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DevonThink - Personal Knowledge Management

DEVONthink 4.2 User Manual

DEVONthink To Go 4.0 - Getting Started Guide

 

Online Version

 

 

DevonThink - v4.2

DEVONTHINK 4.2

© 2001-2026 DEVONtechnologies, LLC

Contents

Getting Started

Welcome to DEVONthink, a powerful assistant in your quest to organize many kinds of information. From recipes to your dissertation, hobbies to health, for work or home, DEVONthink can help you gather, organize, and connect your data. This manual will help get you familiarized with DEVONthink's concepts, interface, and options. We begin with simple overviews, move into descriptions of the essential elements, then conclude with the deepest details in the appendix.

This manual is meant as a handy reference, not as a series of mandates on how you must use it. DEVONthink can be used very simply or in very complex ways and each person brings their own personal approach to using it. With the flexibility and capabilities built-in, the possibilities are seemingly limitless. To that end, it's impossible for this guide to be exhaustive. But we strive to provide a guidebook of the core concepts, philosophy, and the controls of this application.

Conventions: To reduce redundancy and assist in connecting sections in this manual, we make use of links throughout the content. These links will help direct you from concept to concept, introduction to description, from general to specifics. As you read, you should notice certain typographical conventions.

Pro+ Features: There are some features only available in the Pro and Server editions of DEVONthink. As seen here, the text for these features will appear in blue or display a blue sidebar to the left of the section.

Style: Lastly, to aid in readability we try to use less formal language for some interface items. For example, we will use a shorted form like "the Tags inspector" versus "the Tools > Inspectors > AI > Tags inspector", when possible. However, for certain items like multi-tabbed settings, we will typically include the parent setting's name, e.g., " the General > Appearance settings" as the specific setting isn't immediately visible when opening DEVONthink's settings.

We hope our efforts in providing solid information and our mindfulness in trying to avoid information and link overload makes this an approachable, and possibly even enjoyable, resource for you.

Warmest Regards, The DEVONtechnologies Team

Now let's get into it…

First and Last Steps

Installing

If you haven't already installed DEVONthink, here are the easy steps to accomplish that:

Note:

DEVONthink should be installed in the /Applications directory to properly work with macOS Services and DEVONagent. Also, while a logout/login or a restart isn't required, it is recommended.

macOS Privacy Options

With continued changes in Apple's security policies, you are now required to explicitly grant permissions for many actions your applications perform. Regarding DEVONthink, here are options you always should allow in macOS' System Settings > Privacy & Security, noting these allowances already had been granted for years preceding Apple's changes:

Some of the features of the Sorter require specific permissions. Enable DEVONthink for these settings:

Licensing

Now that you've got DEVONthink installed and given it permissions, you want to activate your license on this Mac. A purchase or upgrade comes with two seats so you can install on two Macs, say a desktop and a laptop. Do this on each Mac for which you want to use a seat….

Updating

Updates to DEVONthink are done per the schedule set in Settings > General > General > Check for Updates. If you'd like to check manually, choose DEVONthink > Check For Updates.

Note:

When checking for updates no information is uploaded from your computer to the DEVONtechnologies server. DEVONthink only downloads a file containing a list of the current versions to compare with your installed version.

If you need to manually update the software, follow the previous installation instructions, but allow the Finder to overwrite the old version. Your database(s) will not be affected. To avoid any potential problems, do not use a third-party uninstaller utility. Just replace the current version, as directed.

Uninstalling

If for some reason you need to fully uninstall DEVONthink from your Mac, trash the following files and folders (~ stands for your account's home folder):

Note:

In troubleshooting situations, please do not uninstall the software without talking to our support team beforehand. Most issues can be resolved without uninstalling the software.

DEVONthink Simplified


DEVONthink is a very flexible application, appealing to a broad range of people and accommodating many different working styles. Since people use it in such diverse ways, it often leads people to believe there is a "steep learning curve" associated with it. The truth of the matter is DEVONthink is a powerful application built on simple, and often familiar components and concepts. Here we'll cover the basics.

Interface

DEVONthink has two main window types: a main window (seen immediately when the software opens), and document windows. These windows are used in already familiar ways, supporting drag and drop, sorting on different attributes, full screen views, etc. Whatever you're doing in DEVONthink, you will be using one or both types of windows.

Similar to the Finder, DEVONthink supports different ways of viewing your items, e.g., in lists or as icons, navigating and viewing details about your documents, etc. Unlike the Finder, you can also import new content in a variety of ways, annotate documents, process documents from email to invoices, run (and create) automations, and much more, all within one application. As we move through this manual, we'll cover more specifics about the interface, e.g, types of windows and what the inspectors are for.

DEVONthink also has a powerful suite of tools found in its menus. Many of these are also found in the context menus when Control-clicking items. And to fine-tune your experience, it also has extensive settings.

Databases

Beyond the interface, DEVONthink has only a few core working components: databases and items. Items are comprised of two essential components: groups and documents.

Note:

Throughout the documentation, we use item to represent both groups and documents. Things that only apply to one or the other will use the appropriate term. We also distinguish between groups in DEVONthink and "folders" in the Finder. This importance of this distinction becomes more evident in the In & Out chapter.

Displayed as  and shown only in the Navigate sidebar, databases are the fundamental unit in DEVONthink, filled with items. No matter if your content is grouped, ungrouped, or a mix, it is all housed inside your database. You add, remove, organize, and search for files within DEVONthink, just as you've done in the Finder forever. Simple.

When you create a database, it is made as a self-contained package in the Finder. (Package files are technically folders that are handled like single files by the Finder.) This makes your database a simple, portable unit that can be backed up or transferred as a singular file.

DEVONthink databases are not merely a series of files and folders in the Finder, but are isolated from each other and function a bit more like disks. When you plug in an external drive, it appears in the Finder's sidebar isolated from other disks, but still capable of moving and organizing data on it. In a similar fashion, open databases appear in DEVONthink's sidebar and behave in much the same way.

Global Inbox: Displayed as , when you launch DEVONthink, you will immediately see a database called Inbox. This is a special database and a core component of the software. As an essential part of the software, you can't delete or close it, as it provides an always open database for quickly storing unfiled or transient data.

Imagine you are reading about fission reactions and someone sends a link about a vacation place in Bali. You jump to the website and quickly clip a webarchive of the page. But instead of putting it in your research database, you add it to the Global Inbox and get back to work. You can go back later and read or sort things to other databases. If you are familiar with productivity strategies like Getting Things Done, you'll recognize the concept.

The Global Inbox is also special as it is the only database you can add a shortcut to in the Finder's sidebar. This allows you to save a file into the Global Inbox from other applications, even adding items to it while DEVONthink isn't running.

All databases also have an Inbox group with the same purpose as the Global Inbox. It just allows you to save unfiled data to a more specific database, as needed.

Groups

One of the two basic items are groups. No different than the folders and groups found in many other applications, they merely serve as ways to keep certain bits of data together. But within the DEVONthink groups are a few variations. They are all simple to recognize and understand, but they bear being introduced individually.

Ordinary Groups: Displayed as  , these are analogous to folders in the Finder. Except for underlying technology, groups operate in the same fashion. Groups are the simplest way to segregate data. Creating, adding and removing contents, and deleting are all essentially the same. DEVONthink allows you to create deeply nested hierarchies or simple shallow groups, whatever you need to keep things organized in a way that makes sense to you.

New empty groups can be made with the Data > New > Group command. Groups of selected items can be easily made and unmade via the Group Items and Ungroup Items commands in the Data menu. These commands are also in the context menu.

Groups are also the target of DEVONthink's classify function. The AI compares document contents and locations and offers suggestions for where items may best be filed. As documents are filed, manually or taking the AI's suggestions, it becomes more and more adept at helping you file more efficiently.

Group Tags: Displayed as  , these are created and operate like ordinary groups, with one extra function: the name of a group tag is applied as a tag to its contents (sometimes referred to as "children"). By unchecking Exclude Groups from Tagging, any group you create will function this way. For individual groups, you have the option of choosing Exclude from Tagging from the context menu or Generic Info inspector.

As you add items to a group tag, they are automatically tagged with the parent folders' name. Similarly, removing items from a group tag will remove the parent tags. If you create sub-groups, these will also be created as group tags. This can be useful if you're using a group for staging purposes, e.g., a groups for unassigned, in progress, and done items. Moving files between these groups would change the tag to its current parent group.

Smart Groups: Displayed as , smart groups should be familiar to anyone using saved searches in the Finder. Similar to them, smart groups don't actually contain anything. They merely show you items matching the criteria you specify. Sometimes broadly used in situations where deeply nested groups are not used, you can create as many as you'd like no matter your approach.

These special groups allow you to create virtual groups based on any number of matching criteria. These can be simple, e.g., "all PDF files in a database", or complex, like "all unread documents with a specific color label added in the last week but excluding HTML files". If you like to use a looser filing method, using smart groups allows you to file your items with less concern about where they're located in the database. With smart groups you can also have items appear in more than one smart group without replicating or duplicating files explicitly. For example, a smart group could show items tagged with "taxes". You could then create another smart group with items tagged with "taxes","business", and "2018".

Local smart groups, i.e., ones applied to a specific database, can be created and edited via the Data > New > Smart Group command. You can also find this command in the context menu when Control-clicking in the item list. Smart groups can also be created when doing an Advanced search.

When you create a new database, DEVONthink automatically adds a few of predefined smart groups for your convenience:

Note:

Smart groups filtering on dates or unread status are shown with special icons.

Smart Rules: Displayed as  and found only in the Navigate sidebar, smart rules are a type of smart group with an extra function: they not only match items by the criteria you specify, they can also act on them. These actions can even trigger when certain events happen. For example, you could have a smart rule matching PDFs in the Global Inbox and have newly added PDFs be added to the Reading List.

Documents

The second basic item in DEVONthink are documents. No different than the Finder, documents are any files you add or create in your databases. Perhaps you are importing spreadsheets for work, or PDFs for your thesis. Maybe some photos from your vacation you want to link to in a Markdown document you're working on. They're all just documents.

DEVONthink supports adding many kinds of files to your databases, but note the type of file determines its usefulness in the database. For example, images can easily be added but searching for them is limited to searching by attributes like file type or filename. Remember DEVONthink excels at text-based operations, so files like rich text or PDFs are very well supported. We go more in-depth about the native and third-party file formats in the Documents chapter.

While not types of document per se, there are two variations on documents available to you: duplicates and replicants.

Duplicates: Displayed with  to the right of a document's name or the name optionally shown in blue type, there are two ways to get a duplicate in your database. Firstly, just as you'd expect in the Finder, select a file and press ⌘D: a duplicate is made. Secondly, if DEVONthink examines the contents and determines it has another file with the same content, it will mark them as duplicates. Making changes to the content of one will usually remove its duplicate status. But if documents have sufficiently similar content, they will be marked as duplicates of each other. For example, if you have pay stubs in a database and the only changing content is the date, the content is essentially "the same". The more text in the document that's the same, the more likely it will be detected as a duplicate. Five words in a document with 100 words is a large proportion of the text. Five words out of 10,000 words is a much smaller proportion and likely to be considered a duplicate. If you want only exact duplicates to be marked, enable the Files > General > Stricter recognition of duplicates setting.

Replicants: Displayed with  to the right of a document's name or the name optionally shown in red type, replicants are conceptually similar to aliases in the Finder. Replicants are one file showing up in more than one location, called instances. However, they consume no more space than a single file. Since they are clones, changes made to any instance of a document apply to all instances. This makes them useful when you want to file a document in more than one location, but don't want to have to update each document individually. It can also be useful if you have larger files you want filed in more than one group. A 10 MB PDF, replicated in ten different groups, would only use 10 MB of space in the database.

It's even possible to have a document that is both replicated and a duplicate. This will display this icon to the right of the name:

It's important that you understand how replicants work before you begin making changes to documents. Any changes to a replicant are carried over to all replicants; as you might imagine, this means that you can to do some very powerful (and potentially negative) things with your database's contents via replicants. Duplicates, on the other hand, allow you to change the files without modifying the original document or group. Duplicates are less powerful than replicants, but no less important in the grand scheme of database organization.

Note:

Replicants cannot be created in the same location as the originating file, nor can they be made across databases.

The Details

We hope this has given you some insight into the basics of DEVONthink. DEVONthink is deep and powerful, but understanding these basic concepts and seeing parts you are already familiar with will hopefully dispel some of the "fear" that it's complicated and hard to learn.

That being said, we also have more in-depth information for you. From simple overviews of menu commands to details in the appendix can be found in the remainder of this guide.

Building Your Database

Now that we've discussed the philosophy and core elements of DEVONthink, let's discuss actually making one.

Choosing the type of database

As you've read, a database is the core element you work with in DEVONthink — the place where you store, organize, find, and access your documents. But not every database has the same purpose or requires the same level of privacy and control. So DEVONthink offers several types of databases from which to choose.

Database (unencrypted): The most commonly used type, an unencrypted database is used for any purpose, from personal to professional. Easily created and able to grow as large as needed (and your internal disk space allows), these are the core type used by many people. The file extension in the Finder is .dtBase2.

Encrypted Databases: If you have databases containing sensitive or private information you want to lock away when not in use, create an encrypted database. This is specialized AES-256 encrypted disk image with a file extension of .dtSparse when closed. The mounted disk will not appear in the Finder's sidebar or on your desktop when it's open. To further enhance security, quitting DEVONthink or closing the database unmounts the disk, again locking its contents away. This means you are always required to enter the password to access it. To help visually identify it, an encrypted database will display a  key property icon to the right of the database's name in the Navigate sidebar.

Revision-Proof Database: If you have mandatory requirements to store documents that can't be edited, e.g., for tax or legal reasons, an revision-proof database fulfills this goal. Revision-proof databases are archival and intended to be compliant with legal or financial standards. They are not working databases, but ones in which you store and "lock away" important documents. As such, they are inherently very limited in what you can do with them.

You can create groups or smart groups and you can import documents to the database. For long-term storage compliance, you can convert PDFs to PDF/A before you add them to your database. Once you add a document to the database, it is read-only and cannot be edited. The limitations also prohibits using actions like services or adding files via automation to add files. OCR and imprinting documents is also prohibited. If you open a document in an external application and attempt to edit it, you will be warned it's locked. If you make a change, it will not persist. Your only option is to duplicate and save a new version outside the database.

Every item added to the database is stored in an uneditable internal log with the metadata like the name, content hash, and filesystem dates. If you rename a document, the original name is still preserved. Dates cannot be changed. And even if you delete a document, the deletion is also recorded. All these interactions can be audited for selected documents or you can export an audit report for the whole database.

An revision-proof database can be synced like any other database. However, it can only be imported to another Mac as an revision-proof database.

As preserving the security and integrity of the documents is paramount, there are also filesystem safeguards in place. For example, the Path in the Generic inspector does not display the document's file path, nor can you reveal the file in the Finder or copy its path. If you attempt to rename the database file in the Finder, it cannot be opened. And any attempt to modify the internals of an open revision-proof database will result in irreparable damage to it.

These databases are clearly not for casual use and should be utilized when your situation requires it.

Note:

revision-proof databases are completely incompatible with DEVONthink 3.x.

Technically similar to encrypted databases and mounted in a protected disk image, the file extension when closed is .dtArchive. In the Navigate sidebar, each revision-proof database has a  icon to the right of its name.

When you create an encrypted or revision-proof database, you need to provide a few extra pieces of information:

Spotlight Indexing: For all types of databases, you have the option to let Spotlight index its contents. However, the Spotlight index is stored locally and isn't encrypted so Spotlight is typically disabled for encrypted databases. Otherwise, someone potentially could see a document exists via a Spotlight search. However, they wouldn't be able to open and access the database without the proper key. Spotlight indexing can be enabled and disabled per-database in the Database Properties.

Database Location

Ideally, databases are stored in the Databases folder in your home directory, as that folder is: quickly accessible, not synced via iCloud, and generally part of a standard backup. Alternatively, you can store it on a connected external hard drive, if your internal drive space is low. You can put the database on an NAS but we only recommend this if you're on a hardwired gigabit Ethernet connection or better. That being said, you cannot create or store a database in a cloud-synced folder, e.g., iCloud Drive or Dropbox. This is not data-safe so the behavior is explicitly disallowed. If you try to open a database in one of these locations, you will be prompted to let DEVONthink move the database, or reveal it so you can manually relocate it.

You may think it is a clever idea to store your databases on an SD card; a portable database on hyper-portable media. However, this is not a good idea as this type of media are not robust or made for long-term storage. (Consider how quickly pro photographers offload their SD cards to other drives.) We would caution you about thumb drives as well.

Once you've determined what type of database you need, select File > New Database and select the type. Give your database an easily recognizable name, set any type-specific options as mentioned above, then choose where you want to save it.

Adding your files

Adding items to a database is often a simple matter of dragging and dropping files into your database. And we've covered many other options in the important In and Out chapter. But the question is: What should I put in it, everything or…?

While you may be tempted to dump every file on your hard drive into DEVONthink and sort it out later, you're best off being more selective in what you add (especially in the beginning). Consider this: On your Mac are hundreds of thousands of files, including in your User Library. Many of those files are never seen or accessed by you. Putting your entire user account in a database only adds an incredible amount of useless data. And weeding these unwanted files out after-the-fact is both time-consuming and frustrating. DEVONthink is not a Finder nor a Spotlight replacement and having a database filled with 90% useless documents is no practical benefit to you. Also remember, DEVONthink has to index the metadata and contents of any compatible files. Indexing unnecessary files bloats the index of a database and leads to imprecise search results and false positives.

However, if you are working in your Documents folder, that would be more useful to add. Or if you are working on separate topics in that folder, perhaps storing your dissertation files in one folder and bookmarks and PDFs about kayaking in another, you could add each folder individually, or even to its own database.

One way to effectively create separate databases is to use a topical database approach. Create multiple databases, with each holding only related information: a bird watching database full of birding articles and newsletters; a quantum physics research database with research briefs and email. This method can improve the effectiveness of DEVONthink's internal artificial intelligence (AI) with each database as it works best within a database that contains contextual relationships among many documents. Clogging your new database with everything from A (apple pie recipes) to Z (zebra population statistics) will only hamper the AI's ability to work effectively.

Having topical databases can help down the road as well. You may be collaborating on a database, syncing between machines in a group. Imagine having just one database: You decide to share your painstakingly researched academic articles with colleagues, only to find that you've mistakenly also shared personal financial records and chats. It's not hard to imagine how that has the potential to be both dangerous and embarrassing. Having multiple, topical databases will allow you to keep your data separate and private. This approach can also be beneficial from a performance standpoint, which we'll see next.

Database Size: When it comes to database size, there are many variables that can limit the size or performance. Obviously, you need available disk space to grow the database. And you should always keep at least double the space free in case you require virtual memory or maintenance. But the file size of a database is not the critical factor; it's the number of words and amount of RAM available to DEVONthink. The reason is this: When you open a DEVONthink database, the index is loaded into memory. This makes search and classification lightning-fast! But the more words in your database, the larger the index. The larger the index, the more RAM is required to avoid using the hard drive as virtual memory. Look at the number of unique and total words for a database in the Database Properties window and use these soft-limits as a guideline:

As your growing databases use RAM, processor time, etc., smaller, more focused databases are often a more effective approach than using singular, monolithic databases. Separate databases generally perform better, sync faster, and in the rare case of a catastrophe, can help avoid data loss since you're not keeping "all your eggs in one basket". Another benefit of this approach is the ability to conserve some machine resources. With a single, large database all the information is always using resources, even files unrelated to what you're working on at the moment. With separate databases, you can close and open specific databases as the need dictates.

You should also have as much RAM as possible. In fact, this should be a deciding factor when purchasing a Mac: the more RAM, the better. Choosing a machine with 8GB RAM may be functional but can also be less performant as your databases grow. With more powerful machines having much more RAM, the stated figures can be exceeded. However, staying within these limits helps keep things running smoothly.

Organizing

Database organization depends on the parties involved. For collaborative work, you'll want to organize it in a manner that's agreed upon by all parties using it. This is especially important since our sync technology is a mirroring sync, meaning changes to one copy of the database gets synced to the other copies. If one person decides to reorganize things, it affects everyone. For personal work, just set up your database in a manner that makes sense to you. There is no right or wrong way to organize it. This is something you've likely already been doing in the Finder, making folders and filing things in them. Apply the same personal choices to DEVONthink.

You will likely see various organizational methods proclaimed as "this most effective". DEVONthink isn't built to accommodate any of them. Its flexibility just allows people to adapt these methods in their databases. Feel free to explore these options if you'd like, but the best method is the one that makes sense and is efficient and effective for YOU.

Case study: Bill's Database Farm

Bill DeVille, formerly DEVONtechnologies' Evangelist, worked in a number of scientific areas. Bill's main database covered environmental science and technology topics, with related interests in science and technology exchanges with developing nations. The database even contained some projects dealing with graduate education in environmental sciences and engineering. There's a broad topical relationship among these subjects and the database covers disciplines ranging from chemistry, toxicology, statistics, risk assessment, and engineering to economics, legal, regulatory, and policy issues. These disciplines fit together and combinations of these topics are necessary in many real-world cases.

As you can imagine from the above description, Bill's main database was quite large, containing about 20,000 documents and over 20,000,000 total words. Because of the relationships knitting together all these scientific, technical, legal, and policy issues, the artificial intelligence features of DEVONthink worked very well for Bill in researching the database and contextualizing the information.

In addition to his main database, Bill had seven additional databases (so, eight total). For example, he had one database for Apple Newton literature he has accumulated over the years. It was almost as big as his main database, but the topical coverage has no practical relationship to the main database, so Bill kept the Apple Newton literature in its own domain. If he were to keep this unrelated information in his main research database, the result would be a larger, slower database, with poorer performance by the artificial intelligence.

Occasionally, Bill added topical materials to it that are not related to its main purpose. However, when those "unrelated" topics grew large enough in volume, he spun them off into to a new database in order to preserve AI accuracy and relevance.

If you'd like to follow Bill's method, start by creating a database with some collections of files that interest you, but don't be afraid to create other databases that contain "different" material as your interests, and main your database, grow. And if you need to search across databases, simply open all of them at the same time. DEVONthink can easily search them simultaneously.

Remember that creating databases isn't an immutable commitment. Create and destroy them as you see fit. Start with one way of organization, see how it works for you, and decide later to re-organize, if needed. You can keep multiple databases open simultaneously, easily moving documents from one database to the other at any time. As you work with your databases, new ideas may spark new approaches which can easily be tried and adopted or discarded. Remember this: The best organization method for your databases is the one that makes sense to and is effective for YOU..

Tagging

Tagging is a common method of creating context relationships between documents. For example, you can apply a "hobby" tag to a woodworking article and a sewing machine PDF manual. You would then find both documents when searching for the "hobby" tag. Used in the Finder and many other applications, DEVONthink also supports tagging in your databases (including optionally preserving Finder tags on imported and indexed items). Tags are either ordinary tags or group tags, each discussed below.


Ordinary Tags

Similar to tagging methods used in other applications, ordinary tags are added to items by you. Each database has its own Tags group and is accessed in the item list or the Tags section of the Navigate sidebar. The item count of a tag shows how many items it has been applied to. If there are unread items in a tag, the tag's name will appear in bold type. If there is a mixture of read and unread items, the count in the item list will be displayed as "unread items/total items".

Creating tags: When you add a new tag to an item, a tag group is automatically created in the Tags group for the database you're working in. However, you can also create tags to be used later. Create them in the database's Tags using the Data > New > Tag command or the New > Tag command in the context menu or New toolbar button.

Applying tags: When you apply a tag to an item, a reference to that item is created in the appropriate tag group. You will have an item reference in each tag you apply to it. So if you add three tags to a document, you will see a reference to the document in each of the three tags.

Ordinary tags are most commonly manually applied by these methods:

You can tag multiple selected items via the Info inspector, Info popover, or the Tag bar.

Note:

While importing directly into a tag, e.g., via drag and drop, is supported, it is not generally recommended. If you do this, an item reference is made in the tag but the original item will be located in the Inbox of the receiving database. Importing then tagging is suggested.

Modifying and Merging Tags: You can rename an existing tag in the Tags of a database as simply as renaming any other item. The change will instantly apply to all the items using that tag. If you have similar tags but would like to consolidate them into one, e.g., having tags of apple and Apple, select them in the Tags group, then choose Tools > Merge n Tags. The tags and their item references will be merged into one tag, preserving the topmost tag's name. Again this change is applied immediately.

A tag can be dragged and dropped into another tag to create parent/child tags. But please read and understand the Nested Tags subsection below before proceeding.

Deleting Tags and Tag Groups: Deleting individual tags from items is done via the same methods you apply them, e.g., in the Generic Info inspector. Deleting tag groups is done in the Tags group of the database. Simply select the unwanted tag and choose Data > Move to Trash. This immediately removes the tag from all them items it was applied to. And only the item references are moved to the Trash, not the original items in the database.

Applying, modifying, or removing tags can also be done by more automated means, e.g., scripting, smart rules, and batch processing. see the Automation chapter for more information.

Finder Tags

Finder Tags: DEVONthink supports reading and writing macOS' Finder tags. If tags are present on an imported or indexed files, they will be preserved in the database. When tagging imported files, tags are not written to the filesystem. Instead the tags are recorded in the Spotlight metadata when the Create Spotlight Index option is enabled in Database Properties popover. This allows searching for tags in Spotlight using the tags:myTag syntax. If you export or drag and drop files to the Finder, macOS tags will be written to the exported file. When tagging indexed files, the tags are immediately written in the filesystem and searchable, just as they would be if you tagged them directly in the Finder.

You can change whether Finder tags should be imported or exported in the Files > Tags settings. Bear in mind these options are global.

Tagging Sources

Beyond the tag exchange with the Finder, tags can come from several other sources. The following options in DEVONthink's Files > Tags or RSS settings control other tagging mechanisms. Tags from these options can also be manually applied via the Data > Tags submenu and the context menu in the item list.

RSS: In the RSS settings, the Convert categories and hashtags to tags option converts categories detected in the feed articles or hashtags in the contents into tags. In conjunction with the previously mentioned Finder tags or Spotlight data, this can lead to a large number of macOS tags being added automatically in the Finder.

Hashtags: Popularized in social media, hashtags are a type of tag prefixed by a #. If enabled in the Tags settings, DEVONthink can detect hashtags in the contents of text-based files and convert them to tags for the file automatically. Removing the hashtags from the content will remove the tags from the file. Hashtags do not support spaces in them and they should be listed on a separate line. They will not be detected within existing paragraphs. Of special note, hashtags supports creating nested tags as noted here. The first tag just needs to be prefixed with the # to be detected as a hashtag..

Keywords: When enabled in the Tags preferences, DEVONthink will convert the keywords of PDFs and rich text documents into tags.

Properties: Also found in the Tags preferences, DEVONthink will attempt to convert certain properties to tags, e.g., the names and email addresses of the sender and recipients of emails.

Geolocation: Enable Convert location to tags in the Import preferences to convert the applied geolocation of a file into tags. The Geolocation can be viewed in the Info inspector.

Assign existing tags: DEVONthink attempts to classify the document based on existing tags. If it can't, it examines the contents and title to find words matching tags and applies those it finds.

Add Vision suggestions to images: This option uses Apple's Vision framework to recognize items in images add subject matter tags to the document. These tend to be more generic identifiers.

Add Chat suggestions to documents: Uses your chosen Chat provider to examine the document and add tags. Optionally, you can have it only apply tags that already exist. These are often more specific, e.g., snow leopard versus feline.

Nested Tags

Sometimes referred to as "hierarchical tags", nested tags are a series of related ordinary tags, combined under a parent tag. When you add a child tag, the item automatically inherits the parent tags. In the example shown below, adding a tag of "Casper" to an item would automatically add the "Wyoming" and "US" tags.

A special mechanism in DEVONthink allows you to create nested tags automatically: enter the tags separated by a forward slash. For example, type a tag of software/productivity to create a parent tag of software with a child tag of productivity. Use this option in the places where tags are entered, e.g., the Tags bar, Tags field of the Info inspector and Info popover, and the Tags column in the item list.

Note:

If you are having trouble deleting a tag from an item, check to see if you are adding a nested tag.

Caution: Tags for a database can have the same name. This may seem illogical, but it's something more commonly seen that you may expect. For example, say you have a travel database with points of interest like restaurants tagged in different locations. You may find yourself with a tag structure like this…

Example:

US

  Wyoming

    Casper

      Restaurant

  Minnesota

    St. Paul

      Restaurant

If you added a tag Restaurant to an item, what tag would it go to? It actually would go to the most recently entered instance of the Restaurant tag.

So how is this resolved? Tags are meant to be unique, so eliminating redundant tags is first priority. Restaurants aren't specific to a geographic location. Create the Restaurant tag as a top level tag. If you had a need for hierarchy with the tag, perhaps for tax purposes, you could move it into a parent Tag of Entertainment. Then you would get both tags when you added Restaurant. But again, if you anticipate wanting to use the tag without the parent tag, you should make it a top level tag.

Also, you shouldn't view the tags as a group structure in and of itself. Nested tags are just meant to group tags specifically related to each other, so they can be applied en masse.

Note:

Tagging methods and philosophy is full of strong opinions. Many people feel tagging should always be flat; only top level tags and no hierarchies. DEVONthink accommodates both approaches. However, if you want to used nested tags, we hope you carefully consider the caution we've presented and use a hybrid method to avoid unexpected behavior.

Group Tags

Previously discussed in the Groups section earlier in this chapter, group tags allow you to dynamically assign tags based on their location. As you add files to a group, they have tags of the parent group's name assigned to them. Similarly, if you move the items to a new group, the tags are removed and new ones applied relative to the new location. Whether used statically or dynamically, group tags can be used creatively. They also work in conjunction with ordinary tags, so you can employ both methods in one database.

Example:

Imagine you have a work database with groups for different stages of a project: Unreviewed, Assigned, In Progress, On Hold, and Done. At the beginning of the process, you'd put the item in the Unreviewed group and it would be tagged as such. After reviewing, you could move the file into the Assigned group and the previous tag would be removed and replaced with Assigned. As the project moves through the staging groups, the tag would change.

And of course you can use ordinary tags, e.g., Reviewed or a client identifier, on these items. Those tags would be preserved no matter where you move them in the databases.

Groups tags are applied by DEVONthink automatically. But you can also do some automatic filing by entering existing group tags manually. If you enter the name of an existing group that is not excluded from tagging into the Tag bar or an Info panel or popover, the item will be replicated to the appropriate group. You can also drag an item to a group tag in the Tag Cloud at the bottom of the Navigate sidebar.

Considerations: When you enable using group tags for a database, it starts as an all-or-nothing situation. All groups in the database function as group tags.

If you want to use group tags for most groups in a database, you can Control-click specific groups and choose Exclude from Tagging. You can also choose this option in the Exclude from… section of the Info inspector or Info popup for a specific group. However, note you must change this setting on all individual groups you'd like to exclude.

If you only want a limited number of tags, it would be advisable to exclude groups from tagging for the database and use ordinary tags instead.

Autocompletion

When you are typing tags, an autocompletion list will appear. In the Global Inbox, tags from any open databases are shown as potential tags. In other databases, the items displayed are only from the tags of the current database.

While group tags aren't added to the Tags group for a database, they are displayed in autocompletion suggestions.

Tags and Aliases: DEVONthink also honors aliases added to groups. You can add "alternative names" to a group using Info popup or inspector and later use these alternative names as a tag. Continuing the previous example, you could add an alias of IP to the In Progress group. Now, type IP as a tag and it will be replicated to the In Progress group. When you view the file, you will see the proper group tag was automatically added.

Search and Gather

Finally, tags have two main functions: segregating data and searching for data. You use tags to gather items together in certain contexts. You also use tags to search for those items.

Searching for items by their tags is easily done in a few ways:

Gathering similarly tagged items is powerfully achieved with Smart Groups. Smart groups allow you to use the smart group editor controls to set criteria to be matched. Included and excluded tags can be added as criteria. Files matching the parameters of the smart group are shown, regardless of their location in the database. This way you can leave your files where they are and create virtual folders for specific purposes.

AI Explained

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the stuff of science fiction writers and tech evangelists for decades. Slowly and quietly, technology evolved as hardware improved and knowledge was gained. But in November of 2022, a company called OpenAI released a Large Language Model (LLM) called ChatGPT. Within a month, it was one of the most talked about technologies in the world, sparking everything from excitement to fear to puzzlement, becoming synonymous with the term "AI". Since then, we have seen a technological arms race to make it better, faster, more powerful and, well… more intelligent. Where this all leads, no one truly knows, but just as fire can be destructive it can also provide warmth and utility when handled properly. And while many companies rushed to be "first to market" with some kind of integration, our commitment to privacy and the safety of your data dictated our direction and investigations. After countless hours of development and testing, to the drawing board and back, we have created controlled ways for AI to be accessible, useful, and safe in your databases. We appreciate the patience and understanding from all of you as we journeyed down this path.

DEVONthink's AI

To clarify, an AI model is the technology used by services like ChatGPT, etc. In contrast, DEVONthink's AI predates these LLMs by 20 years and was built by us using an entirely different set of methods, methods that are still as powerful and functional today as they've always been. For example, the See Also inspector, the Tags and Graph inspectors, as well as commands in the Data menu are still controlled by our internal AI. The remainder of this section is about external AI services, like ChatGPT.

AI Basics

If you're new to AI, perhaps having heard people talking on forums, the news, etc., but you don't know much about it, here's a very simplified intro.

How does chat work?: At a very simplified level, your chat questions are broken down into bits and pieces, called "tokens", which are processed by AI. It examines a token then looks into its huge database of parameters trying to identify it and the most likely token that would follow it. It puts the best match in place then moves on to the next token. This process is repeated over and over again, mathematically constructing the tokens into words, then sentences returned to you as a response.

Parts of a query: There are three parts to making an AI query. Two are mandatory; the third, optional but useful.

Example:

You are a biologist providing research data for government reporting. Provide a Markdown list of the last ten years of counted leatherback sea turtle eggs compared to hatchlings. Include columns for the number and percentage of increase or decrease. Include a prologue section to the document with an assessment of last years numbers. Include an epilogue with a forecast for this year's anticipated numbers.

We have also included some relevant terms in the Glossary > AI section of the Appendix.

Choosing an LLM: Remember that using AI is entirely optional. However, since you're reading this you are at least curious about it. So the first step is choosing an LLM. If you look at the AI > Chat settings, you will see where you set a default Chat model. These are the currently supported options, with no specific advocacy for any:

For a list of the supported models, please refer to the AI Models section of the Appendix.

Thoughts on choosing and using AI

As we've mentioned, adding AI capabilities was no trivial thing to investigate, discuss, and implement. And while we have come to terms with the areas of concern we could control, on a personal (or professional) level, there are still topics that you must consider and decide on for yourself.

