readur/docs/user-guide.md

User Guide

A comprehensive guide to using Readur's features for document management, OCR processing, and search.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• Supported File Types
• Using the Interface
  • Dashboard
  • Document Management
  • Advanced Search
  • Folder Watching
• Document Upload
• OCR Processing
• Search Features
• Tags and Organization
• User Settings
• Tips for Best Results

Getting Started

1. First Login:

   • Navigate to http://localhost:8000 (or your configured URL)
   • Use the default admin credentials (username: admin, password: readur2024)
   • Important: Change the default password immediately

2. Initial Setup:

   • Configure your user preferences
   • Set OCR language if different from English
   • Adjust search and display settings

3. Quick Start:

   • Upload your first document using drag-and-drop or the upload button
   • Wait for OCR processing to complete
   • Search for content within your documents

Supported File Types

Type	Extensions	OCR Support	Notes
PDF	.pdf	✅	Text extraction + OCR for scanned pages
Images	.png, .jpg, .jpeg, .tiff, .bmp, .gif	✅	Full OCR text extraction
Text	.txt, .rtf	❌	Direct text indexing
Office	.doc, .docx	⚠️	Limited support

Using the Interface

Dashboard

The dashboard provides an overview of your document system:

• Document Statistics:

  • Total documents in the system
  • Storage usage breakdown
  • OCR processing status
  • Recent activity timeline

• Quick Actions:

  • Upload new documents
  • Quick search bar
  • Access to recent documents
  • System notifications

Document Management

List/Grid View

• List View: Detailed document information in a table format
• Grid View: Visual thumbnails for quick browsing
• Toggle between views using the view selector in the top toolbar

Sorting Options

• Upload date (newest/oldest first)
• File name (A-Z/Z-A)
• File size (largest/smallest)
• Document type
• OCR status

Filtering

• By file type (PDF, images, text)
• By OCR status (completed, pending, failed)
• By date range
• By tags
• By source (uploaded, watched folder)

Bulk Actions

1. Select multiple documents using checkboxes
2. Available bulk actions:
   • Delete selected documents
   • Add/remove tags
   • Export document list
   • Reprocess OCR

Advanced Search

Readur offers powerful search capabilities:

Full-Text Search

• Search within document content
• Automatic stemming and fuzzy matching
• Phrase search with quotes: "exact phrase"
• Exclude terms with minus: -excluded

Search Filters

• Date Range: Find documents from specific time periods
• File Type: Limit search to specific formats
• File Size: Filter by document size
• OCR Status: Only search processed documents
• Tags: Search within tagged documents

Search Syntax

invoice 2024              # Find documents with both terms
"quarterly report"        # Exact phrase search
invoice -draft           # Exclude drafts
tag:important invoice    # Search within tagged documents
type:pdf contract        # Search only PDFs

Folder Watching

The folder watching feature automatically imports documents:

1. Non-destructive: Source files remain untouched
2. Automatic Processing: New files are detected and processed
3. Configurable Intervals: Adjust scan frequency
4. Multiple Sources: Watch local folders, network drives, cloud storage

Setting Up Watch Folders

1. Go to Settings → Sources
2. Add a new source with type "Local Folder"
3. Configure the path and scan interval
4. Enable/disable the source as needed

Document Upload

Manual Upload

1. Click the upload button or drag files to the upload area
2. Select one or multiple files
3. Add tags during upload (optional)
4. Click "Upload" to start processing

Drag and Drop

• Drag files directly from your file manager
• Drop anywhere on the document list page
• Multiple files can be dropped at once

Upload Limits

• Maximum file size: Configurable (default 50MB)
• Supported formats: See Supported File Types
• Batch upload: Up to 100 files at once

OCR Processing

Automatic OCR

• Starts automatically after upload
• Processes documents in background
• Priority queue for smaller files

OCR Settings

• Language: Select from 100+ languages
• Preprocessing: Enable image enhancement
• Auto-rotation: Correct document orientation
• Quality: Balance between speed and accuracy

OCR Status Indicators

• 🟢 Completed: Full text extracted
• 🟡 Processing: OCR in progress
• 🔴 Failed: Error during processing
• ⚪ Pending: Waiting in queue

Search Features

Quick Search

• Available in the header on all pages
• Instant results as you type
• Shows top 5 matches with snippets

Advanced Search Page

• Full search interface with all filters
• Export search results
• Save frequently used searches
• Search history

Search Tips

1. Use quotes for exact phrases
2. Combine filters for precise results
3. Use wildcards: inv* matches invoice, inventory
4. Search in specific fields: filename:report

Tags and Organization

Creating Tags

1. Select document(s)
2. Click "Add Tag"
3. Enter tag name or select existing
4. Tags are color-coded for easy identification

Tag Management

• Rename tags globally
• Merge similar tags
• Delete unused tags
• Set tag colors

Smart Collections

Create saved searches based on:

• Tag combinations
• Date ranges
• File types
• Custom criteria

User Settings

Personal Preferences

• Display: List/grid default view
• Language: Interface language
• Time Zone: For accurate timestamps
• Notifications: Email/in-app alerts

OCR Preferences

• Default OCR language
• Processing priority
• Image preprocessing options
• Batch size limits

Search Settings

• Results per page
• Default sort order
• Snippet length
• Fuzzy search threshold

Tips for Best Results

OCR Quality

1. Higher Resolution: 300+ DPI produces better OCR results
2. Clean Scans: Avoid skewed or dirty documents
3. Good Lighting: For photo captures, ensure even lighting
4. Text Contrast: Black text on white background works best

File Organization

1. Consistent Naming: Use descriptive, consistent file names
2. Regular Uploads: Don't let documents pile up
3. Use Tags: Tag documents immediately after upload
4. Folder Structure: Organize watch folders logically

Search Optimization

1. Use Filters: Combine text search with filters
2. Save Searches: Save frequently used search queries
3. Learn Syntax: Master search operators for better results
4. Index Regularly: Ensure all documents are processed

Performance Tips

1. Batch Processing: Upload similar documents together
2. Off-Peak Hours: Schedule large uploads during low-usage times
3. Monitor Queue: Check OCR queue status regularly
4. Clean Up: Remove outdated documents periodically

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

OCR Not Starting

• Check file size limits
• Verify supported file format
• Ensure OCR service is running

Search Not Finding Documents

• Confirm OCR completed successfully
• Check search syntax
• Try broader search terms

Slow Performance

• Review concurrent OCR job settings
• Check system resources
• Consider increasing memory limits

Next Steps

• Explore the API Reference for automation
• Learn about advanced configuration
• Set up automated workflows
• Optimize OCR performance