → Security → Devices & sessions → Create new app password. Use a dedicated user that can only read the folders you want to make searchable, for example a user ai-reader with read-only shares.

Step 2: Find the WebDAV address

• Nextcloud: https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/<user>/ (shown under Files → Settings → WebDAV).
• ownCloud: https://owncloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/<user>/.
• Synology DSM: install WebDAV Server, enable HTTPS (port 5006): https://nas.example.com:5006/<shared folder>/.
• QNAP: enable WebDAV in Control Panel → Network & File Services → WebDAV: https://nas.example.com:8081/<shared folder>/.

Step 3: Add the connector

1. In AnythingMCP, open Connectors → New → File Search and choose WebDAV / Nextcloud (or pick Nextcloud (File Search), ownCloud (File Search) or WebDAV / Nextcloud (File Search) in the Marketplace). The Nextcloud shortcut fills in the address pattern.
2. Enter the address, the user and the app password, and the folder to index (for example Documents/Projects).
3. Click Test connection, then Scan folder: the wizard shows every subfolder with its number of files and unticks the ones that look like archives. Untick what should not be searched, check the description AnythingMCP drafts from the scan and click Activate.
4. Add the connector to an MCP server and add that server to your AI client. Step by step for Nextcloud: Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Cursor, Muse; for ownCloud: Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Cursor, Muse; for any other WebDAV server: Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Cursor, Muse.

The Files tab shows the sync: files found and indexed, errors, last and next run. WebDAV reports a change marker (ETag) for every file, so the daily sync only downloads what changed.

What you can ask

• "Find the offer we sent to Schneider AG for the warehouse roof and summarise the price positions."
• "Which project folders contain a signed acceptance report (Abnahmeprotokoll) from this year?"
• "Search the meeting notes for decisions about the new ERP and list them with dates."
• "Give me the latest version of the employee handbook as a download link."

Good to know

• Read-only. The connector never uploads, moves or deletes files in Nextcloud.
• Shares and groups are respected through the account you connect: AnythingMCP sees exactly what that user sees. Use a dedicated user and share only what should be searchable.
• Encrypted folders (Nextcloud end-to-end encryption) cannot be read by any server-side tool and are skipped.
• Self-hosted Nextcloud in your network: a self-hosted AnythingMCP reaches it once an administrator adds the host to the outbound allowlist. AnythingMCP Cloud needs it to be reachable on the internet over HTTPS.

Related

• Search your company file server with AI
• Find prices in supplier price lists with AI
• Share files from an AI chat as download links
• Connect a Synology NAS to Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Cursor, Muse
• Connect a QNAP NAS to Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Cursor, Muse
• Connect an FTP or SFTP server to Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Cursor or Muse