Privacy: We are firm believers in data-privacy and we do whatever we can to keep things in your control. However, when dealing with a commercial AI service, your questions and potentially documents go to servers controlled by that service. We don't advocate being paranoid about using such a service, but it's good to know about and feel comfortable with whom you are sharing some of your data. However, you may wish to opt-out of having your AI "conversations" being used to further train their AI.

DEVONthink doesn't allow AI to have uncontrolled access to your data and databases but takes several steps to safeguard your privacy. By default, using the Chat assistant or any AI assisted automation only uses selected documents. When the database search option is enabled in the settings, only the selected items, items matched by smart rules, or the group selected in the Navigate sidebar, i.e., the current location, are accessible to AI, further limiting its reach.

DEVONthink also never sends your original document to an AI engine, taking these steps to keep things private:

Lastly, DEVONthink doesn't come with AI access enabled and running. It's up to you to set up and choose the options you want to use. So using external AI is completely optional, not a requirement, and not using it may be exactly the level of privacy you want.

Expenses: "There's no such thing as a free lunch." This applies to using a commercial LLM as well. While they typically offer a free account of some kind, it's very limited and made for familiarizing yourself with the process and responses. Once you determine this is something you want to use more often, get out your credit card. You will be purchasing tokens, again "bits of words", either in bulk or running up a tab as they're used. While they're typically relatively inexpensive per-token, heavier use of AI will deplete your reserves or increase your bill faster. As a courtesy, we've included property icons in the AI settings denoting if a particular chat model is known to be expensive.

Another thing to be aware of is the difference between using a chat agent, e.g., talking to ChatGPT, and using their API. An API is how third-party applications programmatically access services and data provided by a company. To use commercial AI services, you will need to create an API key for the service and enter it in the Chat > API Key settings. Check with your AI provider how to generate a key and any involved costs.

Here are some general recommendations that may help curb costs:

Quality of results: As we discussed previously, these chat engines are doing incredible computational gymnastics to produce responses but don't have any actual knowledge to draw from. It has no way to verify its answers in the way a human can. Earlier on they were known for "hallucinating", i.e., returning responses that were complete sentences but made no sense or had little to no relevance to the question asked. Things have certainly improved, and likely will continue to, but it is still possible to have incomplete or inaccurate responses. So while you may get a reasonable response, be aware the result isn't guaranteed to be accurate. Especially on questions of consequence, you should be checking the responses.

The limitations of local AI: No one wants to share their data. No want wants to pay for AI. We certainly understand those things. While there is an ever-growing list of "Run the AI of your choice on your Mac now!!" applications, let's take a realistic look at running your own AI:

However, if you're inclined and curious — and your hardware can support it — using local AI is certainly something you can explore.

What can't be done with AI

While there are many things that can be done, there are still limits imposed by privacy concerns or technical considerations. For example, AI has access to the current location in a main window, not all your databases. It also isn't going to operate like an automaton, creating databases, constructing its group structures, downloading and filling those groups, then examining and issuing reports on it all. It is an "assistant" in your labors, not your replacement.

Another critical thing to be aware of, AI is not going to "process and connect" years of your documents and information in your database. The way AI is hyped by many makes this sound feasible, but it actually is not. Will you be able to process documents in a useful way? Of course, but on a much more limited scale. So while we understand the hope, actually accomplishing this would be time and cost-prohibitive for most people and require sharing all those documents with third-parties.

We believe it's important to approach AI in DEVONthink with a good understanding of the possibilities and limitations (and yes, some things may change as technologies evolve). That all being said, we believe you'll find many uses for the extended abilities of AI in DEVONthink. In the next section, you'll find an overview of where AI is integrated, some practical use cases, and an important tip on how to use AI more effectively.

AI in Practice

In the previous section, we introduced AI concepts and considerations as related to DEVONthink. Here we'll cover: where AI is integrated, some ideas for practical uses, an explanation of one of the important settings, controlling AI's access, and a few tips on getting better responses.

Capabilities

Though it is possible to have a chat with AI, DEVONthink isn't merely a front-end to an AI provider. It has been integrated into several aspects of the application, providing new or improved functions, complementing our own internal AI. Let's look at where external AI works in DEVONthink.

Chat Assistant: Many of your interactions will happen in the Chat inspector or Chat popover. Whether you're asking an impromptu question or chatting about the selected document, the assistant is made just for these things, all shown in a familiar message-style interface. And if you want to keep a record of the "conversation", you can easily save it as a reference for later. If you become a frequent AI user, you'll likely chat via the assistant often.

The Chat inspector inspector and the Chat popover have the same functionality but operate independently. When they open, they use the same default AI engine. However, each can use a different model and each conversation is isolated. So you could have a discussion in the inspector and issue commands in the popover, without losing continuity in either discussion.

Note the Chat inspector belongs to a window. So if you have an active chat in a main window and open a separate document window, it will not retain the previous chat. Also, the Chat popover is persistent, retaining its contents across relaunches of the application.

Document Summarization/Transformation: Summarize the document you're reading, or transform selected text via two buttons in the Navigation Bar.

Media and Image Processing: Process and transcribe audio and video files and examine images with machine learning. You can generate a transcript from audio or video files in your databases. Let AI determine the subject, transcribe text on signs, menus, etc. In both cases, the text is stored in one of a few ways. With one setting this can even happen automatically when adding the files to your database.

Document/Image Generation: Create documents with AI, both text-based and images. DEVONthink provides some AI templates made for creating text documents. And with the Data > New > Generate Image command and an appropriate AI model, describe an image and have it created for you. Additionally, some chat inquires can create new documents. You can read more about this in the AI and Your Documents section.

Search Syntax Assistance: When doing a toolbar search, an AI button lets you ask more naturally, e.g., "Show me PDF documents with more than 10 annotations." This shows the raw search syntax, kind:pdf md_annotationcount>10. You can copy this or just run the search.

Database Searching: You can ask AI to look for documents as you talk with the Chat assistant. For example, you could ask for it to find your espresso machine manual or a receipt for your telescope purchase. Fortunately, DEVONthink gives you a lot of control over what AI can access for searches, as mentioned in the previous subsection.

Automation: Using chat queries and responses in smart actions like Chat – Query and the chat-based placeholder Query Response, present new automation possibilities for everyone. Additionally, there are new AI-driven commands available in AppleScript and JavaScript.

Practical Uses

The preceding section presents a more general view of where AI can be used. But let's look at some example use cases and methods:

AI Renaming Files: It's not uncommon to get a document with a less than useful name. Select it and tell the Chat assistant to Add the filename to the finder comments of this document then rename it with a reasonable name. This lets you preserve the original name, if needed, but also gives you something easier to find at-a-glance or in searches. Alternatively, you could tell it to Add only the filename as an alias on this document….

Another option is to use batch processing to rename selected files based on their content. These could be any type of file. Select a few documents and choose Rename to Chat Suggestion in the Tools > Batch Process submenu. Your default AI engine will attempt to examine each document and rename it. Note you can choose another engine by clicking the  button.

AI Tagging Assistance: While it's possible to automatically tag documents on import, you may want to handle tagging on a case-by-case basis. Select a document and ask Chat, What tags would you recommend for this document?. If you like some of the suggestions but don't want to add specific ones, you could tell it to add them, e.g., Add three broad and two specific tags from that list. Or if this was in a recipe database, you could tell it to Add the ingredients as tags. And don't miss the AI commands Data > Tags > Add Chat Suggestions to Documents, Add Vision Suggestions to Images or the same commands in the Tags smart action.

AI Documents from Web Content: If you have a bookmark selected in DEVONthink and want to gather specific information from it, you can ask Chat to create a document for you. For example, if you were reading about how to build a birdhouse, you could use Add the instructions on how to build a birdhouse on the selected page. You could also try a less specific prompt, like Capture the instructions on the selected page. The default format will be Markdown but you can request plain text, Markdown, or HTML documents from Chat. However, it is possible for the AI to respond with a format it decides.

Here's another example: Imagine you're shopping for a car and looking at a bookmark in DEVONthink. You get some results you like but just want to extract some specific information separately. Tell Chat to Capture the two cheapest cars newer than 2014 with less than 100,000 miles from this page. With some AI engines, you may get the document and also some commentary about them as well.

AI Searches: With AI, you can do "semantic searches", essentially looking for things related by concept instead of specific terms. As an example, ask Chat to look for documents that talk about vehicles and watch it generate its own query, e.g, searching for car* OR boat* or plane*…. Logically, you can be more specific, as needed. In a database of PDFs from car manufacturers, you can ask for documents about Italian vehicles without mentioning a brand, and it will return documents about or that mention Italian vehicles.

One thing you may be surprised by is how natural a chat can be. Say you're gathering information for a local animal shelter and want to locate some of your documents on different breeds. You ask Chat, What documents discuss Manx cats?. You then ask, What about collies?. Then you ask very naturally, ferrets?, without repeating the full question, and get results. Using an AI with a large context window, the previous discussion is considered when replying to subsequent questions.

AI Search Scope

The data stored for AI models is usually quite extensive, especially for commercial services. This means some questions can be answered directly from its own dataset. However, no service will have all the information needed for every reply and the training data stops at a certain point in the past. Due to these conditions, providing answers requires accessing data outside its own boundaries. This not only may provide more current information but can also reduce hallucinations .

Inside DEVONthink, AI has the ability to initiate a toolbar search. This is nothing more than an automated way of entering search terms. On its own it won't necessarily create an optimal search, e.g., using search prefixes, but it may produce some useful results.

Beyond the toolbar search, the options in the AI > Chat > Search settings come into play. These control where AI can search for information when creating a response for you. Note these aren't options it must use; they are ones it could use. If the LLM can't answer from its own data, it will try any of the options you've enabled. The options are:

Controlling AI's Access

When you're using the Chat assistant to search your databases with the Database search option enabled, it's important to understand how AI's access works. It's a simple and controllable concept that helps you limit its reach.

Selection: The AI firstly sees a selection as everything it has access to. This includes a selected document, even if it's not currently displayed in the view/edit pane. When you search, it will report it's "Searching the database", however it is only searching the selected item. If you have a group selected, AI will search the documents in that group and its subgroups. So selecting a document or a group gives you very strict control. And yes, if you select multiple groups, they will be all be used as the limits of AI's reach.

Location: On the next level, is the current location. If you're in a group with four unselected documents, AI considers the group and its documents as "the database". Whatever you ask it to search for will only involve those four documents. But not every group has only ungrouped documents. In this case, AI will search documents within the groups and subgroups of the location. If we follow the logic, this means as we ascend through parent groups, we are extending the range of groups AI can search while still confining it to the current location. And if we select the database in the Navigate sidebar, we are giving it access to all the documents in the root of the database. So if you're not quite sure what specific group you may need to search, you can go up as far as you're comfortable and the subgroups will be searched.

Extended Locations: To open up some other possibilities, select a local smart group in your database. AI also sees this as "the database" to be searched. If you want an even wider range, you can select a global smart group. And for more impromptu uses, AI will treat your database search results as the only place it can search. So you can use these dynamic items as ad-hoc locations, searching documents no matter where they are.

Additional Control: Now that we've seen how much access we can give, there may still be places we want AI to ignore. AI honors the same setting as our internal search engine, Exclude from Search, but also the explicit Exclude from Chat. Select a document or group and open the Generic inspector or the Info popover, and enable the exclusion. If this is a group, it will hide all its contents as well, so think about what you're excluding.

Get to know your AI

As AI engines aren't all the same, what you ask about and how you phrase things can vary. Also, their capabilities depend highly on the selection and the settings. So how do you know what is possible and how to talk to your AI engine? Open the Chat inspector or Chat popover and ask these important questions (depending on the responses you receive):

These questions can be especially useful if you're trying to decide which engine to use. Ask your questions, choose a different model or engine, and ask it the same ones. For future reference, you can save the chat or even tell the assistant to put its responses in a new document.

Another handy tip if you're testing, or even just curious about, how models respond to the same prompt. Choose a model and use it as your normally would. Then choose a different model or AI engine in the popup menu. Now enter Same prompt and the newly selected engine will respond to the last prompt you gave to the previous model. This can be useful when you're testing responses from specific models or AI settings.

Tips and Considerations

Finally, here are a few tips to help you potentially get better results from AI…

Focusing with metadata: Tags, Finder comments and other metadata may play a factor in AI's searching. A PDF about canoes may not contain the word "hobby" but if you add it as a tag, it's more likely AI will find it. Adding it to Finder comments may improve the chances of being found. However, as noted in the next tip, precision is helpful. If you ask about documents regarding hobbies, the AI will likely look only for that plural term, not assuming you want it to consider hobby as well.

Phrasing and clear and specific prompts: Your phrasing can affect the method of searching. For example, if you say, Find documents about hiking, a toolbar search may be initiated. But if you instead say, What documents mention hiking?, the AI may examine the contents of available documents to find matches. If you are having problems getting an expected response, try rephrasing your prompt.

Providing clearer and more specific instructions is going to produce better responses. Consider the prompt about a selected document: Translate this document to Spanish. This will almost certainly result in the document's content changing, just as requested. But if you want to preserve the text, ask What is the Spanish translation of this document? This should return the translated text. But now what to do with it? You could save the chat or be even more specific in your prompt: Translate the text of the selected document to Spanish and save it as a Markdown document. Include the original text in italics at the end of the new document. Preserve the document's original filename in the Finder comments.

We hope these last two sections gave you a clearer understanding of the complementary, but powerful, role of external AI in DEVONthink. You'll find other passages threaded throughout other chapters, e.g., AI and Your Documents or the AI Assisted Automation section. As it is a feature of the higher editions, keep your eyes open for blue sidebars or sections of blue text as you read.

A Word About Backups

As the old adage goes, "Expect the unexpected." and being prepared for an emergency provides peace of mind when the unexpected eventually happens. Despite Macs being well-crafted, they are still machines which can (and do) fail. Your hard drive will fail (it's not a matter if, but when). Any sudden flux in power could corrupt the files on your hard drive. Beyond electromechanical issues, your laptop could be dropped, lost, or stolen. And a catastrophe, like a house fire or flood, could claim your computer and data as a victim.

How important is your data? For many users, the value of the data is much greater than the value of the computer that hosts it. If your data is critical to your business, education, life, etc., back it up.

Internal Backups

DEVONthink does not do file backups. That is the job of backup applications, as we discuss next. However, for your databases, it keeps an internal backup of each one's internal metadata. This is a rolling weekly backup, maintaining two internal backups inside the database package. These are only used for troubleshooting in very specific circumstances.

File Backups

When it comes to backups, there are a few critical things to consider:

Backup Options: Concerning how and where to create your backups, there are several options to consider. Generally, we do suggest having a local backup as your primary as it's the quickest and easiest to access, unaffected by network conditions or online services.

Redundant Backups: There is a common method of backing up files, known simply as the "3-2-1 backup". This means: 3 copies of a file, on 2 separate types of media, with 1 backup offsite. Of the three copies, one is the working copy, in DEVONthink, this is the database you're working on. The other two copies are backups. Of the two media types, one is typically an external hard drive. The second could be another external hard drive, an online backup, or even specialized media like a tape drive used in corporate situations. And ideally, you should have at least one offsite backup as previously mentioned. While using this method isn't a requirement, it may be something you want to consider.

Test Your Backups: Lastly, and something many people don't consider: you should periodically test your backups. Anything in life can fail at some point, so yes it is possible to have a bad backup. Generally, it's not something to be overly concerned about. However, every 4 to 6 months, you could restore a database to a separate location and open it. DEVONthink verifies a database when opening it and reports if there is anything wrong. If all is well, delete it and repeat with other databases, if desired. If there is an issue, close and delete the restored copy. Then do a File > Verify & Repair Database on the current database in DEVONthink to ensure it's healthy, fix things up if it's not, then initiate a manual backup. You may want to add a calendar event or even in the Comment in the database's Database Properties, noting the date of the verified backup.

Tutorials, Tips, and More

In addition to the documentation you're now reading, there are specific tutorials in the Support Assistant. There you'll also find extra scripts, smart rules, and templates that extend DEVONthink's functionality.

For a great resource of tips, promotions, and release announcements, check out the Extras sidebar or our company blog.

And if you feel like talking to other people using any of our applications, you'll find discussion, camaraderie, and almost two decades worth of information on our Forums.

Take time to learn how to work with the software — and to decide how you want the software to work. You'll be rewarded with a powerful assistant for all your information organization needs.

Tasks

The number of possible uses for DEVONthink is nearly endless. In this chapter we present a brief view of the core activities, and some use cases, for daily life and work.

Writing

If you need to take notes or write longer documents, you can do both in DEVONthink while working directly in your databases.


If you need to write a quick note, open the Take Note view of the Sorter, type it up, and quickly add it to your selected location. You can compose in plain or rich text, Markdown, or formatted note formats. You can open this view with Data > Take Note or the command in the Dock menu. Add a hotkey in the Sorter settings so you can open the Sorter, type your note, and tap the ↩ Return key for very efficient note-taking. And all these notes can be further edited directly in DEVONthink.

If you need to write some longer form documents, you can easily create a document via the Data > New menu in one of several formats including plain or rich text, Markdown, etc. These options are also available in the New toolbar button and the context menu in the item list. No matter your need, you can likely find a format that suits it.

If you're researching a topic with a PDF reference, you can create a document called an annotation file. This is a separate but linked document where you can write as many notes as you need. Insert selected text as quotes, add links to certain pages, and even add an AI summary right in the document. If you're taking notes on a video, you can add timestamps in the annotation file and take notes on it. And when the video is paused, you can add a screen capture of the current frame into the document.

Using DEVONthink's powerful templates feature, you can quickly create a new copy of often-used documents. One example is our Phone Note template. When you answer a phone call, use it to record the essence of your conversation, and fill in the details about who called. You'll notice it's already timestamped for you too so you have an accurate record.

Possible uses:

Continue to read here:

Capture Data From the Web


Increasingly, information is provided not on paper but directly through web sites, blogs, online news sites, social media, and user forums. Clipping is just another tool you can use to build your "library".

DEVONthink has several mechanisms for clipping web contents. A browser extension, including a Safari-native one, bookmarklets, useful when using a browser with limited extension support, the macOS Share menu, and services. Capturing content in several formats, e.g., bookmarks, Markdown, formatted notes, rich text, etc. is fast and efficient. And for a more future-proof capture, or sometimes for problematic paywalled sites, you can also capture to PDF. And these formats are editable right in DEVONthink. So not only can you capture data, you can edit and annotate those captured documents too.

Possible uses:

Continue to read here:

Going Paperless

DEVONthink is the "paperless office" solution for the Mac, a central hub for all your paper and electronic documents.


In addition to the steady inflow of emails, we still have and receive many printed documents. While it's a good idea to keep more recent hardcopies, we can't keep everything forever. Using the integrated scanner support you can scan documents, make them searchable through OCR (optical character recognition), and file them all directly in DEVONthink. You can scan single documents, including double-sided ones, multi-page documents, and scan multiple small documents like receipts. There is even a job queue where you can add information about several documents you need to produce, and have it run in a more unattended fashion.

In addition to the internal scanning, you can send scans into DEVONthink from third-party scanning applications, e.g., ScanSnap Home. And if you have a collection of scans you need searchable in your database, you can add them via the Import > Images (with OCR) command that will add a steady stream of searchable documents into your database.

Lastly, with a little setup between the Finder and our application, it is possible to use smart rules to add scans to a Finder folder and have DEVONthink detect, import, and OCR them automatically!

Possible uses:

Continue to read here:

Handling Emails


DEVONthink lets you archive emails or send documents via email directly from your databases.

Get your emails into DEVONthink from Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook, or any email applications using standard Unix mailboxes, e.g., Thunderbird. You can even set a hotkey to archive messages and mailboxes while in Apple Mail and Outlook. With its hierarchical groups structure, classification feature, and powerful search engine, DEVONthink is perfectly suited for adding, sorting, and finding emails in your databases. And attachments can be imported automatically or on demand.

You can also use the Send by Email command in the Data or context menu to create a draft email with a selected document attached, provided you're using a compatible email applications. And of course, you can drag and drop from your database into an email you're composing.

Possible uses:

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Document Relationships

With its built-in artificial intelligence (AI) functions, DEVONthink can be used to analyze the documents in your databases as show you information and suggestions about them. There are more AI-driven functions than shown here but here are a few highlights…


DEVONthink has long had its own internal AI, the brain of the application, working in the background, indexing and analyzing the content and locations of your documents. Every time you add documents, make changes to them, reorganize them, it updates its internal knowledge. This knowledge is used to offer a few things: suggestions where an item could be filed, what group it best belongs in, and what documents seem to be related to it. These recommendations can be viewed in the See Also inspector. So as you work with your database, the AI takes note and adjusts with those changes, essentially training itself based on what YOU do.

In the Tags inspector, the AI displays the tags on a document. But using its internal knowledge of your tagging practices, it also makes suggestions about other tags that you may want to add to the document. Adding and removing tags is as simple as two clicks. In addition, a network graph of a selected tag illustrates the relationship between a tag and others in your database.

Lastly, the Graph inspector also shows connections between documents. But in this view you can see how a document is linked to by other documents via item links or WikiLinks. Or examine what documents mention each other. While this information is also found in other specific places, this graph can be helpful in visualizing the relationships in one consolidated view.

Possible uses:

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Leveraging AI

As a complement to DEVONthink's built-in AI, you can use an external AI engine to process, and in some cases, create documents in your database.


You can leverage many of the capabilities of third-party AI services with your documents and databases in a few ways. Your boss sent you a few PDFs but you don't have time to read it now. The Summarize Documents via Chat command can produce a document with summaries of them for you to read the key points. If you need to add an image to a document you're working on, describe it and save the image when you see one you like. Or imagine writing an email to a government representative proposing an idea, but you aren't sure it sounds "professional". Use Edit > Transformations > Transform text via chat to get a suggested rewrite. You can also ask questions of a chat engine, requesting specific output, e.g., "Create a Markdown list of the 15 best vacation spots in the continental US for a family with kids. Provide a single paragraph summary as to why each is included and add links to the Chamber of Commerce of each place, where available." and you should shortly have a document in your database.

AI also plays a part in other aspects of DEVONthink. Select the toolbar search field, tap the ↩ Return key, and press the AI button. Briefly describe what you're looking for and AI will show you the DEVONthink-specific search syntax or launch the search for you. For automation enthusiasts, there are new AppleScript commands as well as placeholders and smart actions that integrate with AI. Now you can utilize AI in your automations to produce more customized results.

Do bear in mind, the capabilities are relative to the AI engine you're using, as well as any associated costs of using a commercial AI service.

Possible uses:

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Browse and Bookmark

In additions to being a knowledge and information database, DEVONthink has built-in web browsing capabilities. This allows you to browse and capture online information directly in a database.


Whenever you select a bookmark, DEVONthink loads the online content in the view/edit. You can navigate between pages and sites, just as you do in your browser. However, unlike your browser, you can immediately clip and capture to your database. From the Tools > Capture menu or the  button, choose the format of your choice and the document will appear in the current group. You can also use DEVONthink's Clip to DEVONthink just as if you were in an external browser. You can also select, then drag and drop content from the loaded page directly into your groups, the Sorter, etc.

In the Scripts > Tabs menu, you will find the Open Google script. This opens a new window or tab with Google loaded and ready to search. Where you go from there is up to you.

Since this is an actual browser view, another powerful option is accessing online cloud accounts. For example, you could log into your Dropbox account and manage things without leaving the application. That includes adding files to it. Grab a file in the Finder, then drag and drop it into the loaded page in DEVONthink. And to extend that idea even further, leave the browser open, switch to another DEVONthink window, then grab a document and drag and drop it between DEVONthink windows to upload it!

With its integrated, document-based web browser, DEVONthink can also be used as a bookmark manager. Organize your bookmarks wherever they're needed, from a collection of them to grouping them with other documents. You can even import bookmarks from some of the popular browsers.

Possible uses:

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Read News Feeds


Keep up with your RSS news directly in your database.

DEVONthink comes with built-in support for news feeds, which makes it a reliable basic news reader. Add your favorite RSS feeds to your database. News comes in as HTML, typically linked to an original article. Jump to the linked article with a single command: Complete News. Clip the linked page to another format or select content and use our services to make a new document from it. You can also set a global feed format or a format for each feed, to gather information e.g., as PDFs.

Possible uses:

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Index Files on Your Hard Drive


DEVONthink's databases are designed as portable, self-contained collections of documents and information, encapsulated in a single "file". However, some use cases require external access to some documents. But DEVONthink can accommodate that too.

If you have an existing folder structure that must be accessible by others but you still want to leverage DEVONthink's power with them, you may be able to index them. Indexing creates links to files outside the database and treats them as if they've been imported (copied). The database doesn't contain copies of the files, only links to them, so it will be smaller than an imported database. You retain the ability to search for and edit compatible files. Files can be opened in their external applications, modified, and saved as you normally would. Since you're acting on the actual files in the filesystem, the database is "updated" automatically. And yes, it's possible to have a hybrid database containing both imported and indexed documents.

Indexing is often used with cloud-synced folders, e.g., Dropbox but can be used with any accessible location. Bear in mind, performance can be affected if indexing networked volumes. Another option is to index media files, including on removable media. If you have a thumb drive of family photos, you can index those pictures and view them in DEVONthink while the drive is mounted. Or if you have assets on unmounted media, you could search for files on it and determine where they're located. In the case of text-based documents, this includes content-base searches. And though it's not a replacement for Apple Music or a bespoke music player, you could index your Music library or a folder of audio files and play them when you wish.

IMPORTANT: While indexing seems like the best of both worlds, using it needs to be approached thoughtfully as you are dealing with the actual files in the filesystem. Please read and understand the In & Out > Importing & Indexing section before committing to it.

Possible uses:

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Working With Media Files

While DEVONthink excels at handling text-based documents, it can also contain multimedia files such as images, audio, and video.


While not designed to replace Photos or Music, DEVONthink can be used as a repository for media files, whether for nostalgia, business, research, or any other project-related purpose. View and add images to documents, like rich text or Markdown documents. For a more visually appealing view of images, you can use set the item list to View > as Icons.

You can play audio and video with Apple's familiar controls. Combine the audio-visual files with an annotation files and you can take notes as it plays back, including the ability to add timestamps for easy, future navigation in the playback. And yes, you can also just play a song in the background, if you'd like!

Two of the most powerful media features in DEVONthink are the integration of AI speech-to-text transcription and image analysis. Your audio or video files can be converted, automatically or on-demand, into a transcript of the text. So you can convert and read your sermons, lectures, speeches, sound bites, etc. With your images, you can ask your AI engine to tell you about an image, whether asking for a description of it, wondering what a foreign sign says, or requesting a story idea based on it.

Possible uses:

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Sync and Share


Having multiple Apple devices is so common, it feels more unusual when someone has less than two. If you're running DEVONthink on more than one Mac, it's likely you want to access the same documents on both. DEVONthink helps keep a local copy of your database on multiple Apple devices in sync with each other. Changes made on one machine propagate to the others. The sync doesn't require using a cloud service, though that may be an option, but can usually be handled locally and privately. It also can include encrypting the sync data as it's sent and stored, adding one more layer of privacy.


In a business, academic, or even a group collaborative setting, you can share a DEVONthink database. With the built-in web server, provide controlled, per-database access, even in a cross-platform environment. Ideal on a local network, with some technical know-how, you can even share over the Internet.

Possible uses:

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Documents

As DEVONthink is an information and document management application, it supports importing many different file types. In this chapter we cover commonly used interface elements, how AI works with your documents, and specific details about the kinds of documents you can work with in your databases.

General

DEVONthink is made for documents. It's powerful internal AI, reads, indexes, analyzes, and stores information about each document added to your databases. But it not only provides solid storage and organizational features, it also lets you create certain types of documents directly in a database. While not intending to replace bespoke applications, like Pages, etc., for many people, in many situations, the convenience of integrated document creation makes DEVONthink a central hub for their work and lives.

Let's take a quick look at the parts of the interface you'll commonly use when viewing or editing your documents.

View/Edit Pane

The view/edit pane is where you can see or edit the current document (with compatible files). Whether you're journaling, annotating, planning, or even just reading, this pane is where you'll likely spend a lot of time.

Navigation Bar

At the top of the view/edit pane, DEVONthink is the Navigation bar with information about the selected document. Which tools are available depends on the type of the document you are viewing. The options below are shown in the Navigation bar for most file types. Specific options are shown in the separate sections throughout this chapter:

Editing Bar

For some formats, e.g., rich text or sheets, there is another bar available: the Editing bar. If you click this icon , the editing bar will appear in place of the Navigation bar. This offers quick access to some editing tools related to the file type you're working on. See the appropriate file type section for more info.

Tag Bar

The Tag bar appears under the view/edit pane and shows all the tags associated with the document. Just click into the bar and start typing. Any potentially matching tags will be suggested. The suggestions come from the current database unless you're in the Global Inbox where suggestions come from all open databases. When you type the name of a tag, DEVONthink offers automatic completion. Choose an existing tag with the mouse or the arrow keys and press ↩ Return or ⌤ Enter to accept it. Press ⎋ Escape to ignore the suggestion. Press ⇥ Tab to enter another tag. You can remove a tag by selecting it and pressing the ⌫ Backspace or ⌦ Delete key to remove it. You can toggle the Tag bar on or off via the Tags toolbar button.

If you have multiple items selected, tags will only appear in the Tag bar if all items have all the same tags. However, it's still possible to add tags to all the selected items.

Context Menu Items

If you Control-click in many types of documents in DEVONthink, you are presented with a context menu showing many options. The options displayed depend on what you're clicking; e.g., selected text, and whether you're in the editing or preview mode. As many of these commands are the same for most formats, we have provided a list in the appendix. Format-specific context menu commands are listed in their respective sections in this chapter.

Toolbar

In addition to creating documents via the Data > New or Data > New from Template submenus, you can also quickly make new ones via the New  button.

Versioning

As we compose our documents, things happen. We click on the ⌦ Delete key accidentally and wipe out several paragraphs. Or we may stop and wonder if an earlier edit sounded better or made more sense. Enter the Versions inspector, where you can jump back to a document's previous states without having to manually create a separate file on your own.

Versions are enabled on a per-database basis in the Database Properties. As you make edits to a document in DEVONthink then save it, a version is preserved. If you need to view or restore a previous state, you'll find them in Versions inspector. Selecting a previous version temporarily changes the contents in the view/edit pane. Restore it, choose another version, or click an empty area in the inspector to revert to the current state. You can also find these commands, and options to remove one or all versions in the context menu.

Make sure to open the Files > General settings to set the parameters for your versioning. Versions do consume space in your database so you'll want to make wise choices in the allowable number of versions per document, the maximum size each version can be, and the how long they're kept in the database. This is something you should be especially aware of when using an encrypted database. If you check out the Database Properties for your database, the number of versions isn't included in the various document counts. However, they are listed with their combined space in the database Totals.

Note:

Versioning only applies to edits made in DEVONthink, not those made in external applications. Documents are automatically saved every five minutes after the last modification, when deactivating the window, or when quitting DEVONthink. And if it has been less than two minutes between saves, a new version will not be produced.

While every file format has its own strengths (and weaknesses), you can likely find a type suitable for your purposes. Each of the native types, and how DEVONthink handles other file types, are described in the subsequent sections in this chapter.

AI and Your Documents

DEVONthink is focused on document and information management. AI is all about document analysis and generation. These facts make for an excellent cooperative relationship between the two. While AI is implemented in several other aspects of DEVONthink, let's take a quick look at how it works with your documents, including some practical examples.

Document Analysis


Broadly speaking, if you have a document in your database, you can use AI to analyze it. This could be content in a PDF document or a selection of rich text files. Say you have an invoice and a tools-compatible AI engine, you can ask questions about the contents. For example, you can ask how many widgets were purchased. You can then ask for a breakdown of the cost per widget, their percentage of the total cost, or any other questions for which you need answers. If this was an anticipated order, you could ask for it to provide the cost for different quantities. As you progressively ask questions, the AI will take previous parts of your conversation into consideration when it answers.


Examining an invoice or receipt focuses very narrowly on its contents, typically requiring no outside information. But when generating responses about other documents, the AI engine may need to refer to other sources. To give you more control over where AI is getting its answer, you'll need to set permissions for what AI can access in the AI > Chat settings. For example, if you want it to use online searches, set it here.

Imagine you have a PDF about the Hubble Space Telescope and ask chat, In this document, what happened in 1995?. The response may include links within the document or it some extra commentary with interesting information. You could then follow up with a question like, Using other resources, how does Hubble compare to the James Web Telescope?. This "gives permission" to the AI to consult other sources, like Wikipedia or online searches, for its response. Utilizing both the document and online resources can prove to be a very powerful combination in research and learning about documents in your database.

"Translating" jargon or high-level language is another useful function. For example, say you have a PDF from PubMed but much of it is beyond your understanding. Select some text, open the Chat inspector and ask for an explanation in layperson's terms. And while it may not be wise to use this to make important decisions, e.g., medical or legal ones, it could help you understand the essence of the text.

Note:

The responses vary per AI engine, e.g., ChatGPT versus Claude, but can also vary per-model. Temporarily change to a different engine in the dropdown next to the query field if you'd like to try for a different response. Note the more expensive models sometimes produce more in-depth and thorough responses, but the Chat assistant always opens to the default model you've chosen in the AI > Chat settings.

Summarize and Transform

Summarize: Summarizing is an excellent way to quickly get the essence, the core concepts, of a document. Using the Edit > Summarize via Chat command or clicking the  button in the Navigation bar opens the Summarize popover. This provides a simple analysis of a selected document, which you can save directly into a Markdown or rich text document. You can also query multiple selected documents when using the Summarize Documents via Chat command, with the key points broken down by document. Additionally, you can use the summarize content of AppleScript command in your automations.

Transform: Logically, if you can edit the contents of a document in DEVONthink, you can also transform the text. Use this to rewrite content in a different style or tone. Select some text in a document then open the Transform popover via Edit > Transformations > Transform text via chat or press the  button in the Navigation Bar. If you like the recommendation, you can replace the selected text with the click of a button.

Text Documents

There are many options for creating text-based documents with AI. From the Chat popover, you can ask a question and tell it to save the results as a Markdown document. Some AI engines, e.g., Claude, will often produce an appropriate document type on its own. For example, asking for a list of 25 European songbirds, including their common and scientific names, and notes about their migration patterns will likely result in a Markdown document. But you could also tell it to create a sheet, if that better suits your purpose.

You may also find use in one of our AI-directed templates. With the Research Overview template, provide a topic for AI to research and you'll get the response delivered in a document. Or select an image and use the Story Assistant — Markdown to generate a story outline based on the contents of the image.

Built with powerful automation features, DEVONthink can create documents with smart actions and AppleScript commands. Using your documents or queries as a starting point, you can use AI replies to create documents with more personalized and fine-tuned control.

Images and Media Files

Images have always been supported in DEVONthink but in more of a supportive role, e.g., as an illustration in rich text, etc. Within DEVONthink, AI has opened new possibilities for them.


Image Generation: Open the Generate Image panel. Fill in a description of the image you want, including as many details as you have. Choose the generative image engine you have access to and let the AI create an image for you. Or perhaps you have a document with an outline or a synopsis of a story. Select it and choose the Short Story — Illustration from the Data > New from Template > AI menu. AI will "read" your document and create an image based on it. And if you're a scripter, there is an AppleScript command to create images with AI with more control in using the output, e.g., linking it to a Markdown document.


Analysis and Recognition: The Edit > Summarize via chat can analyze and provide a description of an image's contents, e.g., as bullet points or a paragraph. You may even be able to get information about the subject of an image. For example, use the Chat > Geolocate Image script on an image of the Eiffel Tower. Obviously this would work best with well-known or often photographed landmarks.

Images also can be converted to text via AI transcription. Using the Recognition > Transcribe Text & Notes command in the Data or context menu, AI can examine an image and extract the text much in the way OCR does, but utilizing either Apple's Vision framework or a vision-capable AI model. With an appropriate prompt and capable model, you can use this for a variety of purposes, including translating between languages.

Speech to Text: Another powerful AI recognition function in DEVONthink is speech-to-text capabilities used with audio and video files. Long ago, this technology was a niche (and expensive) process that progressed to providing conversion of short bits of audio directly on your Mac. Now, the technology is capable of fully transcribing long audio and video content, providing a written transcript for you to use as you need. And with Apple's Speech framework, this can even happen on your Mac.

After having set your desired options in the AI > Transcription settings, select an audio or video file and choose Recognition > Transcribe Speech command from the Data or context menu. This will process the audio and convert it into text. Logically, the longer the document, the more time is required to transcribe it.

When transcribing images and media, it may appear nothing has happened. However, you need to look at where the transcribed text is being saved. In the AI > Transcription settings, you will find these options:

Transcribed text may also contain timestamps, if you're transcribing to Finder comments or an annotation file. Timestamps can be toggled on or off via the Add timestamps to transcriptions setting. When transcribing to an annotation file, you can use them to jump to certain points in the playback. Be aware timestamps are inserted after short pauses in the audio, not periodically, so they may not always appear in a place you would put them.

Note:

The recognized text may not be 100% accurate, especially when using local Apple Speech but it may also be more than sufficient for your needs. However, you may not want to send video to Apple's or OpenAI's servers for processing.

Tagging

Lastly, if you often use tags on your documents, AI can provide assistance with it. With the Add Chat suggestions to documents option in the Files > Tags settings, AI can examine files and tag them as they're added to your database. To keep your tags from getting out of control, you can require AI to only use already existing tags. You can also use Apple's Vision framework for tagging images, if you aren't using a vision-capable AI engine.

Controlled Recognition


As mentioned above, the option to recognize text in images may be very useful. However, the option in the Files > Import settings is a global setting, meaning it will attempt to recognize text in every image you add. Not only may that not be necessary, it could incur a cost if you're using a commercial AI engine. However, we can exert a more control with a simple smart rule.

1: Select your desired database or location in the Navigate sidebar then click the  button at the bottom of the pane and choose New Smart Rule.

2: Enter a name and ensure the Search in dropdown is targeting the correct location.

3: Set criteria Kind is Image and enter another filtering criteria, e.g., Tag is not AI Processed. This latter criterion can help avoid reprocessing documents.

4: Click the  button to add an On Import event trigger. This is optional but adds some unattended automation to the database.

5: Choose the Recognize action and Transcribe Text & Notes. Following our example, add the Add Tags action and enter AI Processed as the Tag. Then press OK to close it.

6: Now drag and drop an image into the database. It should be transcribed automatically per the option you chose in the AI > Transcription settings.

Lastly, drag and drop an image into another database and you'll see it doesn't trigger the smart rule. You could also add other filtering criteria, e.g., Name begins with screen to only process screen captures you've taken. Now you have much more control over when transcription happens, saving computer resources and potentially some money.

PS: This same logic can also be applied if you want to use AI-assisted tagging on import.

Speech-To-Text


On Location: Imagine you're in school listening to a lecture, in a house of worship, attending a seminar, etc. You wish you could record and read what's being said later. Here's a way you could accomplish that assisted by AI. The first two steps are only for setup. Once they're set, you can leave them alone and just start at step 3.

1: Open the AI > Transcription settings. Choose the transcription engine and how you want to store the transcribed text. We'll choose Annotation to create a separate annotation file.

2: Optionally, open the Files > Import settings and enable Transcribe Audio Files. We'll enable it for this example.

If you don't enable the option to transcribe on import, you can process the saved audio file later via the Data > Recognition > Transcribe Speech command or the context menu.

3: Open the Sorter's Voice Note view and start recording.

4: When finished, stop the recording. Choose the destination, modify any metadata, e.g., the name or tags, and press ⌘S or the Add button to save the audio to your database. The transcription engine should automatically start processing the audio.

5: Navigate to the destination and check the results, if finished. Note the length of the audio determines how long it takes to process, so be patient.

On Demand: If you have a pre-recorded audio file, you can process it even more simply. Assuming steps 1 and 2 are set as needed, drag and drop the audio file into your database. It will be processed in the same way.

Note:

Recording may not be allowed, or it may even be illegal, in certain locations.

We hope this provided a bit of insight, direction, and perhaps inspiration, into how AI can be effectively used with your documents.

Document Linking

Documents in DEVONthink are independent items but often have contextual relationships with other documents in your databases. Efficiently creating and using these links is key in many peoples' use cases. DEVONthink supports three types of links.

Relative and Absolute Links: Almost exclusively used in Markdown documents, these are links similar to what is seen in the source code of web pages; e.g., /stylesheets/styles.css. It is possible to manually add these links to an HTML document, but that is certainly less commonly done in DEVONthink. In regards to Markdown, you can read more about linking in the Markdown section of this chapter.

Square bracket WikiLinks support using a description as an alternate name in Markdown. The description comes after a pipe | character, e.g., [[fw4.pdf|W4 Tax Form]] displays as "W4 Tax Form" but links to the "fw4.pdf" file. They also support section anchors following a hash symbol #, e.g., [[Choosing a Mac.html#workrequirements]] jumps to a "Work Requirements" section in the linked document.

Item Links: Many applications today have a URL scheme — a special URL that provides some extra functionality for that application. In DEVONthink, every item has a unique URL called an item link, pointing only to that item. When used with in-application documents or in external applications that support URL schemes, the item link will open the linked document in our software. In some cases, the link may even contain certain parameters to do things like open a video to a specific time.

Similar to the behavior of WikiLinks, the link text in a document can be updated automatically when you rename a linked document. Enable the Update name of item links automatically in the WikiLinks settings. If this is disabled, you can use the Tools > Item Links > Update Name of Item Links command to manually update a document. To switch from WikiLinks to item links in a document, use the Tools > Item Links > Convert WikiLinks to Item Links command.

Note:

If you want to view the links in a document, open the Document > Links inspector. Outgoing links show item links from the current document to other documents or other URLs, e.g., to web pages. If you're viewing the source of a Markdown document, WikiLinks are not listed as outgoing links. If you want to see what documents are linking to the current document, those are listed in the Incoming Links section at the bottom of the pane. This section does include WikiLinks pointing to the active document.

Another inspector, the Graph inspector, can also show links between documents, including both WikiLinks and item links.

Plain and Rich Texts


Plain Text

Plain text files may seem too simple to be truly useful. No styling. No images. Nothing but text. But the reality is these simple files are underlying a lot of your daily experience. From the HTML code instructing your browser how to display a web site, to the code DEVONthink is written in, plain text is very powerful. DEVONthink supports plain text files as a native, editable format.

Plain text files can be created via Data > New > Plain Text. While they don't support formatting, they are often an ideal format for rapidly recording thoughts with less distraction. They are cross-platform, including on mobile, and can be opened in dozens (if not hundreds) of applications. Another benefit of plain text is it can be easily processed in automations.

There are a large number of plain text file formats in the world. DEVONthink recognizes many of them and they should be editable just like standard .txt files. However, if you have a format that is not recognized, you can add the extension to be recognized as a plain text format. See the Hidden Preferences section of the Appendix on how to accomplish that.

Rich Text

Word processing applications brought us text with flair. Need some bold and italic text? How about adding a photo to the page? And color? These applications were providing it all. But their formats are proprietary so if you don't have the creator application, you can't open the file or you'll have to convert it first. The rich text format provides a useful text format that supports formatted text. These files are generally cross-platform compatible and editable in many applications. DEVONthink uses the same text engine found in Apple TextEdit, so it's an easy transition if you're already familiar with it.

Rich text files can be created via Data > New > Rich Text. You can attach other documents to rich text documents simply by dragging them into the text. Technically the rich text document becomes an .rtfd package and the dragged file is saved as part of the package. Using the context menu, you can show an attachment's content in a Quick Look preview. Also, if you double-click an attachment, it will open in the system default application.

Outlining: If you need to may lists in your rich text documents, there is a built-in "mini outliner" is a built into the text engine. On any blank line in a rich text document, type ⌥⇥ Option-Tab to create a bullet point (macOS shows dashes instead of bullets). Type something then press ↩ Return to create the next line item, and so on. Additional ⌥⇥ will increase the indentation; ⇧⇥ will outdent the line. Press ↩ multiple times to exit the list. Lists use a hyphen by default but you can change this via the Format > List dialog on a selected level of the list.

Annotating: Part of the popularity of rich text is the speed of composition but also being able to format with highlights, underlines, etc.

Sections: Another powerful feature of rich text is the ability to create sections and subsections. Especially useful in long-form documents, set a solitary line in bold and it will be detected as a section. A single line underlined acts as a subsection. But note these lines must be standalones and not mixed styles.

Interface

Editing Bar: The navigation bar for rich text files includes the Editing Bar. Click this  icon and the editing bar will appear in place of the navigation bar. The tools available here consist of:

Format Bar: In addition to formatting options in the Format menu and the simple controls in the editing bar, DEVONthink provides another toolbar just for rich text editing. Select Format > Show Format Bar to display a set of rich text controls under the toolbar in main or document windows. Similar to TextEdit, it provides the following options:

Context Menu: In addition to the context menu items available with text selections, rich text files also feature these specific commands:

Inspectors: The usual inspectors work with both plain and rich text files, but there are a few inspectors that work with rich text:

Item Linking

In addition to the document's standard item link, plain and rich text files support this alternative item link:

Markdown Documents


Markdown is a simple formatting language invented by John Gruber that has gained in popularity over the past few years. It allows you to write in plain text, using some easily learned control characters, to produce nicely rendered HTML output. With some styling and ingenuity, you can create a wide variety of documents.

Markdown files can be imported or created via Data > New > Markdown text. As you're writing you can switch easily between a plain text editor and the rendered view or even view both simultaneously using the side-by-side view via the View > Document Display commands. If there is a view you prefer, you can choose it in the Settings > Files > Markdown > Markdown Display dropdown.

Elements: As Markdown at its core is just plain text, you can create a new document and just start typing. However, you may need more than paragraphs in your composition. Below is a list of parts of a document you may need in your writing.

Lists are often used in a variety of ways. As an example, to create an unordered list (often called a bulleted list), type a hyphen or asterisk followed by a space, then your text. When you press the ↩ Return key, the next line will have the control character to continue the list. If you're finished with the list, add one more return. For sublists, after adding a line item and pressing the ↩ Return key, type two to four spaces or press the ⇥ Tab key and type after the control-character. To outdent a list, put the cursor before the control character and press the ⌦ Delete key. Here are the supported lists and their control characters:

Formatting: Markdown has a simple syntax for creating and styling text. Here are the control characters used for common styles, including CriticMarkup (see below):

Syntax Highlighting: When editing the source of the Markdown, DEVONthink's hybrid source rendering will display many types of formatting or elements as you type. For example, typing **important** will display the plain text in bold; `{"name":"Audrey Hepburn"}` will display as a code block, etc. If you'd prefer to see no formatting in the source code, you can disable Syntax Highlighting in the Files > Markdown. settings.

WYSIWYG Editing: Another feature of syntax highlighting is WYSIWYG images & links. This renders links as active hyperlinks and image links as the linked image. An example of this is shown in the image at the top of this section. You can enable this in the Markdown settings to be used in all Markdown documents or by selecting Format > WYSIWYG Editing on a document-by-document basis. However, syntax highlighting must be enabled in the application settings to use this feature.

If you need to edit the attributes of a rendered image, Control-click it and choose Edit Image. You can modify or remove the caption, change the image by modifying the URL, or add an optional parameter, e.g., width=250px. For a rendered non-image link, you can Control-click it and choose Edit Link or select the text and use Format > Edit Link. This change does not affect the link's text.

Metadata: One of the features of MultiMarkdown is metadata headers. These allow you to add non-displaying information about the document, like authors, dates, and even linked stylesheets. To use the feature, format the first line of the document with a colon, e.g., Author: DEVONtechnologies. Add as many metadata fields as you wish but they must be in a block at the top of the document.

If you would like the first line of your document to contain a colon, perhaps adding notes like Developer: A. Edwards and Re: OCR, just add a single blank line at the top of the document and the subsequent lines will be treated as normal paragraphs.

You can learn more about Markdown and its syntax on Gruber's Markdown pages or the MultiMarkdown syntax guide.

Linking

You can reference local images, scripts, and other resources using item links, downward-relative (traveling subgroups; it's not possible to travel up with '..' as documents can have multiple parents) or absolute (start with a forward slash) paths. Here are examples of linking an image:

Linking Images: Regarding keeping track of your linked images, if you drag or paste images into a Markdown document, they will be imported into a group in the document's location if Preference > Files > Markdown > Import images to group is enabled. The group name is also assigned in the preferences, with the default name being Assets. This group will also contain images from web content clipped as Markdown documents if the above option is enabled.

If you enter a name in the preferences mentioned above, this will create a subgroup in the location of the Markdown document and a relative link will be created in the Markdown document. If you add a name preceded by a forward slash, e.g., /Markdown, this will create a group in the root of the database and an item link placed into the Markdown text. You can even set a more precise location, e.g., /Inbox/Markdown/Images.

Drag and Drop/Copy and Paste: Drag and drop or copy and paste items into a Markdown document to add the appropriate links. Drag and drop documents while holding ⌘-⌥ will create a URL with an item link. Dropping an image will create a properly formatted Markdown image link. Drop .mp3 or .mp4 files to insert a playable multimedia link. You can also copy and paste files into the document. The type of link that's inserted, relative or an item link, is controlled by the Image Reference setting.

WikiLinking: If you have enabled automatic WikiLinks, links to documents can be detected as you write. If you have enabled Names & Aliases, links will appear as matches are detected. If you enabled Square Brackets, type [[ and continue typing, suggestions will be made via autocompletion. Selecting one inserts the link or type something new to begin a new Wiki document. These WikiLinks are active when editing and previewing the file and are also preserved in a website export or conversion to other formats.

File Transclusion: A special feature of DEVONthink's Markdown handling is support for file transclusion. This provides the capability of displaying the contents of one file inside the contents of a Markdown file. This supports displaying the contents of: plain text, rich text, HTML, formatted notes, sheet, or more commonly, other Markdown files. For example, you may have several chapters of a book written in individual Markdown files. Use transclusion to view them all as one document with out the need to merge or copy and paste the content between files, similar to some popular writing applications. If you examine the image at the top of this section, you will notice the table isn't a Markdown table at all. It's a transcluded sheet.

To use transclusion, just enter the desired document's name or item link between double braces, e.g., {{Chapter 1}}. Transclusion supports filenames with and without extensions, relative and absolute links, as well as item links. It also supports the Obsidian syntax, e.g., ![[Chapter 2.md]].

Styling

Styling your Markdown documents can be done with internal styling or externally referenced stylesheets. If you have a specific stylesheet you'd like to use globally, you can specify one in the Files > Markdown > Style Sheet. settings. If you're working on styling or creating different kinds of documents, here are options for in-document styling:

Note:

If no specific styling is applied, the Editing > Format > Markdown Font will be used in both the source and preview of Markdown documents.

Markdown Extensions

To support some features in Markdown that aren't built in, DEVONthink supports a handful of known and widely used extensions. The first option below requires no user interaction. The following three can be enabled in Settings > Files > Markdown, if desired.

Highlighting, strikethrough, …: Text notations, e.g., for noting changes are sometimes necessary in documents. DEVONthink supports the features of the CriticMarkup extension of Markdown. It also supports a few alternate highlighting syntaxes, like ==text== and ^^text^^, found in some other Markdown-enabled applications.

MathJax: Markdown is often used in academic situations, many using mathematical equations in their writing. DEVONthink supports the Mathjax extension that will beautifully render LaTeX coded equations in your Markdown documents.

For more information on how MultiMarkdown handles equations, please see: Math support in MultiMarkdown.

Mermaid: Diagrams can be created in Markdown documents using the Mermaid extension. Add a line of three backticks as shown```mermaid. Add the diagram code as needed and close the diagram with another line of three backticks. There are several diagram types available and discussed on the Mermaid.js website.

Prism: For those writing code in their Markdown, DEVONthink supports Lea Verou's Prism extension. Just add a line of three backticks ```language- and the language you're writing about. For example, ```language-applescript. Remember to add a line of three backticks under the code to close it. This displays syntax highlighting of code blocks in the rendered output. Note it does not affect the Markdown source as you're writing, only the rendered output.

Note:

Not all languages supported by Prism are available. Additional languages may be added in the future if there's sufficient interest in them.

Emoji: For a little extra personality, you can type Slack-style emoji, like :grinning:, directly in the Markdown document.

Interface

Navigation Bar: When working with Markdown documents, you can switch between Preview and Source modes. There also is a special icon  present in the navigation bar. This switches to Side-by-Side mode, allowing you to edit and preview the current document in two side-by-side panes.

Editing Bar: The Editing bar is only available when editing the source. It has a subset of the tools used in rich text editing, e.g., Highlight, Bold, etc.

Inspectors: These inspectors provide navigation or a view into the resources in Markdown documents:

Context Menu: Markdown documents support the same context menu items available with text selections in the document source. But there are a few special commands available both in the source and preview:

Item Linking

In addition to the document's standard item link, Markdown documents support this alternative item link:

PDFs


PDFs are a very common format, from academia and online bill payments to equipment manuals. Fortunately, they are first-class citizens that can be viewed and annotated within DEVONthink. The annotation tools should be familiar and include options like arrows, text, and link annotations. While DEVONthink may not have some options found in specialized PDF applications, it is still a very capable PDF tool.

Beyond importing and indexing, PDF files can also be created by capturing web content, directly in DEVONthink or via our browser extension, Clip to DEVONthink. You can also print a paginated PDF with the Save PDF to DEVONthink in the PDF dropdown of the print dialogs of most macOS applications.

PDFs often come directly from text sources, like word processing or page layout applications. The content of these files should be indexed and searchable when added to your database. But there are also times when a PDF only contains pages of images, e.g., PDFs made from scans of old books. In a process similar to Apple's Live Text, DEVONthink will detect and index the text transparently, allowing you to search for these documents. However, you will not be able to use the Search inspector and see occurrences of search terms in the found documents as there is no actual text layer present.

OCR: Even if PDF text is detected internally, we strongly recommend you use OCR to create properly searchable documents. OCR adds a text layer to the document, allowing search hits to be shown in the Search inspector. That text layer is a permanent part of the document, so it is preserved when using it outside of our application, or even across platforms. For scanned PDFs without a text layer, you can do OCR directly in DEVONthink when needed.

Viewing PDFs: When you view a PDF it will display as single or two side-by-side pages. Choose the desired option in the View > PDF Display options. When the document opens, the pages are viewed as the entire page or magnified to the width of the view/edit pane. You can choose how the document is displayed in the View > Zoom submenu. If you'd like to always view PDFs with a specific Zoom option, you can set a default in the Files > Multimedia > PDF Display preferences. Enable Automatically resize then choose a single or double page option. The Zoom option used is controlled as shown below:

Interface

Navigation Bar: Not only containing the typical properties like word count, with PDFs the Navigation bar shows the the current page folio along side the total number of pages in the document. Clicking on this navigation bar item opens a Go to page function so you can quickly jump to a specific page. In addition, there are buttons to move to the first, previous, next, or last page. Also, you will see an  icon if the document is encrypted. Also, if the document is read-only and cannot be edited, for whatever reason, you will see this  icon.

Editing Bar: The navigation bar for PDF files includes the Editing Bar, providing access to editing and annotation tools. Click this  and the editing bar will replace the navigation bar. You can also access them in the Tools > Annotate menu. The available tools are:

When using certain annotation tools, e.g., Note or Link annotations, the Annotations panel will open. You can set type-specific properties in this panel. The settings here will be retained for subsequent uses of each type of annotation.

Context Menu: In addition to many common context menu items, there are also a few PDF-specific commands:

Inspectors: There are a few inspector panes with information specifically pertaining to PDF documents: Info > Properties, Content inspectors, and Document > Annotations.

Item Linking

In addition to the document's standard item link, PDF documents support these alternative item links:

HTML-Based Formats


HTML-based files in DEVONthink include bookmarks, web archives, formatted notes, and RSS articles. These are formats that are viewable in web browsers and are also mobile-native, so they will work nicely in DEVONthink To Go too!

Bookmarks

Bookmarks are exactly the same as the ones found in your web browser. With DEVONthink's ability to act as a browser, bookmarks can be a valuable part of your experience. When using File > Import > Bookmarks, you can bring your bookmarks into DEVONthink easily. Though this depends on the capability of the individual browser, you may be able to drag links directly into your database. You can also capture them with DEVONthink's Sorter.

In addition to importing bookmark files, they can be created via Data > New > Bookmark. Just provide a URL and title. If you don't enter a title, DEVONthink will attempt to detect and use the page title.

Note:

If you import your bookmarks from a browser, this is a copy operation not a sync, i.e., if you modify bookmarks in your browser, this will have no effect on DEVONthink's contents. However, you can do another import to add the new bookmarks to your database without duplicating the previous ones.

Formatted Notes and HTML

Formatted Notes: Formatted notes are a simple web-based note format, like a mobile rich text format. These files can be viewed with most web browsers. Similar to their text-based counterparts, they support adding images and formatting text, though the range of formatting options is smaller than that of rich text. You can find all available formatting commands in the Edit and Format menus. Newly created formatted notes use the font set in Editing > Format > Rich Text & Note Font. Captured or imported formatted notes, e.g., from Evernote, use the font set in Settings > Web > Standard Font

Images are embedded directly into the HTML code so that formatted notes are completely self-contained. However, the resulting file size can grow large very quickly. Resizing images before adding them is encouraged. The HTML code is also cleaned from unnecessary tags and an identifying meta tag is inserted that lets DEVONthink distinguish formatted notes from normal HTML pages. Form tags, e.g., for checkboxes and input fields are not removed and the status of checkboxes and form fields is retained.

Bear in mind, the underlying markup in formatted notes can't be edited in DEVONthink. However, you can open the files in a compatible external editor, if you'd like.

HTML Files: HTML files are similar to formatted notes, however they do not preserve the state of certain elements, e.g., checkboxes and form fields. You also cannot add images by dragging them into the live editing view. However, you can edit the underlying HTML code using the Source and Side-by-Side modes found in the navigation bar. HTML files can be created via Data > New > HTML page or clipped.

Formatted notes can be created via Data > New > Formatted note. When using the Notes from Evernote or Folders & Attachments from Notes options in the File > Import menu, the imported notes are formatted notes.

Web Archives

Web archives are a special HTML file format intended to create offline archives of individual web pages. The downloaded data preserves the look and feel of the page very closely. It is often a more useful capture option when a PDF would generate a very long page since web archives always view at the size determined by the browsing area.

They function in a similar fashion as formatted notes, so you can actually edit the captured contents and save your changes. This can be very handy for highlighting passages or removing unwanted elements, e.g., ads, in a captured web page. Also, since they are HTML files the underlying markup can be edited using the Source and Side-by-Side modes found in the navigation bar.

Note:

Web archives can be very useful with web pages using statically linked content. However, some popular and monetized sites get their contents dynamically from other sources, so the actual data is not in the underlying HTML. These pages may have missing content due to this, require an internet connection to display content, and run JavaScript. If you encounter this, capturing to PDF may be a better archiving option.

You can't natively create web archives files in DEVONthink. They are the result of web clipping, either in DEVONthink or using our browser extension.

RSS

RSS feeds are special "web pages" that don't show as pages but as a stream of news articles. DEVONthink allows you to keep that news flowing directly into your databases. Supporting RSS, RDF, Atom, and JSON feeds, DEVONthink functions as a basic newsreader.

RSS feeds are treated as a special type of group. Feed articles are downloaded to the feed and saved in a format you specify in DEVONthink's Settings > RSS > Feed Format. The default is Automatic and saves summary files as HTML. When using an option other than Automatic as the feed format, DEVONthink must download the linked content and convert it to the appropriate format. The styling of the HTML articles is controlled by an internal CSS stylesheet specified in Settings > RSS > Feed Style Sheet. Other formats will get their styling from the source they're downloaded from.

Add a new RSS feed via Data > New > Feed. Just provide a URL and an optional title. If you don't enter a title, DEVONthink will attempt to detect and use the feed's title.

Interface

Editing Bar: Like rich text files, editing HTML-based files (excluding bookmarks) includes the Editing Bar. Click this  icon and the editing bar will appear in place of the navigation bar. The tools available here consist of:

Context Menu: In addition to the context menu commands available with text selections in a document, HTML based files often include these items:

Inspectors: Beyond the standard inspectors, a few others have specific utility with these formats:

Item Linking

Web-based formats support two specialized link types.

Sheets


Sheets are a specialized format used to store and display tabular data. For example, a sheet could contain a table of peoples' name, title, and department, your software titles and licenses, or the bibliographic information about research papers you're working with. Sheets are made up of records, defined by parameters you specify, and displayed as a form or columns.

Sheets are created via Data > New > Sheet. If you import tab or comma-delimited files, e.g., CSV or TSV files, they will be imported and displayed as sheets. With these imported documents, you may need to define column headings, which you can modify at any time.

When you create a sheet or edit the columns via the Column Editor, you will specify the column name and their type. An explanation of these data types can be found in the Data section of the appendix.

Sheets can be displayed as a table or a form via the View > Document Display menu or using the  and  buttons in the navigation bar. The table view is similar to standard spreadsheet views. Form view is similar to the record view e.g., in FileMaker. You can set the default view for sheets in the Files > Sheets settings.


Editing sheets works a bit differently than other formats. In Table view, click a cell to edit its content. To move to the next column, press the ⇥ Tab key. To finish editing and begin a new record, tap the ↩ Return key. This can make editing sheets a very quick process. In Form view, tabs and returns work more like other text-based formats. Add new and remove selected rows using the Add Record and Remove Record commands in the Tools > Sheets > Add Record menu.

When working with a sheet, columns with links are handled differently. For cells containing a URL, hold the ⇧⌘ keys and click the link to open it in an external application while switching to it. For cells using an item link, the same keys open the linked document in a new tab or document window, depending on the General > Interface settings.

Interface

Navigation Bar: Above the view/edit pane, the Navigation bar displays the current record and the total number of records in the sheet. Clicking on this information opens a Go to record function so you can quickly jump to a specific record in the sheet. In addition, there are options to go to the first, previous, next, or last records.

Editing Bar: To make working with sheets even more efficient, DEVONthink includes the Editing bar with some basic tools:

In Form view, there is one more option enabled in the Editing bar: Delete Selected Column allows you to delete a column. Just click on the column header you want to delete then this option is enabled.

Context Menu: There are a few sheet-specific context menu items available when you're Control-clicking in a sheet.

In Table View, there are also Cut, Copy, and Paste commands. Pasting always adds as the last record in the sheet.

Item Linking

Sheets currently support no alternate item links.

Note:

Despite any visual or behavior similarities with Microsoft Excel, sheets are not spreadsheets and therefore do not provide functions and formulae.

Images, Audio, and Video


While DEVONthink's strengths lie in text-based content, you certainly can add images, audio, and video files to your databases. You can even add new media documents via the Sorter's Audio Note, Video Note, and Screen Capture features.

DEVONthink uses macOS core technologies to display images and videos, and also play audio. Interacting with images uses the same controls you are used to, like pinch to zoom in and out, two-finger tap to zoom to width, and even two-finger rotation in 90 degree increments. Audio and video files display the familiar macOS playback controls.

Interface

Navigation bar: The Navigation Bar has no special controls options for images. But for audio and video files, it displays the playback time. If you click the time it shows a Go to time function so you can quickly jump to another time in the playback.

Editing Bar: When viewing an image, the Editing Bar offers some editing tools:

To the left are Select and Move tools so you can select and modify the image annotations or scroll the image. But be aware, these annotations will be flattened into the image when you save or deselect the image. They can't be removed at a latter time.

Edit pane for images: In addition to the Editing Bar's tools, double-clicking opens an edit panel with three tabs. The Adjust tab allows you to do some basic image editing, like adjust exposure, saturation, adding a sepia tone, etc. The Effects tab provides some simple pre-defined image effects. The Details tab displays metadata about the image, including EXIF metadata and a map of the geolocated origin of the file.

Context Menu: There are a few media-specific context menu items available, excluding common ones related to magnifying the image. In addition to the standard controls, e.g., volume, playback position, etc., some of the same context menu options are found in the action menu for these files.

Item Linking

In addition to the document's standard item link, audio and video files support this alternative item link:

Note:

We sometimes get inquiries about including entire photo libraries in DEVONthink, e.g., from Photos, Lightroom, etc. While it's certainly possible to include images in your databases, please understand DEVONthink is not a digital asset management application. If you want to include some images on a per project basis, perhaps for journaling or genealogy, etc., that works fine. If you are trying to have an image archive, searchable by media-specific metadata, you'll be better off using an application built for this specific purpose.

Office Documents, Email, and Others

DEVONthink is the central hub for many environments, from home to office, and you are likely using several other applications along side it. As often mentioned, DEVONthink supports importing many file types; some editable, some not. If a format is text-based, like XML files, they may be directly editable. But even if a file is not editable, it may be searchable. This section is obviously not exhaustive in what kind of files can be added to DEVONthink, but if you have a format we haven't discussed, the easiest thing to do is just try importing it. Any failures will be reported in Window > Log.

EPUB

Navigate an .epub file in the Content > Table of Contents inspector or choose the View > Document Display > Text Alternative view. When searching an EPUB file, the view/edit pane will switch automatically to the View > Document Display > Text Alternative view to display the search hits.

Office Documents

Word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications are common in many situations. When using the proprietary formats from these applications, like Microsoft Word documents (.doc, .docx), these formats aren't directly editable in DEVONthink. However, it does support importing and indexing these particular document types:

These formats can only be imported, however it is possible to add template files of these formats. For example, you may have a boilerplate Pages document you often use. This could be added as a template to quickly add to your database, then opened and edited in Pages. See the appendix for a bit more information.

Email

Imported email messages (.eml) have their contents indexed. This makes them searchable and a valuable asset, whether you're archiving email for personal or professional reasons. If the email contains indexable attachments, e.g., a rich text file or PDF document with a text layer, the content will be indexed and treated as part of the content of the email document. You can confirm this in the Concordance inspector. Note attachments like images, audio/video files, and PDF documents without a text layer will not be indexed nor processed, e.g., transcribed, as part of the import process. But they can be processed separately, as we'll see next.

Dealing with attachments: Attachments are included as part of the email; they are embedded and add to the file size. Separating the attachments allows them to be used independently, but be aware they will also consume twice the space – in the email and as a separate document. However, when separated they can then be made searchable or transcribed as needed. If you want to import them separately, do this:

For more information on email importing see the In & Out > Handling Emails section.

Other Formats

You may be reading through this section and thinking, "Well, there are many more kinds of files than you've listed here. What about those?!" That is indeed true and the fact is you can likely put any kind of file into your database. But there are a few things to think about.

The first thing is whether there's a real benefit to putting certain files into DEVONthink. For example, it is possible to put .zip files in a database but they serve no functional purpose in they aren't indexed or searchable. It may make sense if it's just for archival purposes, but it would make less sense in an active database. The same would apply to build files, log files, temp files, etc.

The second thing to consider is whether you have two per-format components on your Mac: a QuickLook plugin and a Spotlight importer. These components come from third-parties, typically the developer of the format or an application that can edit it.

The QuickLook plugin generates a preview of a file and DEVONthink can use this to display the file. If there isn't a plugin loaded on your Mac, you will see a generic file icon.

If there is a Spotlight importer available for the file format you're adding to your database, DEVONthink may be able to use it to gather some information about the document. The kind and amount of information is dependent on how the importer was developed.

Two ways to improve the chances of getting at least a preview are: run native macOS applications and make sure the compatible application is installed on the Mac and has been launched at least once. That way a QuickLook plugin or Spotlight importer, if available, should be registered for specific formats on the machine.

Text and Best Alternative

For some document formats, e.g., email messages or Word documents, DEVONthink only allows you to select and copy text in the Text Alternative view. If DEVONthink is able to interpret and convert the document format, you can use the  and  buttons in the navigation bar to switch between a view that allows you to select, copy, and drag text or the Quick Look view showing a more "accurate" view of a file.

Also note you will have text-related context menu commands available when you can make text selections in the Text Alternative view of a file.

Interface

Context Menu: Context menu items aren't available in Quick Look views, e.g., Control-clicking in a PowerPoint file. Also, when using the Text Alternative mode for these files, some but not all context items related to text selections are available. [Read more...]

Item Linking

No alternate item links are available for non-native formats.

Linked Files

On occasion we get an inquiry about importing files with linked assets, like Adobe Illustrator or InDesign files. While it's certainly possible to import these, the links will be broken if you try to import a folder structure containing the links. Groups in DEVONthink do not exist in the file system, so the groups that are created when you import a folder structure from the Finder don't exist as real folders in the database. The files inside the folders are imported into the internal structure of the database, so their paths are not pointing to the groups in the database.

If you want to include these kinds of files in your databases, you could keep the linked files external and only import the documents. You could also index the complete folder structure containing your files into the database, leaving them where they are in the Finder. Since the paths aren't changing, the links would be preserved when you open the documents.

In & Out

DEVONthink is not an island. It integrates with the rest of your Mac and iOS devices in a variety of ways to make it easy for you to add data to DEVONthink. There are even some options that allow you to share your data with friends and colleagues. The first part of this chapter will discuss the various ways to get documents into your databases. This is followed by a section on the exporting options, with the remainder of the chapter discussing sync, in philosophy and practice.

Importing & Indexing

When it comes to getting data into your databases, there are two fundamental methods to consider: importing and indexing.

Import

Importing copies files into the internal structure of the database. This creates a portable, self-contained database that can be moved as a single file. This is the default behavior of DEVONthink.

When you drag-and-drop files or choose File > Import > Files and Folders, files are copied. This does leave the originals in the Finder, which you can choose to keep or delete. But note there is no connection between the files any longer. Editing the file in the Finder after importing has no effect on the file in the database, as the database has a copy of it. If you want to access and edit the files, do so from inside DEVONthink.

If you hold the ⌘ Command key when you drag into DEVONthink, the file will be moved, not copied, into the database. If you are using File > Import > Files and Folders, you can click the Options button and enable Move Originals to Trash.

Index

Finder files and folders can be indexed using File > Index. You can also hold ⌥⌘ while dragging and dropping into your database. When you do, you will see a curved arrow on the cursor while dragging, indicating the items will be indexed. Indexed items will have a small square Finder icon to the right of the item's name.

Indexing and the Filesystem

Indexing is not the default option for getting files into your databases. This is not only because importing creates a singular, portable database, but also due to some technical things that must be considered when indexing. Here are a few behaviors you should know and understand before indexing.

With indexing, the integration with the filesystem is very tight. When you rename a file in DEVONthink, the file's name changes in the Finder. If you rename in the Finder, the change should be automatically reflected in the database. DEVONthink tries to keep the group in the database and the folder in the Finder in the same state. Also, if you move a non-indexed file into an indexed group or create a new file in an indexed group, the file will be moved to the external indexed folder, a process we call "deconsolidation".


When indexing items into DEVONthink, you can index a file, a folder, or a parent folder containing subfolders. In the image shown, the "DEVONtech" folder is the parent folder and could be indexed with all its contents included. You could also index an individual folder, e.g., the "Data" folder, which would be treated as a parent folder for its contents. Or you could index individual files. Each of these options has specific behaviors you should be aware of, covered below.

Updating indexed files: In general use, DEVONthink can usually detect filesystem changes of indexed folders and will update the indexed group in the database. However, there are two things to be aware of regarding automatic updating of indexed files.

Note:

In the Appendix > Hidden Preferences, you will find some settings specific to indexing: DisableAutomaticUpdatingOfItems, DisableFileSystemEvents, and DisableFileCoordination. If you'd like to control whether DEVONthink automatically moves indexed files into a database (consolidation) and moves items to the external Finder folder (deconsolidation), see the Files > General > Indexed Items settings.

Moving Indexed Items: DEVONthink stores individually indexed items by its absolute path in the filesystem. If you move an individually indexed file or folder, it will disappear when the database updates or be reported as missing. This is because the item no longer exists in the indexed location, so the absolute path points to nothing. If you move a file or subfolder inside an indexed parent group, the change should be reflected in the database or the Finder. The parent folder still exists in the same location and DEVONthink can adjust for the changed relative paths within it.

While it's generally best to index fairly static locations, i.e., ones that you won't be relocating or renaming, sometimes it becomes necessary to do some housekeeping. Perhaps you are running low on space on the internal drive and need to move an indexed folder to a connected external drive. Open the Tools > Inspectors > Generic Info inspector, you can click the down arrow next to the Path title, choose Select, and select the parent folder in its new location. DEVONthink should update the stored paths to point to the Finder folder and its contents in the new location.


Deleting Indexed Items: When deleting indexed items, you will see one of two warnings when you empty the database's trash, depending on how you've indexed the item. With individually indexed files or an indexed parent folder, you will see the warning above prompting you to choose whether to delete the item from the file system or just the reference in the database. In this instance, DEVONthink is prompting you to make sure you aware of the potential removal of a top level indexed item.


If you delete a subgroup or file in an indexed group and empty the database's trash, you will be shown a warning there are indexed items detected in the trash. You can choose to Remove Imported Items which will not delete indexed files. Choose Remove All Items to remove both indexed and imported files when emptying the trash. Indexed files will be moved to the system trash from their location in the Finder. In this situation, DEVONthink is modifying the content of the indexed parent to ensure both the Finder and database's contents match.

Duplicating Indexed Items: When you duplicate an indexed item, the behavior depends on if you're duplicating within a database or between databases. if you duplicate the item in the same database, a copy will be created in the Finder in anticipation of potential changes. If you duplicate the item into another database, no copy will be created in the Finder. However, changes made to the item - in either database - will affect both databases as the indexed item is pointing at the same item in the Finder.

Note:

While you cannot replicate files between databases, the duplication of an indexed file across databases can provide you with a similar behavior. However, the files will not be marked as duplicates since duplicates are not detected across databases.

Replicating Indexed Files: Replicating indexed files within a database, individually or within parent folders, has no effect on the files in the Finder. Replicating only adds a record of another instance of the file. However, if you delete a replicant of an indexed file and empty the database's trash, this will have no effect on the files in the Finder. They will remain intact.

Indexing Cloud-synced Folders: One of the common uses of indexing is to keep a local folder in a cloud-synced location, e.g., Dropbox, and have access to the files within DEVONthink. While this is certainly supported, be aware that changes made to the local folder, especially when the cloud service syncs, they may not always be detected by DEVONthink. In that instance, you can manually update the indexed group by selecting and hoisting it via the disclosure triangle or choosing the File > Update Indexed Items command. Also, you should only index local data, e.g., on the local hard drive or connected drives. DEVONthink doesn't support indexing data that resides only in the cloud.

Lastly, if you are indexing content and want to sync the databases between devices, please review the Indexing and Sync section.

Due to the flexibility of DEVONthink, it's possible to have a database containing both imported and indexed files.

Note:

While DEVONthink can handle large amounts of data, it is inadvisable to import or index uncurated data, like entire hard drives or your Home directory. You should be judicious in what you put into your databases.

Drag & Drop

The Mac has always been an environment with rich drag-and-drop support. DEVONthink is a well-behaved citizen in this regard. In fact, on a Mac your first instinct should be trying a drag and drop. Here are are few useful scenarios to consider:

In

The easiest way to add data to DEVONthink, other than creating the documents directly inside the application, is to drag files or selected data, e.g., text, images, etc., into a DEVONthink window.

Note:

With the last two options, you may be able to drag-and-drop content between files.

Out

DEVONthink isn't just a receiver; it also allows drag-and-drop of its files too.

Inside

And obviously DEVONthink allows dragging database items inside itself for reorganization.

Sorter

The Sorter is a multi-purpose utility built into DEVONthink providing options for adding files and creating various types of notes. When enabled in Settings > Sorter, it is found in the menubar at the top of your screen — displayed as DEVONthink or the  nautilus icon — or docked to the side of your window. Details about the views and controls of the Sorter are covered in the Sorter section of the Windows chapter.

Note:

Due to the tight connections between the Sorter and DEVONthink, our application must be running in order to use the Sorter's functions.


Navigation: The first view of the Sorter is the Navigation view. If you are in another application and want to quickly add a document to your database, this is the view you will use. When it opens you will see databases and groups you can drag and drop to. If you have a group you frequently use, add it to the Favorites section of the Navigate sidebar and it will also appear in the Sorter. If you have a particular group in mind, you can use the search field to quickly locate it. Start typing part of the name and matches will appear as you type but bear in mind this doesn't support wildcards, like *tech*. While DEVONthink is running, it will retain the search. Beyond adding files, you can double-click a group or database to open it in its own window. Alternately, you can choose to Open or Reveal the group in a new window via the context menu.

Common Note Controls

In the note-taking views, you'll find a set of controls in every pane: Name, Info containing property metadata like ratings, label, etc., and Tags. There are also familiar buttons you'll see: Add and the Reset button to clear the pane and start afresh. You can press ⌘S to add a document or the ⎋ Escape key to reset the pane.

One item to note is the Location dropdown, i.e., choosing where to save the document. If you want to create a new group, it's the first option in the dropdown. If you want to change the database, choose it first, then open the dropdown again and choose New Group. And the last used location is remembered, so you can quickly create notes in the same location.

Note Creation

Take Note: If you ever just needed to jot down a thought, you likely have gone in search of some utility to help with that. And while there are some apps built just for that purpose, they don't directly integrate with DEVONthink.

You can quickly open the Sorter and switch to this view or use a hotkey you specified as mentioned above. A quick tap of the hotkey and you can compose a note in plain or rich text, formatted note, or Markdown. It supports formatting for the specific types, e.g., bold, italic, Markdown headings, etc. If you're not finished with your note, the content is saved for later, even across application relaunches. Set tags, ratings, labels, etc., as needed. When you're finished, save it directly into your database.

The Take Note view also responds to the Copy Selection hotkey, allowing you to clip selected text.

Voice Note: If typing isn't an option, the Sorter can also record audio. Open the view, press the record button, and make your note. After you stop recording, you can play it back then add it or reset the pane and record again. When done, add your metadata, if needed, and add it to your database.

Video Note: Using your Mac's built-in camera or webcam, you record video notes in the Sorter. Open to the Video Notes view and the camera turns on, showing you a live preview. Click the record button and create a video to be saved directly into your database.

When you're done recording, you can play back the video before saving it. Scrub through the video with the slider to move quickly to certain parts. You can trim the video by pressing the scissor icon then dragging the end points then press the Trim key. You can re-trim the file until you save it. When you're satisfied with the result, enter any metadata, if it's needed, and add it in your chosen location.

Screen Capture: Similar to note taking, many people have a screen capture app, even if it's just the built-in commands from Apple. As a convenience, DEVONthink has this function built-in for quick and simple captures directly into your database. Open the view and click your option: Screen, Window, or Selection. While using the windowed or selection modes, you can still switch applications via macOS' ⌃⇥ or Mission Control spaces, if the need arises. After the clip, you can change the name and metadata and add the image, or reset the pane and do another screen capture.

On a side note, there is a small suite of markup tools for images so you can add some emphasis to the screen captures after the fact.

Web Clip: The Web Clip is for clipping content from browser, acting as the interface to our Clip To DEVONthink browser extension. In these scenarios, the Web Clip view opens, pre-populated with the page title and URL.

And just as you've read about the other views, reset the pane or add the document to your database.

Going Paperless in DEVONthink

Scanning is an integral part of many workflows, at home, on the road, or in the office. DEVONthink has built-in scanning controls to interface directly with your databases. Combined with the internal OCR, it makes for a much more efficient workflow.

If you are using a Ricoh (Fujitsu) ScanSnap scanner, see the next section.

Technical Considerations

If you have a scanner or are shopping for one, you should check the details of the specific product. It should firstly be compatible with the version of macOS you're running. This is especially true if you're buying a used or older scanner. Secondly, and more importantly, make sure it supports Apple's Image Capture Architecture. Search for the scanner's downloadable drivers and look for ICA drivers not TWAIN. The ICA driver should work with Apple's Image Capture application and also DEVONthink.

Note:

Hold a sheet of paper in your hand. Technically, it is one leaf with two sides: a front and a back. So if you have a single leaf with printing on both sides, you have two pages to scan, not one. This distinction is important to understand when scanning double-sided or multi-leaved documents.

All of DEVONthink's internal scanning functions are done in the View > Import sidebar. Here we will look at simple step-by-step instructions for the types of scans you may need to do. So start by opening the Image Capture section.

Single Page Scans


Single page single-sided documents are very common, e.g., receipts or invoices. Fortunately, they're also very quickly and easily scanned.

1. Select the scanner: Choose your scanner listed in Devices. DEVONthink will connect with the scanner. If Flatbed is chosen, an overview of the scanning area will be shown. If no document is on the flatbed, add one and press the Overview button to refresh the preview.

2. Set the scanning options: There are a small number of options to choose, many of which will remain as defaults, e.g., the resolution. These are described in the Windows > Sidebar: Image Capture section. However, for a quick reference, here are a few you may change per-document:

3. Load and scan: Put your document on the flatbed or in the document feeder. The press the Start button in DEVONthink's scan window. You should now have your finished document in your chosen location. If you aren't entering a specific name and are scanning to the same location, put in a new document and continue scanning.


Ganged Scans: A variation on single-page scans is ganged scanning: scanning multiple smaller documents on a flatbed scanner. Imagine you have five receipts from a business night out. Lay them out on the scanner fairly squarely and not overlapping. Enable the Use Custom Size option. Click and drag the handles of the purple overlay to encompass one receipt. Click away from the overlay when it's sized correctly. Now click and drag over the next receipt to add an overlay for it. Continue adding overlays for each individual item on the scanner. When ready, press the Scan button and each will be scanned to individual documents, saved to the destination you chose.

Deferred Scanning


In some scenarios, you may need to scan multiple documents without immediately producing a final PDF. This may be rapid-fire scanning receipts to be collated later. Or you may have a partial set of documents scanned but await the arrival of more to add to a final document. To do this, follow the same steps as multi-page scanning.

Binders: A binder in DEVONthink is similar to its real-world counterpart: a temporary holding place for documents. You can choose a binder or create a new one in your scan settings. In the Imports section, select a binder to see the current scans it holds. Within a binder, there are some specific tools for working with the documents:

When you have all your scans in the binder, organized as needed, press the Save button to process it into the finished document.

Imports: Scans in the Imports section are ungrouped and can be modified individually. Or select and gather them into an existing binder via drag and drop or into a new binder via the context menu. When you're ready, you can press the Save button to process a loose scan or a binder into a finished document.

Multi-page Scans


Many documents are double-sided or have multiple pages that need to be collated into a single document. This requires scanning into a binder you'll save when you're finished scanning pages belonging in one finished document. These steps begin in the same way as single-page scans.

1. Select the scanner: Choose your scanner listed in Devices. DEVONthink will connect with the scanner. If using a flatbed scanner, choose Flatbed and remember you'll have to manually turn over the page to scan the back. If using a document feeder, check Duplex if needed.

2. Set the scanning options: There are a small number of options to choose, many of which will remain as defaults, e.g., the resolution. These are described in the Windows > Sidebar: Image Capture section. However, for a quick reference, here are a few you may change per-document:

3. Select or create a binder: In the To dropdown, choose Create New Binder or choose an existing one.

4. Choose the destination: Set where the final multi-page PDF should be saved.

5. Load and scan: Put your document on the flatbed or in the document feeder. The press the Start button in DEVONthink's scan window. After the page is scanned, you will see a report section appear in the scanner window. This displays the name, the number of scanned pages, the estimated size of the finished document, and the chosen destination. Continue scanning the remaining pages. When done, press the Save button to process and save the final PDF.

After a binder is processed, the pages are sent to the scanner's Trash. It's recommended to periodically empty this trash with a quick Control-click then Empty Trash.

Queued Scans


The scanning queue is where you can set up scan jobs to expedite scanning a group of separate documents. Each document, e.g., a twenty page insurance benefits package, is a separate job that will produce a single document. This is used more effectively with scanners having a document feeder.

1. Select the Queue: Instead of selecting the scanner in the Devices, select Queue.

2. Select the scanner: In the dropdown at the bottom of the window, choose your scanner.

3. Select the input type: Choose whether to use the Flatbed or Document Feeder, if available.

4. Set the scanning options: Click the  button and set the Mode, Resolution, Size, and Duplex if the pages are double-sided.

5. Add a scan job: Click the  button to add an entry for your first document. Fill out the parameters for the job.

6. Load and scan: Now prepare your documents, remembering to insert blank pages between each if you chose the Blank Page separator. Put them in your scanner then press the Start button in DEVONthink's scanning window. Each job will be scanned one after the other until all are finished. Note the queue may pause if there are jobs to process but nothing in the document feeder. Add more documents to it and press Start again.

Finished jobs will show in the queue. Press the dropdown next to the minus button and remove sent (processed) jobs or all of them.

Going Paperless (Other Options)

If you don't have an ICA-compatible scanner, you likely can still get your scans into DEVONthink. And if you already have a collection of images you want to put in your databases, there are options to process those images as well.

ScanSnap Scanners

A veteran in the scanning industry and considered solid and reliable, ScanSnap scanners are a good choice. They can't be directly controlled by us but with a proper scanning profile in the ScanSnap software, DEVONthink can receive and process those scans. Here's how to properly set up a profile in the ScanSnap Home (SSH) software:

1. Install the software: Download the SSH application from the link above and install it.

2. Set up a scanning profile: In the SSH application, create a scan profile following these proven steps:

3. Load and Scan: Choose your new profile to scan to. Put a document into the scanner and scan it normally. The files will be sent to DEVONthink, either to the Global Inbox or a location you choose, depending on what you've set in Settings > Files > Import > Destination. Just make sure this is the chosen profile to send scans to your database.

ScanSnap Home also has OCR built-in. If you prefer to use it, click the File format > Option button in your scanning profile and enable Convert to Searchable PDF. Then set DEVONthink's OCR > Convert Incoming Scans settings to No action. Otherwise, use DEVONthink's OCR. You should not enable OCR in both applications.

Using an Unsupported Scanner

If you have a scanner with only a TWAIN driver, you may still be able to use it with DEVONthink. Open the settings of the scanner's application's and look for a Open With or Send To option that allows you to open or send the finished scan to another application. Set DEVONthink as the receiving application. If you're not running the Pro or Server editions of DEVONthink and the scanning application has OCR capabilities, enable it and set DEVONthink's OCR > Convert Incoming Scans settings to No action.

Load a document into the device and scan it as you normally would. The document should be sent to DEVONthink.

If the scanning application isn't OCR-capable, DEVONthink knows the identifiers of many scan applications and will convert the incoming scan to a searchable PDF if possible. If DEVONthink does not recognize your scan application, please create a Zip archive of the application and send it to us so that we can add its identifier to a future release of DEVONthink.

Note:

In the settings for the scanning application you're using, it is best to leave the default location for the output path, often ~/Pictures. Do not set the path to DEVONthink's Global Inbox, as this can lead to errors when DEVONthink tries to import a scan that is not completed yet.

Importing with OCR

If you already have an archive of scanned documents without OCR, you can import them while applying OCR.

To import an document while applying OCR, choose File > Import > Image with OCR. Click the Options button to choose the output format and whether to send the original to the system trash after importing. The image will be processed with DEVONthink's OCR engine and be imported to the database in the chosen format. If you have enabled Searchable PDF: Set metadata after text recognition in the OCR settings, DEVONthink will show a metadata entry window when the OCR process is completed (before the file is actually imported to the database).

The date of the created document is set to the date of the original file. Thus, for archival purposes, the searchable document is identical to the original one. The modification date is set to the current date and time to reflect the addition of the searchable text layer. If you're importing a PDF, any keywords in the original file are retained and used as tags.

AI Assisted Transcription


AI provides a power function for processing incoming images: Image Recognition. Using Apple's built-in Vision framework or a vision-capable AI engine, images can be examined and converted into text. That text can be stored in the database's index, as an annotation file, or a Finder Comment on the document. While not a replacement for OCR, the recognized text is immediately for various purposes.

Transcribing images can be done manually via the Recognize > Transcribe Text & Notes command in the Data and context menus. If you'd like to have this happen on every image you import, enable Transcribe Text & Notes in images in the Files > Import settings.

If you'd like to exert more control over transcribing images, don't enable the setting and instead implement a smart rule targeting a specific database or group and using the On Import event trigger.

Handling Email

Email is an important item in many situations, both professional and personal. Imported email messages are saved in their original, uneditable file format (.eml) and are displayed using QuickLook or as an text alternative view. Some metadata, e.g., the "read" and "flagged" status of email messages will be preserved, when possible. Take some time to review the Files > Emails settings as well as a breakdown of the interface in the Sidebar: Email section of this document.

To address the need to store and search for emails, and to work around limitations of some email clients, DEVONthink supports several methods of importing emails. Let's look at the options…

Import to DEVONthink


Importing emails from Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook can be done directly in DEVONthink.

1. Open the Import sidebar: Open the View > Import sidebar.

2. Select the email application: Open the appropriate email client, Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook in the Emails section on the left.

3. Choose a mailbox: Select the desired mailbox. DEVONthink will communicate with the email application and begin building a list of available emails in the mailbox. Building this list takes more time with larger numbers of unimported emails.

4. Choose where to import: Choose or verify the target database in the Destination dropdown.

5. Archive the mailbox or import emails: Press the Archive button to archive the entire mailbox or select some emails and press the Import button. Repeat with other emails or mailboxes, as needed.

When you need to import emails while in DEVONthink, return to this sidebar and import or archive again. Also, don't forget the suite of controls on the right hand side are available to filter down to specific emails, e.g., from a particular person.

Import or Archive: When it comes to archiving email, the question arises: "Do I use import or archive?" Here's the simple way to understand it:

Import Via Hotkey: If you find yourself more actively working in Apple Mail or Outlook, you can archive a mailbox or selected emails with a hotkey. Set your desired key combinations in DEVONthink's Files > Emails settings. For longtime users of DEVONthink, you can set the familiar hotkeys previously used with our mail plugin: ⌥⌘M for messages; ⌥⇧⌘M for mailboxes. Go to the email client, select a few emails, then press your hotkeys. They will be imported based on your preferred import destination set in Files > Import > Destination.

Note:

Due to changes made by Microsoft, the Legacy interface is required for these commands to work. If you switch from the New Outlook to Legacy, please make sure to click the button to let them know it's important for them to continue supporting inter-application communication on Macs.

Other options

Here are some alternate ways for you to get emails into DEVONthink. But bear in mind, the possibilities depend on the what your email application supports, e.g., scripting.

Drag and drop: Drag to the Finder then into DEVONthink, into the Sorter, into the Global Inbox, or directly into a database.

Importing UNIX Mailboxes: UNIX mailboxes (.mbox files) exported from some email applications, e.g., Thunderbird, can be imported into your database. There is no mailbox structure in these exported files so multiple mailboxes have to be exported and imported separately. They can be imported into DEVONthink in one of two ways:

Mail Scripts: In scriptable email applications, e.g., Apple Mail, you can run application scripts from the global Scripts menu. There are a few provided for Apple Mail and Outlook but you are free to add your own if you have another email application that supports scripting.

Mail Rule Scripts: Apple Mail rules support running AppleScripts in their mail rules. We have provided a few for you to use or modify.

Copies and Conversations

Importing copies of emails: Briefly discussed in the Appendix, a UUID is a value given to each item in DEVONthink. It is unique to each item and more than one item can't have the same UUID. When email messages are imported, they are given such an identifier based on metadata from the actual email. This means you can't import the same message into a database more than once, as that would result in more than one file having the same UUID. When you try, the Log window will show an error about "n emails already imported".

All that being said, it's not unusual to store an email in the more than one mailbox. But an import of your mailboxes may appear to be missing some emails as the copies won't import separately. To allow for this, enable Previously imported will become replicants in the Files > Emails settings and the copies will be imported into the same database as replicants.

Conversation threading: Depending on the settings in Files > Emails > Conversations, DEVONthink can attempt to import complete conversations and optionally group them. But be aware, email threading is not an exact process. A lack of standards and decades of legacy emails can inhibit the ability to fully detect a conversation. DEVONthink will attempt to thread the conversations, but cannot guarantee all related emails will be detected.

Replying and Sending

To reply to an archived email message in DEVONthink, select it and choose Data > Send Reply or Control-click it and choose the command from the context menu. A draft message will be composed in your default email application.

If you need to email a document to someone, select it, then choose Send by Email or Control-click it and choose the command from the context menu. This should create a draft email in your default email application with the document attached. Alternatively, many macOS applications support dropping files on their dock icon. For an email app, this usually creates a draft with the dropped file attached.

Note:

The inter-application communication capabilities of the email client you are using determine how well these two commands work. If the commands aren't producing the expected results, check with the developer about what kind of interactions they allow between applications.

You can read a bit more about emails in DEVONthink in the Documents > Office Documents, Email, and Others > Email section. And if you're having issues archiving emails, please see the Troubleshooting > Email Import Issues section for assistance.

Extensions and Bookmarklets

DEVONthink provides a macOS sharing extension, a web browser extension, as well as bookmarklets, for conveniently clipping information from other applications into your DEVONthink database.

Browser Extensions

Browser extensions add functionality to your favorite web browser. DEVONthink's Clip to DEVONthink extension usually appears as a  nautilus icon in the web browser's toolbar. When clicked, the Clip to DEVONthink will identify data about the current page in the browser and open the Web Clip section of the Sorter so you can quickly store references to web pages in your databases

Installing: Clip to DEVONthink is a native Safari extension but due to security changes made by Apple, you may need to enable it in Safari's Settings > Extensions. The extensions for Firefox and Chrome can be installed from our Extras download page. You can also access these pages via the DEVONthink > Install Add-Ons panel. Note there is no direct support for other browsers though some allow you to install Chrome extensions. This may allow you to install our extension in those browsers as well.

Another thing to consider is the security settings of browsers. When you clip content, you may see messages about allowing our extension to work on site A, then on site B, then site C, etc. You may also see multiple prompts asking to allow using our URL scheme. Those are messages from the browser, not our extension. These things can change over time, usually becoming more and more restrictive. Check with their developers about supporting URL schemes.

Bookmarklets

Similar in function to a browser extension, but much simpler, bookmarklets are special bookmarks that execute a line of JavaScript to capture the current page or selection in the browser. To use one of the bookmarklets, load the page you wish to archive or clip text from in your web browser. When the page is fully shown, select the bookmarklet in your bookmarks bar. Instead of loading another page as normal bookmarks do, the bookmarklet adds the selected text or the whole page as text, bookmark, HTML code, web archive, or PDF to DEVONthink's default destination.

Installing: Bookmarklets can be installed from our Extras download page. Typically, the bookmarklet can just be dragged and dropped to the browser's bookmarks toolbar. However, you may need to Control-click the bookmarklet and copy the code to add it manually, if the browser requires it. We have provided separate bookmarklets, one for each type, currently supporting capturing: bookmark, web archive, HTML, PDF (paginated or single page), plain text, or the selection as plain text.

Note:

Due to increased security in macOS, Apple Safari will prompt you to allow launching DEVONthink when using the browser extension or bookmarklets. Other browsers allow you to make a persistent choice about this behavior.

PDF Services

Another way to get files into DEVONthink is using PDF services. Installing DEVONthink's service adds a Save PDF to DEVONthink option to the PDF button of the print dialog in any Mac application. This allows you to print a paginated PDF directly to your database.

To install the PDF service, select DEVONthink > Install Add-ons and check PDF Services in the dialog window. Then click Install and the option should now be available.

Printing to your database: To "print" (save) a document to DEVONthink as a PDF, open it in its creator application (this could even be DEVONthink itself). Then, do the following:

Other Sources

Beyond manually adding or creating documents, there are a variety of other contributors available in DEVONthink.

The Share Menu

The macOS Share menu lets applications "share" data with other applications, Airdrop, etc. When you access the Share menu in a compatible application, you should see an option, Add to DEVONthink that allows you to send data from the application to DEVONthink.

Installing: Depending on what version of macOS you're running, you may need to manually enable our sharing extension. Open System Settings > Extensions > Sharing and enable DEVONthink. It should now be available in any sharing-enabled application's Share menu.

Note:

The data being sent is controlled by the sending application, not DEVONthink. If there are issues with the data received in your database, please contact the developer of the application to report your findings.

Third-Party Applications

Another source of new documents comes from special considerations for some third-party applications.

AI

Chat: When using AI, you can also generate documents. For example, chatting with certain AI engines like Claude, often automatically return responses as Markdown documents. These documents can easily be identified by the (AI) suffix at the end of their names. In fact, you can create a smart group with the criterion Name ends with (AI) to show all AI-generated documents.

Transcription: If you are using a speech-to-text AI engine to transcribe audio or video files, you can generate annotation files from the output. This often includes some timestamps from specific points in the playback.

Images: If you have access to a generative image AI engine, creating an image can be done via the Data > New > Generate Image panel. It's also possible to request an image during an AI chat and to copy or capture the image via the context menu.

Templates

Another way to create new documents is via Templates. Accessed in the Data > New from Template submenus, these are special files and smart templates that generate new documents on demand. These can be simple documents, like a phone note or more complicated documents, like a journaling document. Some of them are even AI-powered.

We also periodically publish additional templates via the Support Assistant.

Automation

DEVONthink is well known for it powerful automation features including the ability to create documents via scripting. We also make additional scripts available via the Support Assistant.

Application Scripts: Application scripts are those that run via the global Script menu while in another application. For example, while in Safari, you could run a script to generate bookmarks of all the tabs in the frontmost window. Our offerings are discussed in the Application Scripts section. Our Mail rule scripts are another example of application scripts.

Your scripts: If you are inclined to automation, or even just learning, you can write scripts to create documents. See the AppleScript section for more information on getting started with scripting.

URL Commands: As discussed in the URL Commands section, DEVONthink has a URL scheme that can be used to create certain kinds of documents. While they're less powerful and less commonly used, they are yet another tool available to making new documents via automation.

Bookmarklets: And just to make note of it, the bookmarklets discussed earlier in this chapter are also a type of automation that generates new documents for you.

DEVONthink Services

The DEVONthink > Services menu gives you access to special commands provided either by other applications, such as TextEdit or Safari, or by services extensions such as DEVONtechnologies' WordService or CalcService. Also, DEVONthink publishes its own services in the Services menu.

DEVONthink installs several services for copying or summarizing selected text, capturing a web page, or searching for documents in your databases.

If you want to assign hotkeys to services, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Services. Do note that application hotkeys can override hotkeys set here. Try to make sure to specify unused key combinations in your shortcuts. Also, due to the way macOS loads menus, you may need to show the DEVONthink > Services menu once before the hotkey will become active.

Web sharing

DEVONthink allows you to give others on the local network access to your databases using a standard web browser on any operating system (including Windows and Linux). Perhaps you're running DEVONthink in a corporate situation and want to give workers controlled access to some databases you have. In an educational setting, classroom resources could be available to students. Academic or creative collaborators contribute to a common database, even if they're not all Mac users.

The embedded web server in the Server edition provides an interactive web interface that allows your users to interact with the shared databases. Here are the steps to getting started using this powerful feature.


Setting It Up

DEVONthink's web server runs on macOS inside our application. It is not a separate process. This means you need to install and run it on a Mac that is on and awake when people need access to it. Many times this is a dedicated Mac mini. Regarding databases, it only makes available databases you have open, though you can control who has access to them. Fortunately, getting things up and running is typically a fairly simple thing.

1. Open your databases: Whatever databases you need to make available, open them. Don't imagine you need to open and close certain ones for certain people. That is managed in the settings.

2. Set up the server: The Server > General settings are not complicated, though administered networks, e.g., corporate/academic networks, may require IT's involvement. However, this is typically a one-time setup, unless changes are required in the future.

Two things to consider are setting a specific Bonjour Name and Bonjour Port. The name just makes things more easily identifiable to the end user, though it's not critical if you're sharing an IP-based URL. We do recommend specifying a port number. This makes for a consistent point of access for your users. If you don't specify one, a random unused port will be used every time the server launches.

Certificates: Another thing to think about is the TLS certificate, assuring the server is legitimate to your end users . Where you obtain one is up to you but you need to obtain a file you can import via the Load P12/PFX file button.

Self-signed: While we don't advocate one way or the other, there is the possibility of creating a certificate directly in DEVONthink. Click the Create self-signed certificate button then select DEVONthink Server in the certificate dropdown.

Self-signed certificates will often show warnings in a browser that a certificate is unknown or invalid. But you can manually set the trust level to avoid the warning:

3. Add users: First decide who needs access and how granular that access is. For example, it could be sufficient to have a department account, e.g., Shipping with a single login and password. Or you could set up individual logins, say for the head of Human Resources.

Secondly, you decide what permissions on what databases these users have. For example, a student may have read-only access to a classroom database while the teacher has all permissions. Additionally, if no permissions are granted to an individual for a certain database, it won't be visible in the web interface. Also, be aware no one will have permissions to write to, i.e., modify file contents, in an revision-proof database.

4. Start the server: Once all the users and their permissions are established, press the Start button. You can also select the Tools > Start Server command or choose the Start Server command in DEVONthink's dock icon. If the server is running, these will display Stop instead.

At the bottom of the Settings window you will see two URLs: one is IP-based, the other uses the Bonjour name. We don't dictate which to use and both give the same access.

5. Invite the users: You will need to share the URL to any user who needs access. How you disseminate that is up to you and the channels of communication you feel are appropriate. You can click and open the URL in a browser, Control-click it in the Settings window and either copy or share it, or you can drag and drop it into other applications. Also, you may need to provide a certificate to them as well.

We recommend the end-user adds the URL as bookmark in their browser so they can quickly access it in the future, as needed. This is also why setting a specific port is a good idea.

Now the users should be able to login with their provided credentials and use the databases they have been granted access to. And during normal operation, the only steps you as the administrator may need to do occasionally is stopping and starting the server to add, remove, or modify users.

Note:

We believe in data privacy and hope you do too. Browsers may present options to save login credentials. Some may even save the credentials by default. We are cautious of the first and not a fan of the second. If the user is on a shared computer, consider what access other users could have if using these options to save credentials.

Common Questions

How many licenses am I going to need?: This may be surprising but the answer is: one. The only license you need is for the Mac running the Server edition. You don't need to purchase per-user licenses.

How many people can connect?: The built-in web server is not designed to become a user-facing portal on the Internet for thousands of daily users. It is ideally used on a local network with the possibility of remote connections (see below). There is no stated maximum number of concurrent users.

Is there feature parity with the desktop app?: The answer is no as it's technologically infeasible. The web interface is limited by web technologies in a browser and a browser is also no match for the heavy-lifting our desktop app does daily. That being said, it is very functional for many groups of people across the world.


Using the Web Interface

The interactive web interface imitates the look-and-feel of DEVONthink in many ways, but in a condensed form. Contrary to a static web site, it only loads once; clicking buttons or links does not reload the whole page but dynamically updates it. While a simpler interface than our desktop application, it provides useful access in many situations. You can also find descriptions of the controls in the Web Sharing section of the Windows chapter.

Similar to the DEVONthink, the web interface is divided into panes: sidebar, item list, and view/edit pane, etc. However, some operations, e.g., deleting or organizing items, are logically dependent on the per-user permissions.

Sidebar: The sidebar is where you can navigate the databases' inboxes, groups, tags, and trashes in the sidebar. You can drag items from the item list to reorganize things. Control-clicking an item here gives you the option to make a new group or RSS feed, delete or rename a group, or empty the Trash.

Item List: Selecting items in the sidebar will display the contents in the item list. The list can be sorted by clicking the column headers. While they can't be reordered, you can enable or disable them in the context menu of the headers. If you move your cursor between the section headers, a separator will appear. Click and drag it to resize the columns.

Double-click groups to display their contents in the item list. For quick navigation, press the < arrow to go back to previously visited locations. Click to select items or hold the ⌘ Command key to select multiple items. This applies to contiguous and non-contiguous selections. Selected items can be dragged and dropped, e.g., into groups in the item list or in the sidebar. You can also access commands in the context menu when you Control-click in the item list. This is a quick way to add a new file.

View/Edit pane: Displayed below the item list, this pane will display the contents of compatible files. Due to the limitations of browser technologies, some file types can't be displayed. Clicking and dragging the divider bar allows you to resize the pane. A select number of file types, e.g., plain text, formatted notes, and Markdown files can be viewed and edited in this pane.

Search: Searching the viewable databases can be done in the search field. Enter search terms, including using search prefixes to focus the searches. For example, you can do a search for text:housing tags:government. You can filter where you're searching by selecting a different scope in the location dropdown, e.g., All Databases or a specific database to search in.

Toolbar: In addition to the search field, the toolbar has a few other options. The new document menu lets you create a new native document or upload one from the Finder. Quickly move a selected item to the database's Trash with its own button. The Action menu lets you do a few things: copy the item link or URL of a selected item, open the Generic info inspector with Get Info, download the document to your device, or move it to the Trash. The User menu allows you to switch between English and German language, from light to dark mode, and also provides a Log Out option. Lastly, click the Info button to open the inspectors.

Info Inspectors: The Generic inspector on the right displays basic metadata about the selected item, with certain attributes being editable, e.g, Tags or Label. The Data inspector lets you view and edit custom metadata applied to the selected document.

See Also: The next view is the See Also inspector, displaying potentially related files in the current database you are viewing. Clicking on a match displays it in the view/edit pane. Note the original document is always the top match, so you can return to the original document by clicking it at the top of the inspector.

Accessing Your Data Over the Internet

Web sharing is best used on a local area network (LAN). But there may be situations where you want to share the database to users that aren't on your network. While we can't provide specific support due to the differences in equipment and environments, we have provided a simple guide that may prove useful.

To access your database from outside your network, you need to make your Mac "visible" to the outside world. In general, your computer is connected to the Internet through a router. Routers create an intranet that your Mac is connected to and "route" traffic between the internet and your personal intranet. Now, you need to create a route from the outside leading to the Mac sharing your database. This offers a port on the outside that is directly connected to the port on which DEVONthink is publishing.

If everything goes well, you will be able to access your database using an address like: http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:port, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is your current public IP address. (Note: This is your router's address on the internet, not your Mac's.) Next, port is the outside port number leading to your published database.

Port forwarding done manually: The following is only a rough outline of the steps needed to configure port forwarding manually. The precise way to do it varies from router to router. You will need to consult the manual for your router in order to determine exactly how to set things up. To configure port forwarding, follow these steps:

Setting up port forwarding can be tricky, but the difficult part is mainly in determining how to configure your particular router. If you are in doubt, search online for your router's name and combine it with a search for "port forwarding" or "port mapping."

Exports

The first part of this chapter focused on getting your documents into your databases. Here are some of the export options for getting your documents (and groups) out.

Drag & Drop

The simplest, and most macOS-native way, to export items is via drag and drop. This is something you do in the Finder all the time and there's no need to vary your behavior with the documents in your databases. Groups export as Finder folders and include their contents. When dragging out documents, there is no conversion of the dropped file just as there is no conversion when importing them. The only change to the file is the inclusion of Finder tags or custom metadata.

One of the common misunderstandings about using your documents with third-party applications is that they are "locked away" in your database. This causes people to try and get into the internals of the database to use them. You should not do this and there is absolutely no need to. With few exceptions, you can drag and drop a document from your database into another application. This includes dropping into a Save panel, e.g., when uploading to a website using a Choose File button.

Remember, the receiving application controls whether they accept dropped data and how it is handled. If you do run into an issue, you can try dragging and dropping to the Finder first, but this should be a rare exception.

Export Commands

In the Files > Export submenu, there are a variety of commands for exporting data. A range of options are available, including some commands to export an aggregate file from a selection of documents. For example, if you have multiple rich text files selected, you can export to a single document from this menu. This is in contrast to using the Data > Convert command, which produces one PDF per document.

Beyond drag and drop, you can use the File > Export > Files and Folders command on a selection of items in your database. When you use this command, it's a good idea to export to a newly created folder to keep the exported items separate from unrelated files. You may see a DEVONthink export produces a support file, a DEVONtech_Storage file, used for future reimporting. If you're not reimporting, these files can be removed.

If you are serious about backups (and we hope you are!), the Export > Database Archive command creates an optimized and compressed ZIP archive of a selected database, perfect for a secondary backup. The ZIP can be safely archived to an external disk or even a cloud service. Note this is a full backup, so it takes longer to backup and requires more disk space as your database grows.

Automation

For those that like to script, there is a specific export record command. Just provide a record, including a selection, and specify where to export with the to parameter. If used with a group, the group and its contents will be exported to the specified location. This command also produces the storage file mentioned above, but you can disable exporting this file with a without DEVONtech_Storage parameter.

Now finally, let's discuss syncing…

Sync Explained

In this section, we will clarify what sync is (and isn't) and how to make an informed choice about the method you choose. In the subsequent pages we will discuss technical considerations and the basic setup of each type. But let us clarify: this section isn't long because sync is complicated. It's long due to the variety of options available.

Sync Simplified

Sync is an incredibly simple and logical concept. You have a database on Mac A. You want that database on Mac B. On Mac A, you upload the database to a sync location accessible to both machines. On Mac B, you access the same sync location and import the database. Now both Macs have a local copy of a database. When anything changes on either Mac, they are transmitted to each other via the sync location. The only variation is if Mac B already has a copy of the database, it will be able to merge with the sync data in the sync location. That's it: simple.

And every sync is conceptually the same, following the same essential pattern shown here:

So you're essentially only using steps 2 and 4 when you want to sync new or unsynced databases, something that likely won't happen often. In fact, the only practical difference is, a Bonjour sync transmits directly between the devices so you wouldn't use step 2.

Indexing and Sync

Often people index content from the local repository of a cloud service like Dropbox. The question then arises: "If I have my data on Dropbox' servers and I sync to Dropbox via DEVONthink, aren't I just using twice the space?" The answer is practically, yes. In the Show Info for a sync location in the Sync settings there is an option Synchronize contents of indexed items. Unchecking this will sync only the metadata for the files, not the contents. However, you should only disable this option if:

For the most flexibility, it is advisable to ensure you have enough storage space for syncing.

Choosing a Sync Method

Choosing a sync method requires assessing your needs while being aware of technical considerations. Regarding syncing, the first question you need to ask yourself is, "Do I need a remote sync option?". Consider these questions…

If the answer is no to these questions, a local sync on your network is suggested.

For the optimal experience, you should use a remote sync option when you need to. Just having a Dropbox, iCloud, etc. account does not make it an optimal solution for all situations. This doesn’t mean you can’t successfully use a remote solution. It just means there are some stumbling blocks that can occur when using them, blocks caused by the conditions mentioned below that can inhibit proper syncing. If you do need a remote sync option or just want to pursue that avenue for syncing, you need to understand and accept the potential pitfalls involved:

That all being said, here are the sync methods available in DEVONthink:

Bonjour: Bonjour is a direct connection sync between two Macs that are on the same local network. It is fast, private, and generally reliable with no intermediary sync location.

Local Sync Store: A local sync store syncs to a specialized folder residing on a commonly accessible location, like a drive on your network. It can also be stored on a connected external drive or thumb drive. It is generally very fast and very private.

Dropbox: A Dropbox sync transmits and stores sync data directly on Dropbox' servers.

iCloud: There are actually two iCloud syncs: a iCloud (Legacy) sync and a CloudKit (iCloud) sync. Both transmit and store sync data on Apple's servers.

WebDAV: A WebDAV sync transmits and stores sync data on a WebDAV server, whether locally, e.g., on an NAS or via a commercial cloud provider.

Note:

If you intend to sync with DEVONthink To Go on an Apple-mobile device, a local sync store cannot be used.

Common Questions

There are many questions we get over and over, so here are some important things to understand as well as clarifying some of the terminology.

What is a sync store? : A sync store is a special folder on a server or service (the 'sync location') that DEVONthink uses to store sync data for your syncing databases. Give it a name made only of alphanumeric characters. A concatenated name, e.g., Research_01 can be used. Note this folder is only for use by our sync engine.

What is a 'copy of the database'? : One detail to understand about syncing: Only true copies of a database will sync together. Two databases having the same name but created independently are not the same database. These databases will never sync together. This is also why you shouldn't create a database on the receiving machine, hoping to "fill it up" with data from the source database.

If you copy the database (.dtBase2 file) between machines, that is clearly a true copy of the database. Also, importing a database via sync logically yields a true copy of the database. True copies are databases that have the same internal identifier (UUID).

What is an encryption key? : Regarding the privacy of your synced data, all sync methods allow you to specify an optional (but recommended) encryption key for a sync location. The key is an alphanumeric string of your choice and length. This key is used to "scramble" or "descramble" the sync data using AES-256 encryption and the data is stored in an encrypted state. All databases synced to a location using an encryption key will sync encrypted data. Bear in mind, if you specify a key when syncing, you must use the same encryption key when setting up the same sync location on other devices running DEVONthink or DEVONthink To Go.

If you get a message in the Log window or popover about an invalid encryption key, please check out the Sync troubleshooting section.

Note:

Bonjour syncs don't allow you to explicitly specify a key, but the sync data is encrypted by default.

What are the Local and Remote sections for? : As noted above, a database must be local to the machine so it must either be open in DEVONthink or imported from the sync location. For a non-Bonjour sync location, Local section of the Databases list displays all local open databases. For a Bonjour location, the Local section displays databases that are open both on the local machine and the Bonjour server machine. In both cases, the Remote section displays any databases that aren't open locally or those that have never been imported to the local machine. Remember this: You cannot sync to a remote database. It must be imported locally, then you work with and sync the local copy.

Can I use more than one sync method at the same time? : Indeed this is supported behavior. For example, you may want to set up a Bonjour or a local sync store for syncing on your local network and a remote sync option for syncing when you're out and about. However, if you want to sync via two cloud-synced services, e.g., Dropbox and iCloud, you should not sync the same databases via two different methods. Doing so could cause conditions where one cloud-service's sync data would be out of date, causing conflicts with syncing. Each sync location is updated independently so changes may not be received in one location before it syncs. Additionally, unnecessary duplicates might be caused, especially if the Conflicts setting in Sync preferences is set to Duplicate documents. Lastly, syncing a database to multiple remote locations may waste space and bandwidth in some cases.

Should I use one sync store per database? : This is either a personal choice or a requirement of your specific situation. A sync location can be used with one, several, or all databases. Multiple sync stores can be employed for different sync situations and/or different devices, e.g., to synchronize specific databases via one sync store for personal use and sync others via a second sync store for business purposes. In situations where you need to sync certain databases to certain individuals, you can use one sync store for each subset of databases.

And while this shouldn't be the first consideration, if you'd like to use one sync store per database or for a subset of them, it may lessen the time troubleshooting a sync issue with a particular database.

How quickly will it sync? : DEVONthink's sync does not run constantly. To balance performance and reduce unnecessary network noise, it syncs on an interval. While the interval can vary by sync method, a good standard to consider is: sync will initiate up to 45 seconds after a change is saved in a database and every 4.5 minutes of idle time when set to Automatic. You can set a different interval, noting a longer interval, e.g., Hourly, can help lessen the resource load.

Another consideration with a remote sync is the quality of the network and server responses. If your network is slow or poor quality or the remote servers are slow, not responding quickly, or bandwidth is being throttled, the speed of the sync will be affected. Syncs on your local network, e.g., Bonjour, are much less likely to be affected.

Sync is my backup: If you've spent any time on our forums, you will have heard this before. Sync is neither advertised nor advocated as a backup method. A proper backup:

Sync fulfills none of those criteria. For a discussion on proper backups, see A Word About Backups in the opening chapter of the help.

I'll just put my databases in (name your cloud service): This is not data-safe and never has been. The mechanisms used by cloud services are not compatible with package files, like our databases. Due to the number of broken databases we've seen over the years, DEVONthink will neither sync nor open databases stored in these locations. We suggest keeping them in a folder in your home folder, like ~/Databases.

I want to access my databases from one location: To clarify, you can't store your databases in the cloud. They must be stored locally, whether that's on the internal hard drive or a connected external drive. As NAS is possible but you should do this only if you're on gigabit Ethernet or better.

I want to find my files in the sync location: Your databases do not "live in the cloud". And sync does not merely copy your databases and files into any sync location. It transmits raw, chunked, and optionally encrypted DEVONthink-specific data, only useful to DEVONthink and DEVONthink To Go. You cannot go into a sync location and retrieve a specific file, and neither could anyone else, friend or foe.

Sync: Bonjour


Bonjour (also called a direct connection) is technology you are almost certainly already acquainted with. If you have a wireless printer or scanner and notice how your Macs and mobile devices can see those devices by name with no setup by you, they are using Bonjour. Bonjour is a way for devices, or services like DEVONthink's sync, to broadcast its presence on a network without requiring technical know-how by the user.

A Bonjour sync is a direct connection between devices. One device acts as a server, the other a client to that server. There is no intermediary location where data is stored. This is much faster than uploading all data to some server on the internet and downloading it again on another device. It is also much more private since your data remains in your control at all times.

Technical Considerations

A Bonjour sync is simple but these things need to be considered first:

Setup

In a typical Bonjour setup, the most active Mac is the Bonjour server. For the smoothest process, this is also where you will make new databases, when needed. Here is how to set up the server and a client Mac.

Setting up the server Mac:

Setting up a client Mac:

You are now syncing a local copy of the database between the two Macs, with changes made on either propagating to the other.

Sync: Local Sync Store


A local sync store is a specialized folder containing sync data on your local machine or connected drives and servers. This is a very fast, reliable sync, and very private method for Mac-to-Mac syncing. You can use one sync store to sync multiple databases or create more than one, e.g., one for a particular group of databases.

Technical Considerations

There are very few technical limitations to local sync stores. To be used with multiple Macs, they are ideally located on a file server or networked volume. It's even possible to create a sync store on an external drive that gets ejected and connected to other Macs, back and forth. For example, if you have a computer at home and the office or a vacation home, this would be an incredibly private way to shuttle databases changes between locations.

Note:

Local sync stores cannot be used with DEVONthink To Go.

Setup

Setting up and using a local sync store is a simple thing to accomplish. It is created on one Mac then accessed and added on others. On the first Mac…

Setup a new Local Sync Store:

On a second Mac, you have to access the location of the sync store. You will not be creating a new one; you will be adding an existing one.

Setup an existing Local Sync Store:

Sync: iCloud


As most Apple devices are already logged into your Apple ID, iCloud is the simplest method to set up.

Technical Considerations

There are two iCloud sync methods available in DEVONthink. Both technically behave a bit differently in terms of how the sync data is handled, but the both use the same setup steps.

iCloud (Legacy): With Legacy syncing, initially the sync is done locally. After sync is finished, iCloud uploads to Apple's servers, then to devices using your Apple ID. This means databases may not be immediately available to sync on the other devices. The initial sync requires patience, as DEVONthink has no control over the speed and reliability of iCloud's process.

CloudKit (iCloud): Connecting to the same active iCloud account, the CloudKit option offers a single-stage sync interacting directly with Apple's servers. This can appear to be a bit slower than the legacy option, but once the sync is finished the files are already uploaded without having to wait for iCloud to sync on its own. This also conserves space as no sync data is temporarily stored on the local machine's hard drive.

Note, while the iCloud methods have worked well for many people, there have also been many reports of issues. This is not only specific to our applications but other applications as well.

Setup

Setting up the iCloud sync is the simplest method of all, as you merely enable it and the databases you want to sync. However, whatever option you choose you must use the same method on the other devices, e.g., you can't set up a Legacy sync on one machine and expect it to sync with a CloudKit sync location on another. On the first Mac…

Setup a new iCloud sync:

On a second Mac, the setup is essentially the same but you must make sure to choose the same sync method.

Setup an existing iCloud sync:

Sync: Dropbox


Dropbox was the first supported cloud service and over time, has been a reliable performer for many of our customers. While there are a few technical details you need to be aware of, it's easy enough to set up and sync.

Technical Considerations


Authentication: Since the Dropbox sync connects and syncs directly with the Dropbox servers, you are required to authenticate the connection. When you first enable a Dropbox sync location in DEVONthink your default web browser will open asking if DEVONthink can access the DEVONthink Packet Sync folder. This will need to be done on other devices the first time you set up a Dropbox sync location. Once the authentication is allowed, you subsequently can add and remove other Dropbox sync locations in DEVONthink.

API Restrictions: There are a few things Dropbox' API doesn't allow DEVONthink to do:


Exclude Local Sync Data: Also, DEVONthink works directly with Dropbox' servers. It does not sync to the local Dropbox folders on your Mac. In fact, you don't even need the Dropbox application installed to sync DEVONthink with it.

In order to not waste bandwidth and disk space, you need to explicitly change a setting in the Dropbox application's settings.

Setup

Setting up and using a Dropbox sync is simple but requires specifying or choosing a sync store in the setup. On the first Mac…

Setup a new Dropbox sync:

On a second Mac, the setup is almost the same and you will need to authenticate access to Dropbox once. Make sure you are logged into the same Dropbox account. Remember: you will be adding an existing sync location, not creating a new one.

Setup an existing Dropbox sync:

Sync: Webdav


We often get requests about supporting other cloud services, e.g., OneDrive. However, it's no trivial task to add and support more and more services. To open up sync opportunities, DEVONthink supports WebDAV, a well-known file transfer technology used by many companies, universities, and individuals across the globe.

Cloud services: If you want to explore the options, you can find lists of WebDAV providers online. One we specifically support is a European cloud service, CloudMe.

Rolling your own: It is also possible to run a WebDAV server on your own. Some NAS drives, e.g., Synology, have WebDAV capabilities and you can run a WebDAV server by repurposing an older Mac. Even some more full-featured packages like OwnCloud or NextCloud can be set up for WebDAV services. However, these options can provide more technical challenges in setup and administration beyond the scope of our support. Check the manufacturer or service's support pages for information on setting up a WebDAV server.

For some, setting up a WebDAV server may be too daunting a task but it's possible to run one directly on your Mac. While we don't develop or offer support for it, this application lets you set up a simple WebDAV server on a Mac: WebDAVNav Server. Choose a folder for your sync store, set up credentials, set up security with a certificate, then start the server. This would be ideal on an always-on Mac mini, but could be used on any Mac.

One technical note: When using this application, you do not need to include the folder path in the URL of the sync setup.

Technical Considerations

Remember WebDAV is a server, so connecting to it is just like connecting to a website using its web address, its URL. And similar to websites that require you to log in with user credentials.

URL: In order to connect to a WebDAV server, you need to its URL. The appropriate URL is something you need to get from the cloud service or manufacturer's documentation. For a commercial service, the URL likely is simple. If you're running your own server, it may be more extended.

So your URL could look similar to: https://devoncrew.local:5006/DEVONsync.

Credentials: In order to log into the server, you will need to enter your Username and Password.

Remote Access: If you're running your own WebDAV server, accessing and syncing to it on your local network is trivial. However, access it from outside you're network will require instruction beyond the scope of our help. Check the documentation for the device to see how to set it up.

Setup

Setting up and using a WebDAV sync requires entering the address of the server, your login credentials, and specifying or choosing a sync store. On the first Mac…

Setup a new WebDAV sync:

On a second Mac, the setup is almost the same but you'll be choosing an existing sync store. Remember: you will be adding an existing sync location, not creating a new one.

Setup an existing WebDAV sync:

Windows

DEVONthink uses a number of windows to present information. These windows are used for displaying and manipulating groups and documents, finding information, editing metadata, analyzing text, and changing the properties of your database. This chapter is focused on the different types of windows and descriptions of their components. For more practical uses, please check out the In & Out chapter.

Main Window


The main window is split into simple sections, some of which will be familiar from other applications. In fact, as we introduce the components of the window you'll see DEVONthink has many familiar elements in it. We start off with the fundamental panes you'll use.

Item List

When you open a Finder window, you are presented with a list of files in a certain location. The view may be icons or a list, etc. but you are still just viewing the contents of a folder, hard drive, etc.

DEVONthink is no different in this respect. When you open a main window, you will see a list of groups and documents in the current location. Clicking on or opening other groups shows their contents. Smart groups, just like the Finder's smart folders, also display their contents in an item list. The item list also supports familiar operations like drag-and-drop between groups, copy and paste, group and ungroup, context menu items when you Control-click, etc., just as you've done in the Finder.

Views: Again, taking a cue from the Finder, the item list allows you to display your documents in some familiar views:

All these views can be easily changed in the View > View options, as well as the trio of icons  on the right-hand side of the Information bar.

Sort: In addition to sorting the item list by clicking column headers or using the View > Sort menu, you can also choose a sort method in the Sort dropdown menu in the information bar. The default is sorting by Name. If you feel there are too many options available, choose Customize Metadata in the View > List Columns > Customize Metadata, the context menu, and this button. A panel opens listing all the available properties. Toggle the options you want to be able to choose as a sort method.

Visual Cues: DEVONthink provides some visual cues applied to items in the item list. These are also described in the Iconology section of the Appendix.


Duplicates and Replicants:

Files with Attributes:

Files with Links:

Marked files are ones with item attributes found in the Data > Mark menu. In List and Columns views, the property icons will not be shown unless the Flag option in View > List Columns is enabled.

Marked Files:

The Flag column shows the state of an item:  flagged or unflagged, or the  unread status of items. Clicking in the flag column toggles the flagged state. If an item is unread, a circle will appear in this column. If you have a group containing a mix of flagged and unflagged items, a dash will appear in this column, showing an indeterminate state.

As illustrated above, DEVONthink displays special property icons to the right of item names for attributes like Finder Comments, reminders, etc. A key of the property icons is in the Iconology section of the appendix.

Context menu: The available context menu commands depend on the current selection in the item list. As there are many commands, they are described separately in the Context Menu > Item List section of the Appendix.

Note:

To maintain visual consistency and make some functions more broadly accessible, item lists are used throughout DEVONthink's interface, so you'll see them in some other places, e.g., the AI > See Also inspector.

View/Edit Pane

When You launch DEVONthink you will see an empty pane at the bottom of the window reading Nothing Selected. This is the View/Edit pane, a core element in the interface you will likely use very often. This pane is where you can view documents and edit compatible formats, e.g., rich text. You can also view the documents in a selected group if you have Behavior: Preview group content enabled in the General > Interface settings. You can can toggle the pane's position or visibility in the View > Preview menu or via a toolbar button. The menu options are:


Layouts:

As noted above, DEVONthink allows displaying and editing, and even creating, some file types. Please refer to the Documents chapter for more information on this and other components related to the View/Edit pane.

Toolbar

At the top of most Mac applications you encounter, including the Finder, you will see the toolbar. For people who prefer working with tracking devices, e.g., mice, trackpads, etc., the toolbar allows you to have quick access to some functions without having to go through the menus. DEVONthink also provides a toolbar in main and document windows.

The toolbar comes pre-installed with a handy default set of buttons, including the search field (see below). It can be customized via Tools > Customize Toolbar command or in the context menu of the toolbar. Add, remove, and reorder these items to suit your particular needs. On a side note that also applies to Finder windows, if you want to quickly reorganize items on the toolbar, hold the ⌘ Command key and drag the item to its desired location, or off the toolbar to remove it.

If you're looking for a little more space for your toolbar, or even a little less, you can choose to display the toolbar as Icon and Text, Icons Only, or Text Only. If you choose Icon Only, the current selection's database and name will not appear. And if you want to go fully minimal, View > Hide Toolbar hides the it completely.

You will find a list of the available toolbar items is available in the Toolbar section of the appendix.

Sidebars

Seen in scores of applications for many years, a sidebar is a top level organizational structure, typically found on the left side of an application window. The Finder or Apple Mail sidebars are perfect examples of this. Looking at them, you should see the immediate similarities with DEVONthink. However, unlike most other apps, DEVONthink has multiple sidebars, each with their own special functions covered a bit later in this chapter.

Inspectors

In some applications, extra information about files is shown in a pane on the right side of a window. DEVONthink has several inspectors providing a wide range of information and commands, separated into related views. For example, data about the name, tags, type, etc. of a selected file are available in the Generic Info inspector. The various inspectors are gathered into one pane displayed on the right side of main and document windows alike, especially helpful on smaller screens.

The inspectors are individually discussed in the Inspectors chapter.

Search Pane


Storing information is a useful thing, but it's more useful when you can find things too. DEVONthink offers a strong search function for finding items in your databases, all integrated into a main window.

In the toolbar is a search field for entering your search terms. Type in a word and the search pane appears showing any matched items — and yes, it's another item list supporting the different views and sort methods discussed above. If the View/Edit pane is open, it will display selected result. For contents-based searches, the search terms will be highlighted in the preview, whenever possible.

Search options: In the search field, you will notice a  magnifying glass icon. Click this icon to see where to search, list the ten most recent search queries, one choose among the following options:

There is also a hidden preference, EnableSearchFieldAutocompletion, to allow DEVONthink to try to automatically complete words you're typing. However, this option only works when the search options Live while typing and Partial matches while typing are disabled.

Search prefixes: Anything you type into the search field will be treated as searching in all possible attributes. However, if you want to focus on specific attributes, e.g., file types or tags, the search field supports prefix operator searches, similar to Spotlight. Common examples are searches like name:DEVON or tags:tech;sync, separating multi-valued attributes like tags with a semicolon. There are a wide variety of prefixes available, as well as different prefix operators. A complete list of these items is included in the Search Prefixes section of the appendix.

In addition to search prefixes, DEVONthink supports Boolean operators, parenthesis for grouping terms, and quotes to match specific terms. Read more about operators and how to use them in the Search Operators section of the appendix.

Search scopes: After you've done a search, you will also see a bar above the search results allowing you to choose the scope of the search. The scope specifies "where" you're searching. You will be shown All Databases, Inboxes, the name of the current database, and the name of the current group, if you're currently viewing one. Choose one to expand or limit where DEVONthink is searching. For quickly switching scopes with a keyboard, hold the ⌥⌃ Control keys and press 1 through 4 while a search is active. If you are searching in a particular location and want to ignore possible matches in the subgroups, enable the Exclude Subgroups checkbox, as needed.

Advanced searching: To the right of the search scopes, click the  button to open the predicate editor, similar to what is used in smart groups and smart rules.

If you have done a search you'd like to use again, press the Save button. Enter a name and DEVONthink will create a smart group for you. If your search scope is in a group, the smart group will be created there. If you are searching a specific database, the smart group is created in the root of the database. Searching inboxes or all databases creates a global smart group, shown in the Smart Groups section of the Navigate sidebar.

AI: The AI button opens the Search Assistant. This popover lets you describe your search naturally, as if you're talking to someone. For example, "Show me markdown documents that mention turtles." This will be processed with AI and provide the DEVONthink-specific raw search syntax, e.g., kind:markdown text:~turtles. This popover requires an active AI model in order to it.

Note:

The search index contains alphanumeric characters as well as the following symbols:$€£¥%§

Path bar

On the left side of the main window, just below the toolbar, is the Path Bar. This is a specialized bar displaying a crumb trail to the current location in the Navigate sidebar. For example, if you are in a nested group, it will show something like Coding > AppleScript > WWDC > 416, always beginning with the current database.

Each item in the crumb trail is a live link, so you can click it to jump to any parent group or back to the top level of the database. Long-press a group to show its sibling groups. Or open the context menu via a Control-click an item to access them but also an Open button to open the group in a new main window or Reveal to open a new window with the group selected.

This bar also has < and > buttons so you can navigate back and forth between locations you've visited in this window. Bear in mind, these buttons only relate to the history of the specific window. If you open a new window, it will have no history so the buttons will not function until you've navigated to some locations. As an added feature, click and hold one of these buttons to be shown a list of previous locations you've visited, just like in a web browser.

Information bar

Another specialized bar, the Information Bar displays the number of items selected and the total number of items in the current location. As mentioned previously, this bar also hosts the Sort dropdown and the  view icons.

Sidebar: Navigate

The Navigate pane is the default sidebar where you will access to your databases, tags, items located in Favorites, etc. Additionally, you have access to some specialized items: global smart groups and smart rules.


Each section in the Navigate sidebar has its own specific purpose: giving you access to frequently used files, navigating database groups, or viewing a list of similar files. The sidebar will only show databases and groups. Selecting one of these items will display its groups and files in the item list. This allows a clear view of the group structure in the sidebar, while still allowing you to interact with the contents in the item list. Alternatively, you can view the group hierarchies directly in the sidebar. Excluding smart groups and smart rules, selecting multiple items will show a union of their contents in the item list.

The sections in the Navigate sidebar can be dragged to reorganize them as desired. Sections you don't need to use as often can be collapsed to reclaim the space or to provide a bit of privacy.

Unified Elements

By default, specific parts of databases are shown gathered in specific sections, similar to how Apple Mail displays the inboxes of all accounts in the same section.

Globals: The Globals section provides quick access to three locations common to all databases: the Inbox, Tags, and the Trash. If you click a top level section, e.g., Inboxes, you will see a combined view of items in the inboxes of all open databases. This can be especially handy if you want a view of all the tags you're using in your databases. Click the disclosure triangle next to each section to show the locations for each open database, allowing you to access the locations on an individual database level.


Inboxes: The inbox of a database, like the real-world counterpart on an office desk, is where incoming, unfiled items are kept. Every database has one by default and you can see the name of the database each inbox belongs to. The Global Inbox, shown just as Inbox, is a special, always-open database present in every installation of DEVONthink. This is highly useful when quickly capturing data, e.g., web clipping, screen captures, etc., without stopping to file things. You can then go back later and file these items at your leisure.


Tags: The Tags section provides quick access to all the tags you are using or tags within individual databases. If you click the top level tags, the item list will display all the tags you've created. Open this group and click on a database's name to show its tags. If you like to create nested or hierarchical tags, you can drag and drop existing tags in the sidebar or the item list.

Typically you will use the Tags bar in the View/Edit pane or the Info Inspector or Info popup to apply or create tags. You can also drag items in your database to the individual tags. When you create a tag it will automatically appear in the Tags group of the database you're in. If you want to create new tags to be used later, select the Tags group for the database and choose Data > New > Tag. Or from the context menu, Control-click the database's top level Tags group or an existing tag and select New Tag.

If you find yourself in a situation with multiple tags you'd like to merge, select the Tags group for the current database to view the tags in the item list. You can then select the tags there and choose Tools > Merge Items.

Removing entire tag groups can be done by dragging and dropping to the sidebar's trash. From the context menu, you can choose Move to Trash. You can delete tags in the item list as well. One thing to note: When you delete a tag, the original file in the database is preserved. What you see in the database's trash is the replicant that was created in the tag group when you added the tag.


Trash: Every database has its own individual trash. This allows you to see, and potentially retrieve, items you've deleted from your individual databases. Just as with the real-world trash bin, we do suggest you empty your databases' trash regularly. It is not meant as another filing location, and items marked as missing will still register as a problem for a database. Select the trash, the top level or individual database's trash, and choose DEVONthink > Empty Trash. The command is also available in the context menu, when Control-clicking a trash. Trashed files are not deleted completely from the machine but are put into the system trash.


Open Databases: This section is where you see and access any databases you have currently open. Click the database's name to display items in the root of the database. Clicking the disclosure triangle allows you to show groups, and subsequently sub-groups in the database. As mentioned above, selecting a database or group will display its subgroups and files in the item list.

Non-Unified Elements

As the unified views may be less comfortable for some people, DEVONthink allows you to decide what database elements you want to unify. Controlled by options in Settings > General > Sidebar, you can enable or disable unifying: Inboxes, Tags, or Databases.

Inboxes: If you disable unifying the inboxes, only the Global Inbox will be shown in the Globals section. The inboxes of individual databases will be shown in the item list when the database is selected.

Tags: Similar to the inboxes, disabling this option will display the Tags group with other elements in the selected database.

Note:

With Unify Inboxes and Tags both disabled, the database's contents will appear similar to how DEVONthink 2 displayed databases.


Databases: When disabled, DEVONthink displays a database's name in the Open Databases section of the sidebar but the contents will be shown in a separate section. The current database will be marked on the left by an asterisk (*) and its groups will be shown in a separate active database section in the sidebar. This creates an isolated view of that database regardless of the number of databases that are open. Interacting with elements in the active database section displays contents in the item list, similar to the Three Pane view from DEVONthink 2.

For switching between active databases, select another database and the active database section will display only the groups and smart groups of that database. Also, there are Previous Database and Next Database commands in the Go menu.

When using the keyboard, hold the Command key and press the up and down arrows to view the contents of another open database in the item list while showing the contents of the previously active database in the active database section. Press ⇧-↩ to change the active databases section to the currently selected database.

Favorites

There are many times we have specific databases, groups, or documents we return to, again and again. Shown at the top of the sidebar by default, the Favorites section allows you to create shortcuts to quickly access any of these kind of items. Drag a group or a document to this section's header and you'll see a curved arrow on the cursor. Drop the file and you have a new favorite. An option to Add to Favorites is available in the context menu commands of most items in DEVONthink. Use Remove from Favorites when Control-clicking on already favorited items to remove them.

Select an item in Favorites to quickly access it. If an item was last viewed without a preview, it will be displayed in its own window. If you see a favorite is greyed out, it means the containing database isn't open. Double-clicking the item will open the database, if possible, and display the item.

Favorited groups behave just like normal groups, so you can drag items into a one for quick filing. Use the ⌥ Option key and ⌘⌥ keys to duplicate or replicate items while dragging and dropping to them.

Recent Databases

The Recent Databases section provides quick access to reopen closed databases. This will list the last ten recently closed databases. Double-click any databases you'd like to open.

Smart Groups

The global smart groups function the same as local smart groups, i.e., the ones in your individual databases, but generally their scope is all open databases. This allows you to have reusable searches targeting all your open databases, e.g., all Markdown documents in all databases created in the last month. These global smart groups can be modified to target more specific locations, but such a smart group would be better suited as a local smart group, i.e., in the particular database. DEVONthink comes with some pre-installed global smart groups:

You can create a smart group from the context menu or the + button at the bottom of the sidebar. By default all open databases will be targeted. However, if you have an item selected in the Globals or Open Databases sections, the smart rule will use that location for the matching.

Control-click a smart group to Edit, Rename, Duplicate, or Remove it. You can also copy a link to a smart group, export it to the Finder, or import previously exported ones. If you'd like to convert an existing smart group into a smart rule, ⌃-click the desired smart group, hold the ⌥ key, and choose Duplicate as smart rule.

If you have exported smart groups in the Finder, double-clicking them will import them. You can also drag them to the smart rules section of the sidebar.

For more information on editing smart group properties, global or local, see the Smart Group Editor section of this chapter.

Smart Rules

Similar to smart groups, smart rules are created, edited, and behave in a similar fashion. However, they have one distinct difference: they can act on the items matched. The smart rule matches items just as a smart group does but they perform actions when certain events take place. This makes them a very powerful way to add automation to your DEVONthink life.

DEVONthink provides a few useful example smart rules to get you started:

If you Control-click a smart rule and choose Edit, you will see the criteria, event trigger, and actions for that rule. Like smart groups, you can create a smart rule from the context menu or the + button at the bottom of the sidebar. The target of the smart rule also follows the same behavior as a smart group: all databases are targeted unless you have an item selected in the Globals or the Open Databases section of this sidebar.

Control-click a smart rule to Edit, Rename, Duplicate, or Remove it. You can also copy a link to a smart rule, export a smart rule to the Finder for archiving or sharing, or import previously exported rules. Double-clicking exported smart rules imports them, and so does dragging them to the sidebar.

In the context menu for a smart rule, notice there is also a smart rule-specific command: Apply Rule. This runs the clicked command on any matching files. This means it will performs its actions, even if the event trigger is not set to On Demand. Be cautious about using this command unless you are certain you want to affect all matched items. There is also an option to copy the item link for a smart rule by choosing Copy Rule Link.

Also when you Control-click a selected smart rule, you will see a Disable Actions or Enable Actions option, depending on the state of the selected rules. Use this to toggle the active state of any selected rules. This can be useful in debugging situations.

There are two commands in the Tools menu related to smart rules:

Drag and Drop: Lastly, you can drag and drop items onto smart rules to apply their actions to them. Dropped items will be acted on, ignoring the location and criteria specified in the smart rule. For example, you may have a smart rule to add the date to the beginning of the name of images imported into your Global Inbox. However, you could drag and drop a rich text file from a separate database on to the smart rule and the date would be prefixed to the name, even though the location and file type do not match the rule.

For more information on editing smart rules, see the Smart Rules section of the Automation chapter.

Organizing Your Custom Items

As you add more and more favorites, global smart groups, and smart rules, you may want to organize them for clarity and efficiency. Control-click anywhere in each section and choose New Group. The group is created and ready to be named. Now you can drag and drop the items into their respective groups to more logically group them and minimize visual clutter.

Context Menu

As there are many commands in the context menu of this sidebar, please see the Context Menu > Navigate Sidebar section in the Appendix.

Sidebar: Filters

Providing a way to isolate files in the item list, the Filters pane allows you to only show files that share common attributes. This pane, displayed at the bottom of the Navigate sidebar can be shown or hidden via the Tools > Filter menu or the quartet of icons at the bottom of the Navigate sidebar. The pane can be resized by moving the divider at the top of the pane.

Info

Displayed by selecting Tools > Filter > Info, the Info filters pane let you shows only files that share common dates, ratings, color labels, etc.


Dates: Click the Date dropdown to choose the type of date you want to filter on: Added, Created, Modified, Opened, or Due. Click on a date in the calendar display to only show files related to the day and type of date you selected. Use the small arrows to move backward and forward through time, and click the circle between them to quickly return to the last selected date.

Marks: Choose the type of mark, or a combination of them, on which you want to filter. For example, you can click the flag and a rating of 3 to show only those files. You can filter on these attributes: Flagged/Unflagged, Read/Unread, Locked/Unlocked, Rating, or Label.

File Location: Click the dropdown to choose whether to display Imported, Indexed, or both with Any.

Tags

Choosing the Tags filter via Tools > Filter > Tags displays a tag cloud derived from the tags applied to items in the current location. This makes it easy to identify commonly used tags.


To filter the files, click any tag. You will immediately see the tag cloud reduce in number and only related tags are shown. This allows you to drill down into files that share common tags, but also exposes tags that have been used with the previously selected tags. If there are no tags on the files in the current item list, No Tags will be displayed.

Note:

The tags you choose will also be shown in the Information bar above the item list. Hovering over one of these tags displays a  close button at the right side of the tag. Click it to stop filtering on that tag. You can also press the Reset button to clear all filtered tags.

Control-clicking a tag in the tag cloud shows these options:

Multimedia

Open the Multimedia filter via Tools > Filter > Multimedia to present options for filtering out multimedia files, e.g., images, audio, and video in the current location.


To assist in filtering, these controls are available:

Map

Utilizing geolocation data from your files, the Maps filter shows documents related by their location.


Open this filter pane via Tools > Filter > Maps. By default, the data used is based on where a document was created. However, this can be modified. See the Geolocation field in the Info Inspector for more information on this.)

The map functions similar to Apple or Google Maps, allowing you to use familiar pinch gestures or double-click or Option-double-click to zoom in and out, panning, etc. The map shows pins for all documents with geolocation data in the selected location in the Navigate sidebar. Selecting a pin in the map displays the files with that geolocation data in the item list.

Sidebar: Reading List

With the seemingly perpetual growth of our databases, we often add more items than we can reasonably process at the moment. Similar to the sidebar section found in Safari (and many other browsers), DEVONthink's Reading List provides a place to access documents you've "set aside" for later consideration.


There are two views in this sidebar: All and Unread. The latter lists only unread items and purges items from the view as soon as they're viewed in the Reading List. The former lists every regardless if they've been viewed or not.

A simple way to set aside a document is via drag and drop when the sidebar is visible. If it's not open, you choose the Data > Add to > Reading List menu item. This command may also be available when Control-clicking items in other places, like the item list. Newly added items are displayed at the top of the list in the Unread view.

Items in the Reading List function like the items they're pointing to. This means they can be moved to other locations by dragging them to other locations. This includes duplicating or replicating while holding the ⌥ Option key or ⌥⌘, respectively.

Context Menu

The context menu displays these item-related commands:

There are also two commands specific to the Reading List, noting these items can't be undone:

For those interested in automation, you can use the special item link x-devonthink-item://readinglist to open the Reading List.

Sidebar: Image Capture

The Import sidebar pane gives you access to two common sources of external data: scanning and email. Each section in this sidebar provides controls to import from any supported scanner or a compatible email client, e.g., Apple Mail or Outlook. This makes DEVONthink a reliable companion at home, in an office, in the hands of an archivist, and many other scenarios. We will cover the scanning controls in this section. We have also provided a more practical overview in the Going Paperless in DEVONthink section.


Scanning documents is an important function in many situations. The Image Capture section of this sidebar provides a variety of scanning controls to help you create a searchable, paperless archive of your documents.

Scanning Controls

The Devices section allows you to choose and control a non-ScanSnap, Image Capture-compatible (ICA) scanner.

Selected Scanner: If you select a scanner you will be presented with controls and settings to scan your documents. This allows you to use your scanner directly in DEVONthink very efficiently. This interface should be familiar to anyone using Apple's Image Capture application or scanning in Preview.

Queue


Select the Queue option to display the scanning queue where you can pre-define documents to scan. Define parameters for each document, including: Title, Destination, Type (PDF or Image), Separator, whether OCR is enabled, and optional Tags for the finished document. This section can be very useful when batch scanning. The following controls are shown in this view:

Imports

This section contains individual scans or binders, collections of scanned pages. Process existing scans, create new binders, or modify existing binders.

Select a specific binder in the sidebar to show a thumbnail view of the pages it contains. Rearrange the pages by drag-and-drop or drag pages from one document to another. Press the  button to use these options:

Trash

Any scans or documents you've deleted from the scanning interface will appear here. When you have this selected, empty the trash with the button at the lower right corner of the window.

Sidebar: Email

In addition to scanning, the Import pane also provides the controls to archive emails from Apple Mail and Microsoft Outlook. While you can drag email messages individually from your email client, the Email section of this sidebar also allows you to import individual messages or archive mailboxes directly into your DEVONthink database.

Open the pane pane by choosing View > Import. Here we discuss the controls used in this section.


Accounts and mailboxes

The lefthand section of the Email section displays the active accounts and mailboxes of Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook, if installed. Select your email client, then click the disclosure triangle to show the accounts then its mailboxes.

Mailbox View: When you select a mailbox in a specific account, the window will display more controls for filtering and importing messages from that mailbox. The central view shows the contents of a chosen mailbox. This is where you can select individual messages to import, if desired. This view is separated into columns that can be sorted by clicking the column headers. The basic columns include From, To, and the Subject. If you are choosing to show already imported messages, there is a special column showing those items. For emails marked as high priority, the flagged column will also show two exclamation points and the subject, etc. will show in red. Control-click in the this view to refresh its contents or import selected emails.

Filter and import

When a mailbox is selected, the righthand side of the window shows options for filtering the messages displayed. It also lets you choose the location where the messages will be imported.

Destination: Choose the destination database for the imported messages or mailboxes. Note: You can choose a specific group in a database when using the Import function. However, you can only choose a specific database, and not a group, when using the Archive Mailbox function. Emails are archived into a special Emails group at the root of the specified database.

Search: Use this search field to search for messages by the sender or recipient's Name, email address, or the subject line. Note this only allows for a single term to be used. However, the search is matching substrings, so a search for jun would match "junk", "jungle", and "jejune".

Show: Select options in this section to further fine-tune the list of importable messages, if desired. You can use:

Hide: Use these controls to hide certain items from the mailbox view. All these options are enabled by default, but can be selectively disabled, if needed. However, when these options are enabled it makes it easy to see only new messages, ready for import.

The last two items are buttons for importing selected emails from the Mailbox view or archiving the currently selected mailbox. For a practical overview of the email archiving process, check out the Archiving Email section of the In & Out chapter.

Sidebar: Extras

The Extras sidebar gives you a place to check for current information from us. It's an easy way to stay up to date with some of the goings on at DEVONtechnologies.


Support: Here you will find our recently published tips, scripts, smart rules, and templates.

If you'd like to quickly mark all items as Read, Control-click and select the Mark All as Read from the context menu.

For another view of the available scripts, rules, and templates, as well as easy installation and uninstallation, see the Support Assistant.

DEVONtechnologies: This section provides a list of blog posts regarding announcements, updates, and promotions.

Note:

For the sake of transparency, DEVONthink does connect to our web server to bring you this information.

Document Window


If you want to focus on a specific document, you can use a document window. Double-click a document in the item list to open it in a document window. Alternately, choose Data > Open or the Open command from the context menu. The document opens in its own window, isolated for editing, reading, etc.

These windows are great for concentrating on a single document but are also convenient for split screen work, allowing you to view individual documents easily at the same time. And document windows support Inspectors so you can access specific tools like the Thumbnails inspector while reading a PDF, for example.

Bear in mind, many documents can be displayed in document windows but that doesn't mean they're editable. However, you can still view and potentially search such documents in one document window while editing another in a separate window. For more information on what formats are natively editable, see the Documents chapter.

Toolbar Items: Similar to a main window, a document window has a toolbar at its top. The default toolbar buttons may vary, depending on the type of file being viewed in the window. You can customize the toolbar via View > Customize Toolbar, but note there are fewer options than you have with a main window. A list of available toolbar items is available in the Toolbar Items section of the appendix.

If the title is displayed in the toolbar, Command-clicking it shows the document's location, including the database it's stored in. Use this to jump out to a containing group or just to quickly determine the document's location.

The Sorter

The Sorter is a multi-purpose popup that allows you to quickly add content to your databases, even when DEVONthink isn't the active application. Depending on the option you choose in Settings > Sorter, it will appear in the menubar at the top of your screen or docked to the left or right side of your screen. When shown as a menu bar icon, you can choose to display it as the word DEVONthink or a space-saving nautilus icon.

The Sorter can be opened manually or you can jump directly to certain views via hotkeys you set in the settings. For example, setting a hotkey for Copy Selection opens the Take Note view with the selected text already added. Once the Sorter is open, you can switch between these views by clicking the icons at the top of the pane. Alternately, hold ⌥⌘ and press 1 through 6 to quickly open a specific view, e.g., pressing 4 opens the Video Note view as it's the fourth view available. Below we cover the different views the Sorter provides for quickly capturing data.

Note:

The ⎋ Escape key can be used in all views to quickly close the Sorter.

Navigation

The Navigation view provides a convenient list of the databases and groups in DEVONthink.


To add files in the Sorter, drag over the docked tab or menu bar item. The Sorter will spring open. then drop items into specific groups to quickly import them. Also equipped with a handy search field, you can search for and isolate groups for more targeted importing. This view is composed of three sections:

Hotkeys: The Navigation view supports these keyboard navigation with these keys:

Creating Files

The remaining views are focused on creating documents, whether that's a simple plain text file, a screen capture of an application's window, recorded video, or clipping web content. Every view supports these options:

And whenever these controls are shown you can move the cursor forward between fields, e.g., between the body and URL, by pressing ⌃⇥. Hold the ⇧ Shift key to cycle backwards through them.

Take Note

The Take Note view is for those times when you just need to quickly write a note but don't want to go back into your databases just to create a new file. And to make your note taking a little faster, define a Take Note hotkey in the the Sorter settings.


Allowing you to write notes in several formats, the editing behavior depends on the format you've chosen. Also, the appearance of the text depends on the your choices in the Editing settings. This view supports these specific attributes:

If the Sorter is set to None in Sorter settings, it will appear as a separate floating panel having the same functions described above. However, it has the added feature of hovering over any open windows.

Voice Note

Use this view to record a voice note directly into your database. This creates recording in .m4a format, saved to the location of your choice. With simple controls, it's easy to record impromptu audio.


This view has a few simple sections:

When you've stopped recording, you will be shown these view-specific options:

Video Note

Use this view to capture a video from your Mac's built-in camera. Videos are saved as MP4 files for convenient compatibility across platforms and devices.


Like the audio note, this is presented in very simple controls:

When you've stopped recording, you will be these view-specific options:

Screen capture

Screen captures are a common way to quickly gather information about things on our computers. While the Apple provided mechanisms still work, the Screen Capture view allows you to quickly snap a screen shot, add some metadata, e.g., tags or labels, then save it directly into a specific location in your databases. The captures will be saved as JPEG files.


This view has one simple section with three options, also accessible via shortcuts:

After making the capture, these view-specific options are shown:

Web Clip

Use the Web Clip view to quickly clip the current web page, a URL from your clipboard, or enter a URL manually. Each option is also accessible via shortcuts.


Before saving the clipping, you will see these view-specific options:

When using the default browser option or the Clip to DEVONthink extension, click the Preview button and DEVONthink will attempt to display a preview of the intended capture. This can be helpful in trying to determine if a capture will be successful. And if you hold the ⌘ Command key, you will see the shortcut keys for the Add and Preview buttons.

Web Sharing

DEVONthink comes with a built-in server for broadcasting your databases on a network. While the operation is covered in the In & Out > Web sharing chapter, here we cover the interface shown when accessing shared databases in a browser window.


The layout of the web sharing should immediately be familiar to users of DEVONthink. While not as full featured as the native application, it behaves in ways similar to DEVONthink's main window. Here we will give you an overview of the parts of this interface.

Note:

The permissions given by the administrator of the shared databases determine database visibility as well as what actions you can take. Due to this, some actions, e.g., creating new documents or downloading documents, may not be available. If you do not have permissions to modify the database you're browsing, the cursor will change to show the option is disallowed.

Sidebar

A condensed version of the Navigate sidebar found in DEVONthink's main windows, this provides access to the contents of any shared databases. Some basic context menu items, e.g., New Group, New Feed, Rename, Move to Trash, and Empty Trash are available when Control-clicking in the sidebar. At the top is a button to show or hide the sidebar.

Item List

The item list behaves in many ways similar to DEVONthink, showing the groups and documents in the current location. All these items can be selected and reorganized by drag-and-drop, to groups in the sidebar ones in the item list. Switch locations by navigating the groups in the sidebar or double-clicking a group in the item list. At the top, the name of the current location is shown. Clicking on it opens a popup displaying the parentage of the current group, going back to the database itself. Click any parent in the dropdown to navigate directly to it. To navigate back and forth through locations you've visited, use the  and  buttons in the path bar.

When dragging and dropping files into the websharing interface, drop them on top of existing documents in the group. If the group is empty, drag and drop to the group in the sidebar. Or click the  button at the top of the item list and choose Upload Document. Drag and drop a file onto the dialog or click select and choose one. Make any changes you need to and upload it directly to the current group. To delete an item, select it and press the  button.

Again, taking its example from DEVONthink's main window, Control-click items in the item list to show these commands in the context menu:

While you can't reorder the items manually, the item list can be sorted by clicking on the column headers. Click the header again to toggle between an ascending or descending sort. Control-click the headers to enable and disable individual headers.

View/Edit Pane

When an item is selected in the item list, a preview of any compatible file will be shown here. The DEVONthink-native formats and some non-proprietary text-based formats can be displayed. You can even edit plain text and Markdown documents. Just click in the view/edit pane and begin editing.

Editing bar: The Editing bar above the view/edit pane shows for certain types of files. If the document can be edited in web sharing, available tools will be shown. The bar also allows you to move back and forth through previously viewed files via the  and  buttons.

Of special note is the behavior of formatted notes, a web-based format. Tap the edit button on the right of the Editing bar to access some editing options, like adding bold or italic type. You can also select text and create a hyperlink with it. Lastly, you can choose an image to insert into the document.

For the Markdown fans, you will see the same navigation bar options, showing Edit, Preview, and Side-by-Side modes.

Note:

While it is a force of habit — and in general, a good one to be in — you do not need to press ⌘S after editing a file. The changes are saved automatically.

Inspectors

Info: There are three inspectors available in web sharing. Shown by clicking the  button, you will find a condensed version of the Generic and Data inspectors. If you have permissions to make changes to the current database, it is possible to change some of the metadata, like ratings or labels. You will also find a See Also inspector showing suggestions of potentially related documents. Clicking on an item in the results will display that document in the view/edit pane. The document selected in the item list is always listed at the top, so you can return to it easily.

Toolbar

There are a handful of toolbar tools in the web sharing interface. Note a few items will be discussed separately.

Generate Image


Generate Image is a resizable panel where you can create AI generated images based on a description you provide. Enter your prompt, choose your AI model and settings, press Generate, and wait for your image. Images will be shown but also displayed in a slide strip of thumbnails under the main image. Click on each to view and compare them. If your AI model supports editing, e.g., the Flux models, you can select a thumbnail, enter changes for the image in the prompt field and press the Edit button. The image will be processed and changed per your instructions. And if you have an existing image you want to modify, copy it to the clipboard, open the Generate Image window, click the display area, and paste it in. Now enter your new instructions and edit the image.

The controls on this panel are simple to use.

At the bottom of the panel are buttons to Generate (⌘G) a new image, Edit (⌘E) to edit the current image, Save (⌘S) the document, or Close and dismiss the image.

Take some time to craft your prompt to avoid to much back and forth interaction. The more specific you are, the more you can help steer things toward what you imagine.

Note:

This requires an API key for a text-to-image generative AI model.

Annotations panel


When annotating a PDF, a dark window will appear for non-highlighted annotations. Here you can edit certain properties of an annotation. Choose the Tools > Mode > Annotation Selection tool and double-click an annotation to reopen this panel.

See the section on PDFs for more information on annotating PDFs.

Group Selector


If you have set Files > Import > Destination to Select group, this panel will appear when importing items in certain ways, e.g., when dropping files onto DEVONthink's dock icon or importing via scripts with no specified destination.

This panel remembers the last used location, so if you're repeatedly importing to the same location, you only need to tap the ↩ Return key to immediately import an item.

Read more about getting files into your database in the In & Out section.

Popovers

Popovers are a specialized panel that appears on command and disappears after interacting with it. These are usually used for quickly viewing information about a selected item but can also be used in some other ways. For example, Database Properties is an information popover you may already be familiar with. Here we discuss a few more DEVONthink offers, starting with information popovers and followed by utility popovers.

One special feature of some of the popovers is the ability to float above other windows. When the popover is open, click and drag at the triangular point of connection to the window and tear it way. You can then move it around as an independent panel. This will be noted for the ones that support it.

AI Popovers

There are three AI-based popovers in DEVONthink providing summarizing and transforming content or giving you access to chat with your AI engine. Another one transforms natural language queries into DEVONthink's search language.


Chat: This tear-off popover gives you quick access to interact with your chosen AI model. Opened with the  button or Tools > Chat, this provides the same functionality as the Chat inspector. However, it functions independently from the inspector, remembering its own conversations. Ask impromptu questions or make inquiries about the selected document in the text field at the bottom of the pane. You can press the send button or press the ↩ Return key. The text field displays the default chat model but you can click the dropdown next to the it to choose an alternate available chat model. Enable Speak chat responses if you have a need to hear the chat replies.

At the top of the popover are three buttons, some having hotkeys for quicker use: Clear (⌘K), Copy, and Save (⌘S). So if you want to start a new chat, copy the current response, or save a transcript of the chat, you have those options.


Summarize and Transform: This popover is used with a document displayed in the view/edit pane. This popover can be opened via the  button in the Navigation Bar or the Summarize Documents via Chat command in the Tools or context menu. When opened, the current document's text will be processed according to the Summaries section of the AI > Chat settings, e.g., as Bullet Points. If you choose another option, the text will be processed again to match the chosen output.

Another option you may be surprised to find is you can summarize an image! If you are using a vision-capable AI engine, the image will be analyzed and a description will be shown in the popover. If you want to vary the amount of detail, you can modify the number of tokens in the Usage dropdown in the settings. This obviously changes the token expenditure, up or down, based on your choice, but it may be used to fine-tune the summary.

If you instead press the  button in the Navigation Bar, the document's text will be assessed and you'll see a recommendation for rewriting the text in a specific tone, e.g., Friendly. This often works well with selected text. And be aware that processing entire documents will increase the token expense.

At the bottom of the popover are keys to Replace currently selected text in text-based documents, Clear (⌘K) the summary, Save (⌘S) the summary as a separate document, or Retry (⌘R) generating the summary.


Search Assistant: Finally, this detachable popover lets you enter a search query in natural language and AI will convert it to DEVONthink's search syntax. Put your cursor in the toolbar search field, press the ↩ Return key, then click the AI button in the search options to open the popover. Type in your query, like "What PDF files mention sync and have ticket in the name?" may yield kind:pdf text:sync name:~ticket.

Click the  button (⌘C) to put the suggested syntax on the clipboard. Press Search (⌘F) to run the search using the recommended search terms. If you want to generate a new suggestion, press the  button (⌘R).

Be aware the syntax generated by AI may not be exactly optimal for your search. However, it often can be used as a useful starting point. Also note the default AI engine and model affects the suggested syntax. You set another model in the AI > Chat settings, e.g., Claude's Haiku versus Sonnet, to see how the results may differ.


Graph: Utilizing DEVONthink's internal AI, the Graph inspector can also be opened as a tear-off, resizable popover for a more convenient view of the document's various connections to tags and other documents in your database. When detached, this size and position of this popover will be remembered across launches and when using workspaces.

Information Popover


Info: This tear-off popover displays information about the currently selected item. However, it is also dynamic, updating the information as the selection changes. It displays the contents of the Generic, Data, Annotations & Reminders, and Properties inspectors. Open this popover via Tools > Get Info, ⇧⌘I, or pressing the  toolbar button.


Log: The tear-off popover is the minimized version of the Log window, providing a quick way to glance at application messages without having to open a separate window. Open this popover via the  toolbar button. Note this button will only be enabled if there are messages available to be viewed. You can clear the log or press the Save button to save the log, usually to send to our support team.

Utility Popovers

The utility popovers provide extra functions for moving files, navigating databases, or linking documents. Each popover has a search field at the top for helping to narrow the results. You can use an abbreviated search syntax matching the beginning of words to help speed the process. For example, if you are looking for a group named "Household Expenses" you could type hou exp to find matches. After searching, double-clicking a result will move the file to the selected location. For keyboard navigation, you can press ⇥ Tab to put the focus in the results list then navigate with the arrow keys. Pressing ↩ will accept the choice and close the popover automatically. There is also a plus (+) button for creating a new group in the current location when needed.


Move to: This popover allows you to organize selected files quickly. Open this popover via Data > Move To or pressing ⌃⌘M.

The default behavior of this popover is moving files. However, the behavior can be changed using command keys. Hold the ⌥ key to duplicate files to a selected location. Hold ⌘-⌥ to replicate the files to a selected location within the same database. Note the text in the popover will change to reflect the kind of operation will take place.


Go to Group: This popover allows you to quickly jump to another location. Open this popover via Go > To Group or ⌃⌘G. One special property of this popover is the ability to act as a floating pane. Open the popover then click and drag it away from the toolbar. It will remain open as a searchable floating pane you can use for quick navigation. You can also drag and drop files to it, similar to the Navigation view of the Sorter.


Go to Document: This popover allows you to quickly navigate to a specific file. Open this popover via Go > To Document or ⌃⌘O. Note this popover does not support abbreviated syntax, i.e., matching substrings or non-contiguous words, as the fuzzy matching would lead to far too many results. Given a filename of DEVONthink sync timing tests.md, timing tests would match; DEVONthink timing would not.


Insert Link: Used when editing text-based documents, e.g., rich text, this popover allows you to search for and quickly insert a link to that file in the current document. The type of link inserted will be appropriate to the current document type, e.g., a Markdown document will have a properly formatted Markdown link. Open this popover via Edit > Insert > Item Link, the Insert > Item Link context menu command, or ⌃⌘E in the context menu while editing a compatible document.

Predicate Editor


The Predicate editor allows you to create a set of criteria for matching items. When you create or edit a smart group or smart rule, this window is where you set criteria to match and for smart rules, what actions to take with any matched files. And while displayed in a sheet instead of a separate window, the Advanced search supports creating predicates in a similar way.

Search Options

When used with a smart item, the top section of the editor contains a mandatory name and search location, as well as a few optional items.

Predicates

The other section of the editor shows the search predicates. The predicates are built as a series of logical steps. At the top, define whether All (Boolean AND) or Any (Boolean OR) of the contained predicates need to be true for an item to be matched. If you need to create a more complex match, hold the ⌥ Option key and click a ... button to create a "compound predicate" also called "branch". Each branch also has its own All or Any option as well. This allows you to create very targeted searches.

Criteria may be content- or attribute-related. These contain the attributes you want to match. For example, searching for a specific word in PDF documents added this week would require three criteria: Content, Kind, and Date Added. Each criterion is made up of three parts: the attribute to be evaluated, e.g., Content or Date Modified, an operator like begins with, and the value to be matched. When using text-based criteria, a placeholder will indicate if booleans and wildcards are supported. Use the + and - buttons to add more criteria to your smart group or to delete them. Add as many criteria as you need noting it's better to as specific as possible to avoid false positives. Criteria can be rearranged with drag-and-drop, if needed.

Example:

To find all Microsoft Excel files use the condition Extension ... is ... xslx. To find items created in the last 7 days use the condition Date created ... is ... Last Week.


Placeholders are a powerful option in predicates, whether it's in a search, smart rule, or batch configuration. A placeholder can be used to get a document's item link, the year and month of the current date, or even the response from a Chat prompt. When the search, rule, or batch configuration runs, the placeholder is replaced dynamically. You can access placeholders in the context menu but at the right end of text fields for certain criteria in the predicate editor, you may see an ellipsis in a rectangle. This is the placeholder popup where you can browser and quickly choose the attributes you need.

Note:

Full regular expressions are not supported in criteria.

Batch Processing


If you need to make impromptu changes to documents in your database, DEVONthink's batch processing comes in handy. Opened via the Tools > Batch Processing command, you can build a collection of automations for a variety of use cases.

Configurations

The Configurations section is where you create or edit your batch processes. Select a configuration and press Apply to run it on selected items or edit and press Close to continue editing or run it for later. The configurations are all independent of each other, so you can reorder them via drag and drop. Press the + button to add a new configuration or the – button to remove a selected one. For other configuration options, click .

These commands are also available in the context menu of the configurations.

Actions Editor

On the right side of the window is where you construct the actual batch process, adding actions to affect the changes you want to make. When you create a new batch process, one action is added by default. Click the dropdown to choose the appropriate action and fill out any required information. Press the + button to add more actions. Press the – button to remove an action.

At the top of the actions section, there is a numeric field, Start index/counter at. That is used with the Counter and Index placeholders. This is not a global value, but is specific to the selected batch process. This can be very useful if you are using a separate numbering scheme for different projects. Just create a configuration for each project and assign its own starting number.

Read more about the available smart actions that work with batch processing in the Smart Rule Events and Actions section as well as the available placeholders.

Script Editor and Assistant


For those interested in scripting, a specialized scripting interface is now included in DEVONthink. With it you can draft a variety of scripts in both AppleScript and JavaScript (JXA). Covering the types of scripts used in-application, you can start creating scripts and open them in an external editor, as needed.

The Script Editor window can be opened via Data > New > Script as well as the context menu of the item list and the Action menu. The window is composed quite simply. You have a mandatory Name field. Following that is an optional Info field where you can include a description or instructions, appearing as comments in the script. Next is the Type dropdown where you choose one of the types of scripts found in DEVONthink. The supported types are:

Finally, at the bottom of the window, is the editing pane where you can work on the code. As you work, you can press the Compile button, shown with a small hammer. This lets you check if your code has any syntax issues. And finally, the OK button will generate a script file with the code for you to open in an external editor, etc. Script files are saved as text-based .applescript files that can be edited in DEVONthink or opened externally, e.g., in Script Editor.

You can read more about the various types of scripts in the Automation chapter.

Script Assistant


If you have set up access to external AI in the Pro and Server editions of DEVONthink, you may be able to use it to write or modify the code. Below are the places you can find the Script Assistant. Bear in mind, the code is a draft and the script may not work correctly in its initial form. However, the AI is aware of several common scripting errors and will attempt to correct them in its output. You can ask it to refine the code.

Script Editor: Below the Type dropdown in the Script Editor window is a field where you can enter a prompt to be used for a script. Click the icon to the left of the field and choose an available AI model that supports coding. After you write your prompt, press the ↩ Return key and AI will try and draft a script fulfilling the requirements you've set.


Smart Actions: Another place you can access external AI is when editing a smart item script in a smart action, i.e., Apply Script and Script With Input/Output. In a smart rule or batch processing configuration, edit the internal AppleScript or JavaScript. You will see the AI model button to the left of the Script Assistant field where you enter your AI prompt to compose or improve the script.

Reminders: When setting an reminder alarm on an item, you can add a reminder alarm script. For the alarm, choose Execute AppleScript or Execute JavaScript. Click the button to the right to open the script editor. Here you can directly compose a reminder script or again, use external AI to describe the script. Enter the prompt, press ↩ Return key, and let AI generate draft code for you.

Settings


The Settings window, opened via DEVONthink > Settings, is where you can access a broad range of settings for customizing DEVONthink to your personal needs.

Because the application settings are so important, we have created a separate chapter for them.

Database Properties

The Database Properties popup provides information and some controls for a specific database. Select a database and open the properties popup using File > Database Properties. Here are the parts and controls you'll see.


General: This section provide per-database controls for Spotlight integration, versioning, and tagging.

Options:

Note:

The user credentials on a database are not encrypting it nor is it locking the database from being opened. It is used when trying to import a database when syncing. Anyone trying to import the database from a sync location will need to provide these credentials. For a locally secured database, create an encrypted database via File > New Encrypted Database.

Statistics: This section displays some statistics about the contents of the database, e.g., counts of some different file types, total size of the contents, and number of words in the index of the database. Additionally, it reports the number of indexed or replicant items. And for an encrypted or revision-proof database, the space used and available is listed.

Download Manager

DEVONthink's Download Manager panel is a tool for downloading files or complete web sites. Offline archives can make a local copy of a site to use when your you're not connected to the Internet. This panel also supports URLs for local files, including POSIX paths, a file://localhost/ URL, or a file:/// URL. You even have the option to either store the information in your database or in a Finder folder.


Panel elements

Opened via Window > Download Manager opens, the Download Manager panel consists of:

Adding Files

There are a few different methods for adding files to the Download Manager, one of which likely fits your use case:

Action Menu

Most actions are available through the Action menu or the context menu. Click the  gear button or Control-click an item in the Download Manager panel to display more commands:

Pre-defined Settings: For your convenience, DEVONthink comes with predefined option sets that you can directly select from the action menu.

Options

The options dialog defines which file types are downloaded, which links it follows, where it stores the files, etc.

Follow Links: These options define how deeply DEVONthink follows links on the downloaded HTML pages. This feature allows you to control what gets downloaded--only the actual pages or a complete web site. DEVONthink supports the following options:

Note:

Following links two levels deep can result in very large downloads.

Log

The Log panel is an informational window. It displays a variety of messages, including things like the number of emails imported, warnings about database health, or errors from script actions in smart rules. The panel shows the date of the message, any affected files, and a little information about what happened. If you feel you are having sync issues, this panel is the first place to look. When doing any database or sync location maintenance, this is where the results are shown. You can also use this panel for your own purposes with the log message AppleScript command.


You can save the list to a text file with the Save button, and clear the log with the Clear button. To sort the log, click a column title to sort on that column, changing from ascending to descending each time you click it. If you Control-click individual log entries you will be shown options to reveal the item in its location or move it to the trash. Alternatively, double-click the entry to reveal the file.

The Log window will appear with any messages it has to show. If this becomes distracting to you, uncheck Show log automatically. You can always open the panel at any time using Window > Log. However, for important notifications, the log is always shown automatically, regardless of this setting.

Activity

The Activity panel shows a list of currently running background processes, e.g., converting scans to searchable PDFs, refreshing news feeds, downloading PDF documents and web archives via our browser extension, or sync activity. You can manually open this pane via Window > Activity. You can manually stop them to free computer resources or for other reasons.


There is also an Activity pane at the bottom of the Navigate sidebar. Providing a less intrusive experience, this pane will appear and disappear quietly on its own.

Note:

The Activity window is only used if it was opened by the user or if there is no main window to show an Activity pane.

Help

DEVONthink's extensive documentation is available in its own window.


Opened via Help > DEVONthink Help, you can easily navigate through an alphabetical listing of its chapters and sections. You can also click the chapter headers in the sidebar, e.g., Getting Started, to read the introductory text and the section links for that chapter. Note the previous/next links in the section footers link to the defined structure of the documentation, not the alphabetical list shown in the sidebar. And for your convenience, the Help viewer remembers the last page you were viewing.

As you're reading and clicking links to jump to other parts of the help, you can navigate backward and forward through visited sections with left and right swipes. Zoom in and out with a double-finger tap or pinch-to-zoom. If you select text on a page, many services are available, including several of our own.

The toolbar of the Help window dynamically displays the current chapter and section. On the right, you have < and > buttons to navigate to and from pages you've visited. The toolbar also includes macOS Share and Print buttons so you can share or print the section you're currently viewing. You'll also notice a toolbar search field. Supporting wildcards and operators, do simple or complex searches of the help, e.g., index* NEAR sync . The sidebar will display a list of matching pages with a relevance indicator for each result.

Help Assistant: Of special note is the the AI inspector on the right. Toggled via the  button at the upper right, you can ask natural questions about the documentation. You can even ask for responses in another language. This feature uses your default AI engine to answer questions about the documentation. It can use commercial LLMs, e.g., ChatGPT and also OpenRouter, using GPT 4.1 Mini when chosen. To minimize costs, the cheapest but still useful model from your provider is automatically chosen. For your convenience, the chat responses typically list links to the appropriate pages in the documentation so you can jump right to the desired pages. And if are in need of auditory responses, you can enable Speak chat responses.

Support Assistant

The integrated Support Assistant combines a welcome screen with a first launch assistant, tips, installable extras, and a support page that guides you through the available support options.


Welcome

This screen welcomes you when you start DEVONthink for the very first time. It offers:

First Launch Assistant

The first launch assistant opens automatically the very first time you open DEVONthink, and guides you through the first steps of using the application: creating a new database, installing the add-ons, and adjusting the preferences.

Get Support

The Support screen guides you through the three common steps for troubleshooting DEVONthink. In addition, you can update your details in DEVONtechnologies' customer database, or buy an upgrade or a second license.

Install Extras

On the Extras screen, DEVONthink lists all available extras that you can download and install from DEVONtechnologies' server. This includes scripts, smart rules, and templates.

Browse the list of extras and install them with the Install button. The last line of the description shows where in the Scripts or Data > New from Template menu the extra will show up after installation. Remove installed extras with the Remove button.


The extras are updated live from DEVONtechnologies' server so it's a good idea to check back from time to time. The latest extra is also always mentioned on the welcome screen. If you check the Install & update extras automatically checkbox at the bottom of the window, any updates to scripts or templates you've downloaded here will be updated as needed.

Note:

If one of these categories does not show up in your copy of DEVONthink, there might be no extras of this type currently available.

Tips and tutorials

Here you can find the latest tips and tutorials to help you squeeze the best out of DEVONthink. Tutorials can be slideshows describing basic tasks in DEVONthink or screencasts.

Both tips and tutorials are updated live from DEVONtechnologies' server so it's a good idea to check back on a regular basis. The latest tip or tutorial is also always mentioned on the welcome screen.

Inspectors

The Inspector panes displayed on the right side of a main window provide an incredible amount of information and functionality when working with files in DEVONthink. Covering a range of options, from basic metadata to setting reminders to in-document search and replace functions. Each of the Inspectors is individually covered in this chapter.

Info pane


The Info pane, just like its counterpart in the Finder, displays additional information about a selected document or group, from icon and name to comments and other metadata. Open the Info pane by selecting Tools > Inspector > Info > ….

Note:

When you have multiple items selected, some editable attributes can be modified. For example, tags can be applied to multiple files at once. However, if you add tags to the same files separately, only tags common to them will be shown if you select them together again.

Generic

The Generic view shows additional basic information about a selected document or group, similar to what is shown in the Get Info window in the Finder. Additionally, it shows some other attributes like ratings, color labels, and geolocation data. Here are the attributes shown:

Exclude From…: These checkboxes allow you to exclude an item from being used in various ways. For example, you can exclude temporary groups from classification to increase the accuracy of the built-in artificial intelligence. You can exclude an item from these operations:

Data


The Data view displays custom metadata fields and their values. These custom fields are defined by you in Settings > Data. All available fields you have defined are shown in this pane. Note some fields may be specified as data types that include some extra actions in this view. For example, if you create a custom parameter with an Item Link data type, you will have an option to reveal the file.

Annotations & Reminders


This pane contains Reminders, Finder Comments and Annotations. It can be shown via Tools > Inspectors > Annotations & Reminders.

Reminders: While there are many reminder applications, including Apple's own Reminders, sometimes you just want to set a quick reminder for an item, or multiple items, in DEVONthink. The Reminders section allows you set a reminder, including recurring ones with optional alarms.

After choosing a schedule, set a date and time for the reminder or to begin a recurring reminder. For recurring alarms, the data or time you set will be the beginning of the alarms. Reminders can be set to:

Alarm: Reminders are most useful when you have an alarm to, well, remind you of something. There are several alarms available for a reminder:

As a bonus, reminder alarms will open databases containing the item when an alarm triggers.

Note:

When setting a reminder on multiple items, alarms are delivered individually. For example, an alert notification will show for each file, even if they were set for the same time.

If you are interested in the use of scripts in alarms, you can read more about them in the Reminder Scripts chapter of the Automation chapter.

Finder Comments: Similar to the Comments in the Get Info pane in the Finder, the Finder Comments field can be used to store miscellaneous bits of information about the selected objects.

Note:

These comments will not appear in the files in the Finder unless the files are indexed or exported from the database.

Annotation Files: This pane displays or allows you to create annotation files for a selected document. Annotation files are separate files where you can store notes about a specific document. These files can link back to the original file for quick access. Commonly used with PDF files, they can actually be used for making notes with any document in your database.

Above the annotation pane are a set of three buttons:  to open the annotation file,  to insert a back-link to the current document, and  to insert selected text as a quote.

If an annotation file doesn't exist, you can make one with the commands from the down arrow in this section.

If an annotation file is detected by DEVONthink or you've just created one, an editable preview of the file will appear here. Clicking the down arrow reveals these options:

Settings: There are a few annotation-specific options in the Files > General settings. Set whether annotation files are created in an shared Annotations group at the root of the database or in the same group as the referring document. Enable Move annotations automatically to have an annotation file "follow" the document it refers to if it moves to another database. And with Rename annotations automatically and Update name of items links in the WikiLinks settings, renaming the referring document instantly changes the annotation file's name and the backlink text.

Creating an Annotation File: DEVONthink has a built-in default annotation file in rich text format, suitable for general use. However, you can create your own custom template in plain text, rich text, or Markdown formats. These files can be created externally and added to ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink 3/Annotations.noindex or created in DEVONthink and exported via File > Export > as Template to the Annotations.noindex folder.

To create backlinks to the original file, there are two placeholders for use in the body of your template:

Rich Text: To create the backlink in a rich text template, use the %documentLink% placeholder and the document name will be added as the link's text.

Markdown: To create the backlink in a Markdown template, use the form: [%documentName%](%documentLink%).

Plain Text: Since plain text files don't support live links, you can use WikiLinks to create a backlink. For example, if you are using the Square Brackets WikiLink syntax, you could use [[%documentName%]] in the body of the plain text.

Properties


The Document Properties section gives you access to certain format-specific metadata. Supported formats are: RTF, PDF, audio or video with metadata, or images. This metadata can include some of the following:

Depending on the document type, you may be able to edit or view these properties. More fields may be available depending on the document type.

There are two parameters supporting extra actions:

Content


Navigating documents, like PDFs, can sometimes be difficult when you are just scrolling page after page, paragraph after paragraph. Fortunately, the Content Inspector provides two views that make it easier to move through your documents: a Table of Contents for various types and Thumbnails for PDF documents.

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents shows an outline view of PDFs with an table of contents, chapters in .epub files, section headings of Markdown documents, or sections in rich text created with emboldened or underlined lines. Browse the outline as you would in outlining applications, expanding and collapsing sections to access the desired pages. This inspector also supports selecting multiple pages, which could be useful if you need to copy page links via the context menu.

For even quicker navigation, the table of contents can be navigated via keyboard, using the arrow keys to move around. Change pages with up and down arrows. Expand and collapse a section with the left and right arrows or hold the ⌥ Option key to fully expand or collapse sections.

When used with Markdown, rich text, and PDF documents, you can drag and drop sections and it will rearrange the text in the document.

Context Menu: The context menu commands available in this inspector depend on the type of document:

PDFs:

PDFs and supported types:

Thumbnails


Used only with PDF documents, the Thumbnails view show each page in a list of thumbnails. This allows for a more visual approach to moving through your document. By default, the thumbnails are shown in a single column but they can be displayed in multiple rows if the sidebar is widened. This view allows for actions like these:

Context Menu: You also have several options available in the context menu when you Control-click in the Thumbnails view:

PDF Bookmarks: The Add to Table of Contents command mentioned above allows you to add bookmarks to specific pages. If there is no table of contents, one will be created. With the option of reorganizing and renaming items, you can create a very custom table of contents specifically for you.

Document


The Document inspector provides specific information about the current document. This information is presented in four specialized views: annotations, e.g., highlights in a PDF, attachments like images in .rtfd files, links detected in the document, and a list of other documents mentioning the name or an alias of the current one.

Annotations

This inspector displays a listing of the annotations in the current document, including PDFs, rich text, Markdown, and even web-based formats like formatted notes.

Each annotation is listed with the following metadata: Page, Type in color, Content, and the Date the annotation was added. In the case of highlights, Text, and Note annotations show the text in them. Rectangle annotations will show what is on the page under it. Oval and Line annotations display the Author set in Editing > General settings.

Easily navigate the document by selecting an annotation to jump to it. To reorder the list, click the desired header, e.g., Type, to sort on it. This makes it easy to navigate via the document's annotations.

At the bottom of the view is a Details section. This displays the content of Note and Text annotations and can be edited directly here. Details can be added to other annotation types as well, but only supports plain text entries.

Context Menu: The Annotations list offers the following commands:

Attachments


This inspector displays any attachments or embedded images in the current document. For example, in an imported email, you can see and access the attachments individually. Bookmarks and HTML-based files, e.g., formatted notes, display linked images. In Markdown, transcluded and locally linked, e.g., relatively linked, images show in preview mode; local, item, and WikiLinked images display in source mode. You can navigate the document by selecting an attachment, jumping directly to it.

Context Menu: Opening the context menu in the Attachments list offers a few commands. Some are only shown in certain circumstances:


This inspector lists links detected in the selected document. These may be web URLs, file URLs, item links, and even DEVONthink's WikiLinks. This provides a thorough list of links you can view and even use. (You may be surprised by the number of links in many documents.)

The top section of this inspector is the Links view, displaying a list of any outgoing links, i.e., links to other files, websites, etc.

Context Menu: The context menu in the Link list offers the following options:

The bottom section of the inspector is the Incoming Links section. This shows DEVONthink documents containing links to the current one. Selecting a document here will display it in the view/edit pane. Double-click it to open it in a document window. You can actually select these documents and drag and drop them to another location. Be aware the default behavior is moving them but you can use hold modifier keys while dragging to duplicate or replicate them instead.

Mentions


This inspector is similar to the Incoming Links pane of the Links inspector, however it works with something called "mentions". Imagine you have a document named "NASA". As you're writing about the Apollo 13 mission in another document, you include the word "NASA". You have just "mentioned" it. If you look at the NASA document, the Apollo 13 document is now listed in this inspector. Mentions also work with aliases on documents and powerfully includes mentions from any indexable file type, including PDFs.

Select a listed document to show a summary of the mentions in the lower pane. Double-click one to open it.

Context Menu: The Mentions section uses the suite of same commands as the Attachments and Links views, but also one special command: Copy Summary. This copies the text from the Occurrences pane for the clicked document. This can be used to create a new document or pasted as rich text.

Concordance


The Concordance pane, opened in the Tools > Inspectors menu, gives you a tool for analyzing the textual contents of documents. When the inspector is open, selecting different items will show varying results. If one or more documents is selected, the results will be inclusive of the text in all of them. If there is no selection, the results will be based on the text of documents in the current location, whether a group or a database. This also applies to selecting items matched in smart groups, both local and global.

These results are presented in two views: List and Cloud.

List

The List view displays the concordance results in a list, separated by these parameters:

Click the column headers to sort on a given parameter. Select a word in the list to highlight all occurrences in the current document. Double-click a word to open a database-wide search for the term.

Context Menu: The following commands are available in the context menu of the List view:

Cloud


The Cloud view present the concordance as a word cloud. The size of the terms is relative to the frequency in the selection or database. Selecting terms highlights the occurrences in the current document.

Context Menu: The commands found in the List view are also found in the Cloud view, with two additions:


Of special note is the Related Words graph shown under the List and Cloud views. Select a word in the list or cloud and it becomes the central term in a graph of related words. These are words found throughout your database. Double-clicking a node initiates a database-wide search. The context menu provides options for copying the word's information, as well as excluding the word. Additionally, use the Export command to create a PDF of the graph.

Context Menu: The context menu of this section contains a few of the same commands: Copy, Add to Tags, Exclude/Include Word, and Export. The last command exports a PDF of the graph as shown.

AI


We all have many documents in our databases and more seem to come in daily. For the incoming documents, efficient filing is often needed. For existing documents, we may need to locate related documents. These inspectors are driven by DEVONthink's internal AI, the "brain" of our application. It stays busy analyzing the contents and locations of all the documents in your databases and making connections between them.

See Also

Choose Tools > Inspectors > See Also to open this inspector. When the inspector opens, you will be presented with two sections, Groups and Documents, each containing suggestions to assist in filing the document or recommending other related documents.

Groups: Based on analyzing the contents of the current document, the AI cross-references the contents and locations of other files in the database. The results are shown in the Groups section. This list offers a range of suggested locations, displaying a heat-mapped score of its relevance and the location of the group. The highest ranked suggestion is presented first. Obviously, you can choose any of them. If there's a group you'd like to use, double-clicking the suggested group will file the document for you. You can also click the Move to button, press ⌃C, or drag and drop to file it in any of the suggested groups. Lastly, if a suggested group is in the same database as the selected file, you can hold the ⌥ key and the Move to button changes to a Replicate button.

Directly above the classify results is a search field. If there is another group you're thinking of that hasn't been suggested, type part of the group name to filter the list of suggestions. Then file into the location of your choice.

Below the search field are two options to help focus the results presented in the two panes: Based on content, enabled by default, makes its suggestions based on content comparisons, while Based on tags uses only the documents tags for matching. Since results can be shown for all databases, Current database only restricts the suggestions to the active database.

Documents: Another benefit of the AI's content analysis is the ability to offer suggestions of documents that may be related to the current document. These files are listed in the Documents section of the inspector. Like the Groups section, this list shows the location of the document and heat mapped score of the potential relevance. Hovering over a result shows a tooltip displaying its full title and location.

Select a document in the results to display it in the view/edit pane. For your convenience, DEVONthink always lists the original document near the top of the list. This way you can select it to go quickly back to the original document. Double-click a document to open it in a document window. Drag a document from the list to move it to another location. When dragging, you can create duplicates by holding the ⌥ Option key. You can also create replicants by holding ⌘ Command and ⌥ Option and dragging to another location in the database.

Context Menu: The context menu items available in these two sections are the ones used the item list.

Tags


As mentioned in the Tagging section in this help, there are a variety of ways to apply tags to a document. You can also filter items by tag in the Tags filter pane. But knowing what tags to choose isn't always obvious. Driven by DEVONthink's internal AI, the Tags inspector lets you view and modify tags as well as view relationships between tags related to the current document.

Open this inspector via the Tools > Inspectors > Tags command. When the inspector opens, you will be presented with two sections: the Tags list and Related Tags.

Tags List: Select a document with this inspector open. The tags list in the top section displays: tags already applied, potential tags, or both. Applied tags are shown in blue; suggested tags in grey with a dotted border. If you want to add a recommended tag, double-click it. If you want to add all the suggestions, press the Add All (⌃A) button. Clicking the Remove All (⌃R) button will clear all the document's tags. And if you want to add tags not listed here, enter them in the Tags field at the top of the inspector. As you add and modify tags, the recommendations will often change. This helps fine-tune your tagging choices.

If you're working in the Global Inbox, the suggestions come from any open database. However, if you're working in a separate database, only its tags are considered.


Context Menu: The context menu in the Tags list provides these commands, relative to what is selected:

The context menu in the Related Tags section contains the Get Info, Reveal Tag, and Export commands.

Note:

As this inspector is driven by our internal AI, it doesn't suggest tags unless there is at least one tag already applied.

Graph


In DEVONthink, documents connect to other items in many ways but these relationships aren't always obvious. Links, content, and even tags create contextual relationships that may be important to you. While these are useful individually, you may want to see these connections in one place. This inspector examines a variety of connection types for the selected document and displays a network graph of how it is related to other documents.


Open this inspector with the Tools > Inspectors > Graph command. Now select a document. The main area of this inspector displays the network graph. The current document is at the center, shown in a red circle with related documents shown as satellite nodes. Click the central node and the connections (technically called edges) highlight. Direct edges highlight in blue. Connections between other nodes display in grey. Now select a satellite node to see its direct connections. Magnify the graph with two-finger tapping or pinch-to-zoom. If you want to jump to a certain item in the graph, double-click it. It will open in the current window with a new graph of its relationships. To return to the previous document, choose Go > Back or press ⌘[.

When you click on a node, the style of the connection line is based on the connection type. These types and styles of connection lines are shown in a collapsible Show Connections section at the bottom of the inspector. For reference they are:

Connections:

In the connections key, only available options are enabled. For example, if there are no tags applied, the Tags option will be disabled. For any enabled type, toggle them on or off, as needed.

Context Menu: If no node is selected, the context menu supports creating a PDF of the graph as shown via the Export command. But if a node is selected, you also have these options available:

While network graphs like this are visually interesting, when they become too complex they lose practicality. DEVONthink strives to strike a balance between depth and utility so the graph can actually be used on a regular basis.

Chat


This inspector provides a place to "talk" to your chosen AI provider. Make general inquiries or possibly even questions about the selected item or your database. And for tools-compatible models, it can accept some DEVONthink-related commands.

Open this inspector with the Tools > Inspectors > Chat command. The main area of this inspector is where your chat is shown, displayed in a style similar to Apple Messages. At the bottom is the query field where you ask your questions and commands. This displays the default AI provider you chose in the AI settings. To the left of this field is a dropdown menu where you can switch to a different model, if available.

At the top of the inspector are a quintet of buttons, each with a corresponding shortcut:

Context Menu: The context menu in the search hits has these commands:


The Search inspector provides in-document searching for any document whose content has been indexed. Accessed with the same familiar ⌘F hotkey you use in most macOS applications, you can not only search, but replace found words.

Search and Replace: The top section of this inspector is not only where you enter your search terms, but also has controls for how to match or replace words.

Search Hits: The results provide a convenient list of the found words. This includes the line number of each hit and the number of occurrences found. It also includes part of the surrounding text to help give some context to the found words. Click a search hit to navigate to and highlight the words in the view/edit pane. Select a search hit and copy it to the clipboard or drag and drop it to a database or other document.

Context Menu: The context menu in the search hits has these commands:

Note:

In-document searches only work on the document displayed in the view/edit pane.

Versions


For those editing documents, versioning provides a backup mechanism for your edits. As you work and save a document, the current contents of the document is preserved as a separate version attached to it. If you make a mistake or want to return to a previous state of the document, you can preview and restore a version from this inspector.

As you work and save the document, including automatic saves, e.g., when switching to another document or application, a new version is added to the top of the list. Old versions move downwards and the oldest is purged if you exceed the maximum number of versions. To avoid generating too many versions, a new version is only generated if two or minutes have elapsed since the last save.

In order to use versioning, it must be enabled in the Database Properties. This is a per-database setting so make sure to enable it on any database you want to use the feature.

Open this inspector via the Tools > Inspectors > Versions command and select a document.

At the top of the inspector are two buttons working with a selected version:

Beneath these buttons are the Flag column and versions info. The version info displays how many version exist for the document and the aggregate total space these versions use. Every version is locked by default. Select a version and click the  column to flag it.

The main area of the inspector shows the versions available for the selected document, listed from newest to oldest. Each version is listed with the data and time it was saved, but also the size of the document for that version. Versions contribute to the size of a database so you should thoughtfully set the number, maximum size, and how long they should be kept in the Files > General settings.

Context Menu: The context menu in this inspector contains the same commands as the suite of buttons at the top. But it also allows lets you clear everything via the Remove All Versions command.

Menus

A complete listing of all the commands available in the menu bar of DEVONthink, the Services menu, and the context menu of the DEVONthink's Dock icon.

The Application Menu

The DEVONthink menu is a utility menu, similar to those found in other Mac applications. It has commands that allow you check the version via the splash screen or check for application updates. You can install our add-ons, access the settings, access the Services menu, empty your databases' Trash, and quit the application.


About & Check for Updates

About DEVONthink: Shows information about DEVONthink including the version number to whom the software is registered.

Check for Updates: Checks if updates for DEVONthink are available. By default, DEVONthink checks for updates automatically, however you can change the update settings in the Settings > General > General. If an automatic update is pending choosing this command shows a window with additional information about the update.

Add-Ons

This command allows you to install, or reinstall, some of our extra support files and scripts.


The following options are available.

Note:

The Safari browser extension is now installed by default, but you'll need to go into Safari's Settings > Extensions and enable it. Also while extensions for browsers like Opera, Vivaldi, and Brave are not explicitly available, it is possible to install them from the Chrome Web Store, while in those browsers.

Settings, Trash, Cache

Settings: Opens the application Settings.

Empty Trash: Empties the contents of all open databases' trash to the system trash.

Empty Cache: Empties the web browser cache. This frees up space and makes sure that all data is freshly loaded instead of using a cached copy.

Purchase & Licenses

Purchase: Opens the DEVONthink product page from where you can put the app into your shopping cart. If this copy of DEVONthink is already licensed, you will be presented with relevant upgrade choices.

Enter License: Enter your purchased license code here. It is best to use copy-and-paste for transferring the license code from the email message to the appropriate field.

Services

Services: The Services submenu gives you access to special commands published by DEVONthink, other Mac applications such as TextEdit or Safari, or our own WordService or CalcService utilities.

Hide DEVONthink: Hide all DEVONthink windows.

Hide Others: Hide other application windows.

Quit DEVONthink: Quits the application.

The File Menu

The File menu contains commands creating and deleting databases. There are options for adding or exporting files, as well synchronizing them. Additionally, if you need to do database maintenance, you will find those commands here.

New & Open

New: Create new databases in your selected location. Read more about each type in the Building Your Database section.

Open Database: Opens previously created databases. You can select multiple databases.

Open Recent: Presents a list of recently used databases, which gives you quick access to your frequently used databases. Choose Clear Menu to remove all items from the menu.

New Window: Opens a new main window for a selected database.

Import & Export

Import: The Import submenu contains various options for importing data, e.g.,selected files, bookmark, contacts, and some data from compatible applications. Some options will import files into their own special groups at the root of the database.

Export: The Export submenu presents options for exporting selected documents or groups to the file system. In addition, the Export menu provides export methods based on plugins. DEVONthink comes with a number of standard plugins for exporting documents in different formats. For these formats, the export creates a single merged document when multiple files are selected.

Share: This opens the standard Mac Share menu.

Index and Update

Index Files and Folders: Link to files in the Finder, leaving them in the current location. See the In & Out > Importing & Indexing section for important information on indexing.

Update or Refresh: This command dynamically changes, relative to what is currently selected.

Synchronize

Synchronize: Synchronizes the selected database with all its locations. Note, this command will be disabled if the current database has no active synchronization. Holding the ⇧Shift key shows the Synchronize All option to synchronize all actively syncing databases.

Download Pending Files: Downloads the files of selected documents if they are available through one of the database's locations. Only necessary if none of the database's locations is set to synchronize indexed files.

Database Properties & Close

Database Properties: Opens the Database Properties popup for the current database. This panel presents a few options, statistics about the database, and allows you to change the displayed name, add comments, and add a username and password.

Close Database: Closes a selected database. If multiple databases are open, use Close All to close them all at once. If you'd like to keep the current database open but close the others, use Close All Except. Note that closed databases will not reopen on launch. Only databases that were open when DEVONthink quits will reopen on the next launch.

Database Maintenance

Like any database, DEVONthink databases need a bit of maintenance from time to time. All the commands you'll need for this can be found here.

Verify & Repair: Verifies all database structures and repairs them if possible. By default, DEVONthink automatically verifies the database structure every time you open a database. If it finds significant errors, DEVONthink will advise you to run this command.

Use this command whenever you feel it is necessary. If you're a heavy user of DEVONthink, running a Verify & Repair once a week or more often is a good idea.

Check File Integrity: Verifies the stored checksum for each file in the database. The results are reported in the Log window or popover. Note: If you are indexing files and they have not been updated, they will report a checksum error. [Read more...]

Optimize Database: Creates an internal backup of the database and then optimizes the database structure. Optimizing removes unnecessary internal elements from the database and rebuilds the internal structure to optimize performance. DEVONthink also creates internal backups on a regular basis. Hold the ⌥ Option key to display the Restore Backup option. This allows you to roll back the metadata to a previous date. This option would only be used in troubleshooting situations.

Rebuild Database: Completely rebuilds the database by exporting all items to a temporary folder in the file system, creating an empty database, and reimporting all items. This removes any structural problems. Depending on the size of your database, this can take from a few seconds to several hours. This option is typically only used in a troubleshooting situation.

Delete Database: Closes a selected database and moves it to the Finder trash.

Note:

For more information on database issues, including reports in the Log window or popover, see the Repairing a defective database section.

Print

Page Setup: Sets your preferred page size and printer settings.

Print: Prints the current document or view.

Pro/Server Commands

These commands are only available in the Pro and Server editions of DEVONthink.

Import

Export

The Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains all commands and options relating to editing. You'll find the classic Mac cut/copy/paste and find/replace commands here, as well as many more.

Undo, Cut/Copy/Paste, …

Undo/Redo: Use these commands to undo or redo the last action, e.g.,to undo deleting a file. Undo and Redo work for many actions.

Cut/Copy/Paste: Cut, copy, or paste as standard behavior.

Copy with Source Link: Copies selected text and a link to the current document. This text and link can be pasted into other applications.

Copy URL: Copies the URL of the selected or frontmost document to the clipboard.

Copy Item Link: Copies a DEVONthink-specific URL, called an item link, that links to the selected document or group. These links can be used to create a backlink to the item in your database in applications that support live hyperlinks. For certain file types, there are alternate item links that appear when holding the ⇧ Shift key. These alternate links are discussed in the individual sections in the Documents chapter.

Paste with Source Link: When copying text from files in DEVONthink, use this command to paste the text in rich text and Markdown documents with a link back to the source document.

Paste and Match Style: Pastes text from the clipboard, matching the styles in the current document. This can also be used when pasting rich text into Markdown documents.

Delete: Deletes the selected piece of text.

Complete: Tries to auto-complete the partial word before the insertion caret. This standard Mac function uses the currently active dictionary, chosen in the language dropdown of the Spelling and Grammar > Show Spelling and Grammar panel.

Select All/Deselect All: Selects or deselects the complete content of the frontmost document. Hold the ⇧Shift key to reveal the Deselect All option.

Tags, Set Name

Tags: Quickly apply tags to the current document. This displays the Tag bar, if necessary.

Set Name As: Applies the selected text as the document's name.

Find, Spelling, Insert

Find: This submenu contains standard Mac find commands, like those available in TextEdit. Searches on the current document are displayed in the Search Inspector. Two commands of note are:

Spelling and Grammar: Provides the standard macOS functionality for checking text for spelling or grammar errors. To choose the language used for spell checking, or for auto-completion (see above), open the spell checker panel with Edit > Spelling and Grammar > Show Spelling and Grammar and choose your language of choice from the pop-up menu.

Substitutions: Shows the standard Substitutions settings panel where you can toggle the options on and off manually: Smart Copy/Paste, Smart Quotes, Smart Dashes, Smart Links, Data Detectors, and Text Replacements. Data Detectors analyze shown text and make context-sensitive actions available, e.g., when you hover the cursor over a phone number or postal address.

Note:

The Spelling and Grammar and Substitutions commands can be temporarily applied to the current document. If you'd like these to be persistent choices, you can make global changes in Settings > Editing.

Transformations: Use this submenu to change selected text to all lowercase or uppercase, or to capitalize every word.

Speech: Starts or stops speaking the selected piece of text.

Insert: Inserts items, like pictures, checkboxes, bulleted lists, etc. The options available are dependent on the current file type.

Dictation & Emojis

Start Dictation: Starts the Mac's dictation function.

Emoji & Symbols: Shows the standard Special Characters panel for inserting characters and emoji that you cannot enter directly with your keyboard.

Pro/Server Commands

These commands are only available in the Pro and Server editions of DEVONthink:

The Data Menu

The Data menu contains all commands that deal directly with documents or groups. Here you'll find commands for creating, labeling, classifying or group new documents, and more.

New Documents & Templates

New: This submenu provides access to the built-in items DEVONthink allows you to create.

New from Template: This submenu allows you to access any installed templates, including your own. There are two other commands to note:

Open, Launch, Reveal, Send

Open: Opens the selected document or group in a separate document window. This command opens a second main window for the selected group. If you have selected multiple documents, hold the ⌥ Option key to display the Open in Tabs command. If the View/Edit pane is visible, this opens the selected items in new tabs. If the View/Edit pane isn't visible, a new document window will open with each selected document in its own tab in the window.

Open with: Displays a list of applications compatible with the current file type. Opens the selected documents in the chosen application. If your desired application is not listed in the submenu, choose Other to browse for it.

Launch URL: Opens the file, folder, or internet location indicated by the URL field in the Generic Info inspector. The URL will be opened in the background if you hold the ⌥ Option key.

Reveal: Reveals the location of the frontmost document in either the same main window, if possible, or by opening a new one.

Show in Finder: Opens a new Finder window with the item selected. Note this only works for documents and indexed groups.

Send by Email/Reply: Creates a new message in the system default email application and adds the selected items as attachments. If the selected item is an email message, the command is Send Reply and a draft reply is created instead. Note attaching files requires having an email application that supports AppleScript.

Save and Revert

Save/Save All/Revert To Saved: Saves the frontmost document or all documents to disk. Hold the ⇧ Shift key to show the alternate menu item, Save All.

Revert To Saved: Restores the frontmost document to the last saved version.

Favorites, Reading List, Reminders

Add To: Commands in this submenu add the currently selected documents to your Favorites, the Reading List, or the current PDF page as a bookmark to the Table of Contents inspector.

Annotate & Remind: A dual purpose submenu where you can set or remove a due date on a selected item or directly create an annotation file via a chosen template, linked to the currently selected item.

Move

Move to: The commands in this submenu let you quickly move items in your database and control imported and indexed files.

Duplicate, Groups, and Classify

Duplicate: Creates a duplicate of the selected items. The name of the new item ends in "copy", and because their contents are identical both items are marked with the icon for duplicates (or, depending on your preferences, show their name in bold and blue).

Group Items: Creates a new group containing all the selected items. This is similar to creating a new group and moving the selected items into it. The alternate command Group Similar Items, shown when the ⇧ key is held, will attempt to file selected items with similar content in groups.

Ungroup Items: The exact opposite of Group Items. Moves all items in the groups one level up and deletes the now-deserted groups.

Classify: Using DEVONthink's AI, this command will move selected files to an AI suggested location. If multiple locations are available, this will replicate the item to them.

Mark, Rating, Labels, Tags

Mark: Allows you to mark the item as flagged/unflagged, locked/unlocked, and read/unread.

Rating: Allows you to set a rating, from no stars to five stars.

Label: Allows you to mark the selected groups or documents with one of seven labels you've defined in the General > Labels settings.

Tags: This submenu offers special commands for tagging items.

Convert, Thumbnails

Convert: This submenu contains commands for converting between some file formats, e.g., between rich and plain text. Note the options presented are dependent on the type of the selected document. Also, due to differences in the formats, any formatting in the source document may not be able to be perfectly preserved in the destination document.

To Flattened PDF/A (with Annotations burnt in): One of the available conversion options important in many legal or professional settings is the use of PDF/A. This is a type of PDF used for long-term document archiving and preservation. For example, contracts, land deeds, birth or death certificates, etc. would be good candidates for PDF/A. These can be used in any DEVONthink database, but would be perfect in an revision-proof database.

Thumbnails: Use these commands to add, remove, or update a thumbnail for the selected files.

Move to Trash

Move to Trash/Move All Instances to Trash: Moves the selected items to the trash. If you have selected a replicated item, hold the ⌥ Option key and choose Move All Replicants to Trash to move the selected item and all its replicants to the database's trash.

Pro/Server Commands

These commands are only available in the Pro and Server editions of DEVONthink:

New

Rating and Label

Tags

The Format menu

Fonts, Styles, Alignment, Rulers

The Format menu contains the commands and options dealing with all aspects of text formatting. Here you'll find the standard font, alignment, and ruler commands, as well as very special DEVONthink commands.

Note:

Many commands in this menu only work with rich text, Markdown, or formatted notes. Plain text documents do not allow formatting. (That's why they're called "plain" text.) Some formatting options are also available for editable PDFs and web archives.

Font: Access fonts, change type sizes, and copy/paste the style of selected text.

Style: Control the formatting of selected rich text and also some higher-end font control like kerning and baseline shift.

Alignment: Set the paragraph alignment: Align Left, Center, Justify, or Align Right. You can also set the Writing Direction for the current paragraph or selected text, if required.

Ruler: This submenu allows you to display the ruler above the preview of rich text documents. There are also two special commands:

Make Plain/Rich Text: Converts a rich text document to plain text and vice versa.

Highlights

Highlight: In rich text documents, editable PDFs, and web archives use Highlight to highlight a selected piece of text just as you would using with a colored pen on a piece of paper. To remove highlighting, select the highlighted piece of text and choose Highlight again.

Highlight Color: Choose the desired highlight color. While highlighting, this remains the color used until you choose another.

Links, Spacing, Lists, Tables

Make/Remove Link: Converts the selected text into an active link, or disables the link. This command can be used to create WikiLinks quickly.

Add/Edit Link: Use this command if you want to add a specific link to some text. If the text is already linked, the menu will display Edit Link, allowing you to change or remove the URL. The behavior you'll see when clicking linked text depends on the target of the link:

Spacing: This command allows you to adjust the line spacing of selected text in rich text documents. You can adjust the line height to an exact value or define a minimum and maximum height, adjust inter-line spacing, and define the space before and after a paragraph.

List: Inserts a list into a text document. Specify the Prefix, Bullet/Number style, suffix, and Starting Number as needed then click OK. As an example with the first three options, Document, 1 2 3, and :, yields a list item of Document 1:.The Prepend enclosing list marker is used with nested lists and adds the prefix of the parent list to the sublist items. If the lists are using 1., the sublist would show 1.1..

Table: Inserts a new table into a rich text document and opens the table inspector panel. Use the table inspector to adjust the number of rows and columns, cell alignments, cell colors, border widths, and colors. Also, you can merge and split cells and create tables within a cell.

Hyphenation, Layout

Allow Hyphenation: Enables or disables hyphenation for the current rich text document.

Make Layout Vertical/Horizontal: Enables orienting and editing the document text vertically or horizontally.

Wrap Lines: Toggle whether to wrap a document's content to the width of the view/edit pane or document window, or let it exceed the width for sideways scrolling.

Typewriter-like Scrolling: Keeps the currently edited line in the center of the window or view/edit pane.

Wiki Linking: Toggles whether to display WikiLinks in the current document.

WYSIWYG Editing: Toggles the WYSIWYG view when editing Markdown documents.

Bars, Colors, Invisible Characters

Show Format Bar: Displays the Format Bar under the toolbar, providing access to rich text styles, font and paragraph attributes, etc.

Show Editing Bar: Displays the Editing Bar above the view/edit pane containing a suite of format-specific tools. For example, rich text formats display several common tools including highlighting, toggling the ruler, and displaying the color picker are shown. For sheets, tools to add/remove/duplicate records, as well as the column editor.

Show Colors: Shows the macOS color panel, e.g., for changing the foreground color of selected text in rich text documents.

Show Invisible Characters: Toggles display of invisible characters such as spaces, tabs, and line feeds. Shown invisible characters appear in light gray.

The Tools menu

The Tools menu provides tools to get more detailed information about your documents, as well as some specialized commands.

Info & Filters

Get Info: Opens the Info popover displaying the views of the Info inspector.

Chat: Opens the Chat popover.

Graph: Opens the Graph popover which shows the Graph detached from a main window.

Inspectors: This submenu provides access to the various inspectors built into DEVONthink. You can also use Show/Hide to toggle the visibility of the Inspectors pane.

Filter: The commands in this submenu filter the list of files in the location you are currently viewing. As you select options in these panes, the list of files will change accordingly. The filters are also covered in the windows chapter.

Document Commands

Annotate: This submenu provides access to the PDF and image annotation tools. Applicable to PDF documents you have: Highlight Text, Underline Text, and Strike Through Text. Next, the basic annotation types are available: Oval, Rectangle, Line, Note, Text, and Link. Note and link annotations aren't available with images. These tools are persistent, so you can select one and use it in that mode until you change to another tool.

Capture: This submenu provides options for capturing the current document to a new file in a few different formats: Bookmark, Rich Text, Formatted Note, Markdown Text HTML Page, Web Archive, and PDF (One Page/Paginated). Captures are made to the current group. Set as Thumbnail will set a thumbnail for a currently viewed web page, useful to create a clean thumbnail, e.g., after dismissing cookie banners. There is also an option to use the Clip to DEVONthink command, just like in your browser. Also note, the option will try to remove extraneous information before the document is captured.

Note:

The available options in the Capture menu are dependent on the type of the selected document.

Mode: The commands in this submenu switch between three modes of interaction in PDF documents: Move, Text Selection, and Annotation Selection. When viewing an image, Move and Image Selection are the available commands.

Rotate & Flip: This submenu provides a Rotate command for rotating an image or PDF page right or left, or by 180 degrees. You can also mirror images on their horizontal or vertical axes via the Flip commands.

PDF: This submenu provides options for modifying the structure of a PDF document: Insert Blank Page, Delete Selected Page, and Reverse Page Order.

Sheets: This submenu provides access to the following tools for editing a sheet: New Record, Duplicate Records, Delete Records, New Column, Edit Columns, and Delete Columns.

Item Links: For documents supporting item links and WikiLinks, there are three commands in this submenu:

Import Online Markdown Images: Download and link to local copies of images from web content clipped as Markdown documents.

Create, Summarize, Merge, Split

Create Metadata Overview: Creates a sheet with records for each selected file. The columns contain data from the generic and custom metadata of each file.

Create Table of Contents: Opens a submenu to create a rich text or Markdown document with links to the currently selected documents.

Summarize Annotations: Creates a document with all annotated text passages of the currently selected documents. In case of items located in multiple databases the summary is created in the global inbox. From the submenu, choose to create the summary in a rich text document, Markdown document, or a sheet.

Summarize Mentions: Creates a new document containing a list of the documents mentioning the name or alias of the selected document. From the submenu, choose to create the summary in a rich text document or a Markdown document.

Merge Items: Merge the selected documents into one. This creates a new file, preserving the originals. Hold the ⌥ key to choose Merge & Delete n Documents, removing the original files after the merged document is created.

When merging documents, the order of the merge will be the order shown in the item list. The topmost selected document will be the first page with the pages beneath it following. The order of the documents can be controlled by the current sort method used in the item list. Also, the resulting file type of a Merge operation depends on the types of the selected files. Selecting mixed formats, e.g., a web archive and an image, usually results in an RTFD file being created.

Split PDF: Use commands in this submenu to split a PDF document into separate files. Use into Chapters on a PDF containing a table of contents to create separate per-chapter files. Use into Pages to 'explode' the PDF into individual single page files.

Split Document: Splits the current document (PDF, plain or rich text) at the insertion mark position in the document.

Rules

These commands allow you to set or run smart rule commands

Pro/Server Commands

These commands are only available in the Pro and Server editions of DEVONthink:

Inspectors

The View menu

The View menu contains all the commands for modifying the way DEVONthink displays groups and documents.

Sidebar & Layouts

Sidebar: The Sidebar view options allow you to switch between the four different sidebar views in a main window. You can toggle the sidebar's visibility by selecting the same option again.

View: Choose one of the following options to switch between different layouts for the item list in a main window. All these views are similar to options you find in Finder windows.

Preview: These options allow you to control the position of the current document's preview, or dismiss it altogether.

Quick Look/Slideshow: Opens the Quick Look panel for the selected items which can be useful for times when the view/edit pane isn't displayed. Holding the ⌥ Option key allows you to display the selected files in a Quick Look slideshow.

Show Tags & Details

Show/Hide Tags: Shows or hides the Tags bar.

Show/Hide Details: Switches between displaying icons only or displaying icons together with detailed information such as kind, label, size, word count, creation date, and modification date. Available in all windows using icon or column views.

Show Only Documents: When checked, this hides groups and smart groups in List and Icons views. Note this is a per-database setting, i.e., you can enable or disable it for each open database.

Columns & Sorting

Columns: This submenu lists all columns available to be displayed as column headers in the item list.

Sort: This submenu lists all the attributes that can be used to sort the current item list. Choose Unsorted to manually sort the items. DEVONthink remembers sort settings for every group separately and uses those settings when the group is displayed in its own main window

Customize Metadata: Opens a panel showing all the available metadata fields that can be enabled as List view columns or used to sort on. This includes all enabled custom metadata.

Fullscreen & Zoom

Full Screen: Displays either the current document in a full screen mode optimized for reading and editing, or the frontmost window in full screen. There are two options available here:

Zoom: Depending on the document type, you can zoom in or out of the document's preview:

Document & PDF Options

Document Display: This submenu contains commands for displaying alternate views of some documents. Note there are alternate commands shown when used with sheets or HTML and Markdown files.

PDF Display: This submenu lets you adjust the way PDF documents are displayed:

Toolbar

Hide/Show Toolbar: Hides or shows the toolbar of the frontmost window.

Customize Toolbar: Opens the toolbar configuration sheet so you can change the toolbar buttons of the frontmost window.

Pro/Server Commands

These commands are only available in the Pro and Server editions of DEVONthink:

The Window menu

Just like most every macOS application, the Window menu lists all open windows of the active application and gives you access to commands for managing them.

Note:

Some commands in this menu may be under the control of the operating system. For example, Move to iPad X is created and handled by macOS. Also, some commands may be present only in more recent versions of the operating system. These commands are not documented here.

Windows & Tabs

Close/Close All: Close the current window or all of them.

Zoom: Maximize the current window without entering fullscreen. Hold the ⌥ Option key to maximize all open windows.

Tile Window to Left/Right Side of Screen: Enter Split View and tile the current window to the chosen side. Hold the ⌥ Option key to move the window instead. With the affected window active, holding the ⌥ Option key will allow you to choose Revert.

Minimize: Minimize the current window to the dock. Hold the ⌥ Option key to minimize all open windows.

New Tab: Create a new tab in the current window, whether main or document windows.

Close Tab: Close the current tab in the active window.

Select Next/Previous Tab: Switch to subsequent or preceding tabs in the current window.

Activity, Downloads, Log

Activity: Opens the Activity window to monitor the progress of processes, e.g., sync activity.

Log: Opens the Log window to view messages, warnings, and errors.

Bring All to Front: Gather any background windows with the front most one. Hold the ⌥ Option key to restore any windows minimized to the dock and tile all windows in the middle of the screen.

Open Windows

Select any open window from the menu to bring it to the front. The current window is marked with a check mark; minimized windows with a diamond.

Pro/Server Commands

These commands are only available in the Pro and Server editions of DEVONthink:

The Go menu

For people who prefer to use the keyboard for navigation, the Go menu contains all commands for navigating the hierarchy of your DEVONthink database, all with keyboard shortcuts. Use these commands to go backwards and forwards through your documents, or to move back to the top level of the group hierarchy.

Databases

Previous Database: Selects the previous database in the Navigate sidebar.

Next Database: Selects the next database in the Navigate sidebar.

Groups

Top Group: Returns you to the top level of the database (also known as the "root").

Enclosing Group: Changes the view to the parent folder of the current group or document.

Selected Group: Changes the view to the currently selected group.

To Group…: After classifying or moving documents to a new location, use this command to quickly jump to the last used destination.

Documents

First/Previous/Next/Last Document: Navigates to the first, previous, next, or last document of all documents in the current group. This is useful when you have opened a document in a separate window and want to move to another document in the same group.

To Group: Opens the Go to Group popover to jump to another location in your databases.

To Document: Opens Go to Document popover to quickly navigate to a specific document.

To Line/Page/Time: Allows you to jump to: a line in text-based documents, a page in PDF documents, or a time in video and audio files.

To Link: Opens a link directly following the cursor in plain text, rich text, and Markdown documents.

Back/Forward: Moves backwards and forwards through all documents/web pages you have visited by following cross-links or Wiki-style links.

Previous/Next Instance: Navigates backwards and forwards through all instances of a replicated document. Use these commands to find out where the other instances of a replicated item are.

Previous/Next Highlight: Navigates backwards and forward through highlighted passages in rich text or Markdown documents or search hits in the Search inspector.

Next Unread Item: Navigates to the next item with an unread status in the current database.

Complete News: Loads the article linked to in an RSS article.

Move Focus

The following commands allow you to quickly jump between the panes in a window, e.g., from the view/edit pane to the current inspector. The options available are dependent on the visible UI elements, e.g., if the inspectors aren't visible, the Move Focus to Inspector command will be disabled.

Favorites: Displays a submenu of items in the Favorites section of the Navigate sidebar.

Workspaces

Workspaces: Workspaces allow you to save the state of your open databases, as well as the contents and positions of all open windows, so that you can restore them later. This is ideal if you are working with the same set of windows over and over again. Save these windows as a workspace and recall them whenever you need them again. From the Workspaces submenu you can:

The Scripts menu

The Scripts menu is located left of the Help menu and shows a stylized AppleScript  symbol instead of a normal menu title. It contains a collection of useful, predefined AppleScripts you can use directly from within DEVONthink.


Some of the scripts work without having selected a document, while others require you to select the document you want the script to interact with. In general, the script will tell you what you have to do when you run it.

We also occasionally provide optional scripts for a variety of purposes. Select More Scripts to open the Support Assistant and install the ones you like. You can read more about the pre-installed scripts scripts in the appendix. If you're interested in scripting, check out the Automation chapter.

The Help menu

The Help menu contains commands for opening the integrated help pages, the support assistant, or visiting the DEVONtechnologies website.


DEVONthink

Use these commands to open the integrated help pages, get directions on installing the browser extension and bookmarklets, or access the list of changes to DEVONthink.

Support

Support Assistant: Opens the support screen of the Welcome to DEVONthink assistant with more direct links to the DEVONtechnologies website, tips, and tutorials. Note this function requires an Internet connection.

Tutorials: Opens the Tips and Tutorials screen of the Welcome to DEVONthink assistant. The tutorials help get you started by explaining everyday DEVONthink tasks in step-by-step detail. Note this function requires an Internet connection.

Contact

These commands take you directly to the corresponding pages on our website or send feedback directly us.

DEVONtechnologies: Quickly access our home page.

Your Account: Opens the login page for your DEVONtechnologies account where you can get information on your licenses and the devices they're registered to.

User Forum: Jump into our user forum.

Frequently Asked Questions: Choose this option to access many often asked questions in the Questions & Answers section of our website, pre-filtered for questions about DEVONthink.

Contact Us/Report Bug: Use this to draft a general email to us. When you need to report an issue, hold the ⌥ Option key to show the Report Bug. This creates a new message in your default email client or Apple Mail containing the console log and all related crash logs in a ZIP archive, ready to be sent to our customer support.

The Dock menu

The Dock menu appears when you Control-click DEVONthink's icon in the Dock or left-click it and hold the mouse button for one second or longer. When items are added to a database, a badge appears on this icon. Longer tasks, e.g., importing, indexing, or running scripts, may show a progress indicator on the dock icon.

It also contains the generic macOS commands and an Options menu common to all macOS applications. DEVONthink-specific items are listed below:


Recent Databases: Quickly reopen a closed database from this list.

Open Windows: Switch to any open window from this list. The active window is displayed with a checkmark next to it.

New Window: Open the selected database in a new main window.

Take Note: Opens the Take Note panel.

Start/Stop Server: Starts or stops the web server.

Settings

The Settings window, accessed via the Settings command in the application menu, is where you find and change the global settings for DEVONthink. There are a wide variety of options available, from setting the default font for new rich text documents to how often RSS feeds should update or setting up syncing your database. Now you can fine-tune many aspects of the operations and customize your experience.

General

General


Use the General tabs to set application/interface appearance and behaviors as well as defining label colors and names.

General:

Search Scope: Control the behavior of toolbar searches, e.g., where to search and coordination with the Search inspector.

Dock: DEVONthink's dock icon will show a number in a red circle. Choose what this number represents to you: new items, unread items, or unread news.

Usage: Enable this to send anonymized usage data.

Alerts: Press the Reset button to again display alerts previously dismissed with the "Don't show again" option in dialogs.

Send anonymized analytics data: Sends anonymous information about certain activities in DEVONthink, e.g, a key denoting an optional script you installed. See our company's Privacy page for more information on the data that may be sent.

Check for Updates: Choose how often you want DEVONthink to check if a new update is available or press Check Now to manually check for an update.

Interface


These options influence interface behaviors for displaying and opening documents, settings for the item list, and controls for the Navigate sidebar.

Mouse Clicks: Control how groups, links, and documents are handled when double-clicked.

Behavior: Control the view of the item list and its interactions with the view/edit pane.

Sidebar: Control the Navigate sidebar.

Appearance


Appearance: Change the appearance of some of the interface elements, including the item list, the sidebars, and some of the inspectors.

Labels: Choose the appearance of color labels in the item list and Navigate sidebar. The supported options are:

Interface Font Size: To accommodate those with impaired vision or wanting a larger size font in some parts of the interface, the sidebars, and some of the inspectors, there are three font controls:

Note:

Currently, there are no controls for changing the font in the interface. However, there are two hidden preferences to switch to a monospaced font.

Labels


Label: Set the name and color for color labels you can apply to the files and groups in your databases. Be aware these are global settings, i.e., you can't have different labels for different databases. Also, following Apple's example, we only allow setting seven color labels.

Editing


The Editing tabs define all options that fine tune DEVONthink's text editing behavior. Everything from default fonts to text and highlight colors as well as margins and automatic text transformations, like smart quotes.

General

Author: Enter the default name to be used for metadata, placeholders, etc.

Ruler Units: Set the units used for the Format > Ruler when editing rich text. Choose from: Centimeters, Inches, Points, or Picas.

Rich Text Attachments: Control the behavior of PDF and image attachments in rich text-based formats.

Spelling & Grammar:

Substitutions:

Format


Define the visual settings for plain text formats, including Markdown source, and rich text formats, including formatted notes.

Plain Text: Choose the Plain Text Font, as well as the Background and Text colors. If you have a plain text document selected, the font and colors will dynamically update as you make changes. There are also two settings for controlling the width of the content:

Rich Text & Note Font: Set the default font for newly created rich text-based documents. Changes do not apply to existing documents. To change existing documents, use the commands in the Format menu while editing specific documents.

Full Screen: Choose the Text and Background colors to be used when editing a document in DEVONthink's fullscreen mode. These settings will override the colors in non web-based documents. The Width is a percentage of the screen's width, defining the width of the content in fullscreen view.

Highlighting


Set the name and color for highlighting text in compatible file formats, like PDFs. Changing the colors will not change the highlight colors already applied in existing documents. Also, be aware these are global settings, so you can't have different highlight names and colors for each database.


Toggle using WikiLinks, choose the link detection method, what items can be linked to, and if link names should update when edited. Also, define template text to pre-populate newly created WikiLinked documents.

Aliases Separators: Set the delimiting character that separates multiple aliases applied to a document. The default is semicolon (;).

Template: Define template text used as the content of a newly created WikiLinked document. Add text and Control-click to use Insert Placeholder to insert a token that will be automatically replaced when the template is created. The default title contains several of these tokens already. Check out the placeholders section of the appendix for information on the available choices.

For more information on creating WikiLinks and other linking methods, see the Document Linking section.

Files

The Files settings contains controls for a variety of things from imports to media playblack, thumbnailing to Markdown extensions, and much more.


General

The General settings control some miscellaneous options, including filenaming, the behavior of annotation and indexed files, and versioning.

General: Control duplicate detection and filesystem naming.

Annotations: Control where to save annotation files, if they follow when the referred file is moved to another database, and what file format they should be.

Indexed Items: Control the behavior when mixing indexed and imported items in indexed and non-indexed locations in your databases.

Versioning: Control the number, maximum size, and retention of document versions.

Preview


Control automatic loading of online data, including indexed files stored online, as well as what types of files should have thumbnails created.

General: Control accessing online data, including indexed documents stored online..

Create Thumbnails: Choose the file types for which DEVONthink should create thumbnails or icons.

Import


Choose the default import option for items added from external sources, e.g., drag and drop, dock icon drops, etc. Control the text encoding of certain file types and whether to use creation and modification dates from a document's contents. And lastly, decide whether to automatically transcribe text or detect barcodes from added documents.

Destination: Choose how DEVONthink decides where to file externally added items.

Text Encoding: Choose the default encoding used for plain text documents. Select Automatic to let DEVONthink choose the best encoding.

Use content creation & modificate dates: Choose whether to use the filesystem dates or dates detected in the content of a document, e.g., a PDF.

Recognition: DEVONthink can use AI to detect and save the content from certain kinds of files automatically upon being added to your database. Enable the options you wish to use. For images and media files, the AI provider and default output format are chosen in the AI > Transcription settings.

Tags


Decide how Finder tags are handled and what types of automatic tagging you require.

Finder: Choose whether to import Finder tags when adding files or export to Finder tags when tagging indexed files or exporting from DEVONthink.

Import: Decide which automatic tagging options are appropriate for your situation.

Read more about tagging in the Tagging section.

Emails


Use these options to define how email is imported and displayed inside DEVONthink.

Conversation: Decide if DEVONthink should attempt email threading, grouping, and how to handle copies of already imported emails.

Note:

Due to a lack of emails standards and decades of legacy emails, email threading is not a guaranteed process.

Fallback text encoding: Specify the text encoding to use for emails with no detectable encoding.

Message Content: Control loading remote images, decrypting emails, and whether to import attachments.

Appearance: Set some basic controls for how emails display in DEVONthink.

Labels: Assign a color label corresponding to a flag or high priority on emails. As items can only have one color label, flags take precedence over priority.

Hotkeys: Specify hotkeys to import selected emails or mailboxes while in a compatible email application, e.g., Apple Mail. You can use the hotkeys previously used with our late Apple Mail plugin: ⌃⌥⌘M for importing messages, ⌃⌥⇧⌘M for importing mailboxes.

Read more about archiving email…

Markdown


Choose options for the default mode when selecting Markdown files, styling, or any extensions to be used when rendering the Markdown.

Markdown Display: Specify a default view, whether DEVONthink should display formatting and images when editing, and if new lines should be assumed.

Import images to group: Specify a group to contain linked images, whether they're dragged and dropped, copied and pasted from outside DEVONthink, or from web content clipped as Markdown. See the Documents > Markdown > Linking Images section for more information.

Image Reference: Specify the type of link to be used with images pasted, dropped, or downloaded for Markdown documents.

Style Sheet: Choose a default global stylesheet to style your Markdown documents, if desired. Supports online URLs, item links to stylesheets in your database, or click the Select button to access stylesheets stored on your machine, e.g., in ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink/StyleSheets.

JavaScript: Choose a default JavaScript file to be loaded with all your Markdown documents, if required. The JavaScript can be located anywhere, including an online script, if needed.

Extensions: Check the desired extensions you want to use in your Markdown documents:

Summaries: Use Markdown blockquotes instead of highlights when creating summary documents in Markdown via Tools > Summarize Annotations.

Read more about working with Markdown documents…

Multimedia


Choose options for media playback, display modes and magnification for PDF documents and images, the default width of clipped PDF documents, and annotation sorting in summaries.

Play Media: Play audio and video files Automatically when viewing them, if they should play on repeat via Loop, and their Background Color.

Image Display: Set the default magnification and background color for viewed images: Actual Size, All Pixels, Zoom to Fit, and Zoom to Width.

PDF Display: Choose how PDF documents are displayed in windowed and fullscreen modes, including the Background Color. Use Automatically resize to change the magnification when you view a document. Note there is a correlation between the display mode and the zoom option.

PDF Clipping Width: Specify a width in points for captured or clipped PDF documents. The default value is Automatic. Be aware the styling on specific sites could override this setting.

Summaries: Control if PDF annotations are sorted by type, e.g., highlights or underlined, in Tools > Summarize Annotations instead of their order in the document.

Read more about working with PDF and media documents …

Sheets


Choose the options for displaying sheets and and converting them to paginated PDFs.

Sheet Display: Choose the default view when viewing a sheet: Table or Form. Form view is only available in the Pro or Server editions.

Background Color: Set the background color used in Form view.

Paginated PDF Conversion: Choose Table View or Form View for converting a sheet via the Data > Convert > to PDF (Paginated) command.

Form view is only available in the higher editions of DEVONthink.

Read more about using with sheets…

Sorter


Control the Sorter's location and assign hotkeys for note creation and clipping.

Hotkeys: Set system-wide hotkeys for: Take Note, Copy Selection, Clip to DEVONthink, and Search. To change the hotkeys, click the Click to record shortcut button, then press the hotkey that you want to use. Press the ⎋ Escape key to cancel recording a new shortcut.

Note:

Modern versions of macOS require you to give explicit permissions for the behaviors of the hotkey functions listed above. You can read about this in the Installing, Privacy Options, Updating, Uninstalling > macOS Privacy Options section.

Read more about using the Sorter

RSS


DEVONthink comes with built-in RSS capabilities that enable you to add RSS feeds to your database and have DEVONthink update them automatically. Use these preferences to define how often DEVONthink checks for new articles, whether to skip duplicates when updating feeds, when to remove older articles, and which CSS style sheet to use for displaying the articles.

Updating Feeds:

Remove Articles:

Note:

Feeds or articles locked via Data > Mark > as Locked will not be removed.

Feed Format:

Feed Style Sheet: Choose a custom or built-in stylesheet for use with HTML articles (Feed Format: Automatic) articles. Store your own RSS stylesheets in ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink/StyleSheets.

Web


The web preferences resembles the settings of most web browsers. Use these preferences to define how DEVONthink's displays HTML-based documents browsing web pages.

Web Content: These settings define how DEVONthink treats special web contents:

Images: These settings define how DEVONthink displays graphics in web pages:

Accept Cookies: "Cookies" are little text files with information that web pages store on your computer used to recognize you as a returning customer, among other things. While most are harmless, you may want to control what is being stored on your hard disk.

Fonts: Set the fonts you want to use for displaying web pages; set separately for variable-width and fixed-width text.

Note:

Hold the ⌥ Option key to restore the default fonts.

Style Sheet: Select a custom stylesheet to be applied to HTML-based content with no specified styling. Store your own stylesheets in ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink/StyleSheets. Be aware this could lead to displaying undesirable styling in some cases.

Text Encoding: Select your desired text encoding for displaying web pages. Automatic tries to choose the best available encoding. If this does not work for you, choose a more appropriate text encoding for your language group.

Sync


DEVONthink allows you to keep your databases in sync with multiple Macs and iOS devices running DEVONthink To Go. Set up your sync location, choose which databases are synced, and how often they're synced.

Locations

The Locations column lists all available sync locations, whether these are the built-in options, ones you've added yourself, or ones detected on your network, e.g., WebDAV services. Activate or disable sync locations via its checkbox. Inactive or inaccessible locations are shown in grey. And if a sync location is using encryption,  will appear to the right of the name.

Use the buttons below the Locations list for more options:

The Locations Action menu also is used for information, troubleshooting, and removing chosen sync locations.

Sync Location Options

When setting up a sync location or editing the options on an existing one, you will see some of these options in the Info popup for the location. The options shown are dependent on the specific sync method:

Databases

With a sync location selected, the Databases column lists all currently open databases as well as all databases available remotely in the selected location. The Local section lists all open databases and a message about their sync status, e.g, the timestamp of the last sync. The Remote section lists all databases available for import or currently not open on the machine. When attempting to import the latter, the local database will be opened by DEVONthink.

Start and stop syncing a specific database to the selected location. Uncheck databases you want to discontinue syncing with the selected location, but be aware this does not remove the sync data. See the Clean Database command below.

Use the buttons below the Databases list for more options:

The Databases Action menu also contains commands for importing, manually synchronzing, troubleshooting, and removing sync data.

Sync messages: Under each listed database in the Databases list, is a message about its sync state. You will see one of these:

Sync Options

Sync Options: The settings at the bottom of the pane control the behavior for all active sync locations, from how often to sync to how sync conflicts are handled.

Bonjour Options


Click the button Bonjour Options to control if and how other instances of DEVONthink or DEVONthink To Go can connect to your Mac. Your Mac becomes the sync server, the other devices the clients.

Read more about synchronization…

AI


From setting up your default chat engine and deciding what kind of permissions you give it when searching or working with your Mac, the AI view is where you set these options. For creating AI-based images, see the Image Generation view. And if you need to detect or convert speech to text in images and media files, see the Transcription view.

Chat

Choose your AI model and settings specific to it, as needed. Also set from where the model can get information, if it can effect changes to your database, and what kind of summaries you'd like it to return.

Chat Setup: Specify what large language model (LLM) you want to use and set up any required parameters for it. Note several of the controls here are dynamic and the options will change depending on what LLM you've chosen.

Assistant: Certain AI models have access to "tooling" and may be able to accept DEVONthink-related commands. You need to decide what behaviors you will allow it to use on your Mac and with your databases.

Search: Choose from where you would like the chat assistant to search for information:

Search


The settings control where you want external AI to search. For example, when researching medical issues, you may want to let it search PubMed but not Wikipedia. The options are: in your Databases, on the arXiv, PubMed or Wikipedia websites, or on the Web, in general.

Regarding web and Wikipedia searching, you can also choose a specific engine for deep research: Perplexity, Exa.ai, or DEVONthink. The commercial services provide quick results but utilize indexed content. DEVONthink's results are returned more slowly but are up to date. Also, be aware Perplexity and Exa require API keys.

Summarization


Model: Choose a specific AI provider and model for summarization or Default to use the Chat model.

Style: Determine what summary format you'd like in response to asking chat to summarize a document. The choices are:

Custom Prompt: Create your own prompt defining what kind of response you'd like, including how you'd like the summary to be structured. Use the special placeholder %@ to refer to the information being summarized.

Image Generation


Choose and set up a text-to-image AI model. These controls are dynamic and their options change depending on the model you choose.

Image Generator Setup:

Transcription


AI speech-to-text processes incoming media files and processes them per these settings. For example, an .mp3 file could be transcribed into a separate annotation file for future use.

For each type of text recognition – images or audio/video – choose where to store the recognized text via the Destination dropdown. The available options are:

Images: Decide what live OCR engine you want to process images added to your database:

Audio & Video: Choose the transcription engine you want to process media files added to your database:

Add timestamps to transcription: Examines the speech and inserts timestamps at certain points.

Transcription Language: Choose the language of the media file to be transcribed. Only used with OpenAI's Whisper.

API Key: Enter the API key you received from your AI transcription provider, e.g., OpenAI.

Data


Define custom metadata fields that are meaningful to you, your company, your research group, or even your family! These attributes can be assigned to items in your database, extending the search and organization possibilities.

Custom Metadata: The Custom Metadata column contains a range of built-in fields, ready to use or modify, as needed. These cover a variety of common uses and you can easily add your own for your use cases.

Enable any field by checking the checkbox next to it. Use the buttons below the Custom Metadata column for extra options:

Note:

These options are also available from the context menu.

The order of the fields is also the order in which they appear in the Generic inspector. Drag the attributes to reorder them, as needed.

Properties: Each custom attribute has its own properties, like the type or a set of predefined values to choose from. View and set the properties of a selected attribute in the section on the right.

Please refer to the Data section in the Appendix for more detailed information on the data types.

Note:

Like many types of metadata applied to files by various applications, custom metadata is not cross-platform. On macOS, it is stored in the extended attributes upon exporting the file.

OCR


DEVONthink contains an optical character recognition (OCR) module that allows you to import scanned documents and make them searchable. These documents are "read" by the embedded OCR engine and stored as PDF files that contain an additional (invisible) text layer containing the searchable text. Use these options to control the engine, including the output format, resolution, what language(s) to use, and what to do with the originals.

OCR Processing:

Document Controls:

Language Controls:

DEVONthink comes with more than 150 different language dictionaries. Adding extra languages can improve the accuracy of the text recognition. Select a language from the Available column on the right and add it to the Selected column using the right-to-left arrow button. Deactivate a language by selecting it in the Selected and pressing the right-to-left arrow. You can select a maximum of four secondary languages. Note the primary language and the secondary languages are treated equally.

Imprinter


Imprints are custom bits of data that can be stamped onto images or the pages of PDF documents. Imprints can be used in a variety of ways, from stamping when an invoice was paid to adding specialized numbering. With the ability to include placeholders, you can create many kinds of watermarks for your documents.

Every imprint is created as a configuration, saved to use again and again. There are three parts to an imprint: the configuration, the appearance, and the location. We'll cover all three here.

Configurations

The Configurations column is where you create a new imprint or edit one you've already created. Select one and edit any of the parts or appearance or use the buttons below this column to create a new one.

New Combined: Found in the  action menu, this option allows you to create new imprints from your existing ones. This extends the usefulness of existing imprints.

From the action menu, select the New Combined option. Two panes will be displayed: Combined and a Configurations panes. In the righthand pane, select an existing configuration and click the < button to add it to the Combined pane in the center. DEVONthink remembers the location and styling of the individual imprints in a combined configuration. To remove an item from the Combined pane, select it and press the > button. It will reappear in the Configurations pane on the right. Combined items will be displayed in the order you add them. To see what the imprint looks like, press the Preview button.

Appearance

Add and style the components of the imprint with these controls.

Note:

There is only one font style for each imprint. You cannot have mixed styles, e.g., displaying one word larger or in a different color.

Location

In the Location tab, choose and fine-tune the position of the watermark, as well as on what pages it will appear.

Note:

Be aware imprints currently cannot be removed from the document. Especially while you're fine-tuning your imprint, it's a good idea to enable Duplicate item before imprinting. This will imprint a copy of the current document.

Server


Set up the web sharing services, define users and their per-database permissions, and run/monitor the web server. Enter the web server's parameters and behavior in the General tab. In the Users tab, administer users and their per-database permissions and monitor or access connection information.

Note:

When using the server in administered networks, e.g., public, corporate, or educational scenarios, you may need to consult with the IT department for successful operation.

General

Session Expiration: Define the length of time before an idle session times out.

Bonjour Settings: Use these settings to define your web server's identity, everything from the name and port, to creating a certificate vouching for the "safety" of the server's activity.

Security:

Users


User List: The Users tab on the left allows you to add, remove, and modify users, as well as set their per-database permissions. Currently logged-in users will show a green circle to the right of their name. If you have DEVONagent Pro installed, it will be added as a default user. This allows it to search DEVONthink's databases in the same way it searches other websites.

Database Permissions: The Database list on the right allows you to set per-database permissions for individual users. All open databases will be listed in this pane, followed by the available permissions. Select a user and enable the permissions they need to have. For broader changes, Control-click the permissions for a database to set or revoke all permissions on the database.

The available permissions are:

Technical Info: If you need more information on the activity of the web server, you can find some deeper details here.

Server URLs: When the server is running, two URLs will be listed at the bottom of the window: one is the Bonjour URL, the other is based on the machine's IP address. Click a link to open it on your machine. Control-click a link to copy or share the link to your users.

Read more about Web sharing…

Troubleshooting

DEVONthink was created with robustness in mind. But any computer hardware or software, regardless of how carefully developed and built, can write defective data or destroy files. If you have some general questions about DEVONthink, sales and licensing, etc., please check out our Questions and Answers section on our site. If you experience specific technical problems with DEVONthink or its databases, please check the following sections.

We hope the information in this chapter can help resolve an issue, or at least give you some information to work with!

First Steps

When you run into an issue with DEVONthink, your first reaction should be, "Hmm… I wonder what that was." and see if it happens again. If it recurs, the next things you should do are:

Not Your First Step

When some people have an issue, they immediately try uninstalling and reinstalling the application. That is a very bad idea and almost always wastes time and energy on something with that likely has a simple and logical solution. And not only is reinstalling rarely effective, it also removes important troubleshooting information that could have been useful in resolving an issue.

So if you run into a problem do not reinstall the software. Contact us as we've indicated so we can assess the situation. If we come to a point we feel reinstalling is appropriate, we will instruct you to do so.

File Issues

Why does DEVONthink not recognize my files?

DEVONthink supports importing many different file types. However, here are thousands of types and we can't guarantee trouble-free importing or usefulness with every type.

If DEVONthink does not recognize a file, make sure the file has a proper file name extension. DEVONthink needs a file name extension to determine the file type. Add the correct file name extension to your files, e.g., .txt for plain text files, etc.

There are only a few files that are explicitly not importable: Finder aliases or other databases, e.g., dtBase2, or items located in the internals of other databases.

Why does DEVONthink not display my document correctly?

DEVONthink uses Apple's Quick Look technology to display previews of many file formats. If a document is not properly displayed, especially if it is a proprietary file format, it may be you don't have a QuickLook plugin installed for this file type or the application that created the file is not installed on your Mac (and supports Quick Look). Control-click the file and choose Show In Finder to reveal it. With the file selected in the Finder, press the spacebar to open a Quick Look window to determine if the item is viewable.

Why can't I search my file?

Merely importing a file doesn't mean it's immediately searchable. For example, images are not content-searchable unless you've used AI transcription, set to Searchable Text or Comments.

For proprietary formats, you need to have a Spotlight importer installed. These components come from third-parties, typically the developer of the format or an application that can edit it. If there is a Spotlight importer available for the file format you're adding to your database, DEVONthink may be able to use it to gather some information about the document. The kind and amount of information is dependent on how the importer was developed.

Misbehaving Files

PDFs: PDFs have been around so long, it would seem they'd be easily supported in DEVONthink. However, the truth is there are many bad PDFs out there. If you encounter a bad PDF, try acquiring a new copy of the file.

If you're having an issue annotating or editing a PDF, it's possible it is encrypted or read-only. This will be indicated with either a  or  property icon in the Navigation bar. You may be able to clear a read-only status with the Data > Convert > To PDF (Paginated) command.

If the file is encrypted in such a way as to inhibit changing the document, DEVONthink will honor the restrictions imposed by the document's producer. However, one potential solution for this problem is Michele Balistreri's PDFKey. It allows you to print protected PDFs. Use PDFKey to "print" a PDF file into a new PDF that is both printable and editable, which allows DEVONthink to extract the text for searching and classifying.

DEVONthink uses Apple's PDFKit framework, the same as found in their Preview application. If you have an issue with a PDF in DEVONthink, check to see if you have the same issue in Preview. Other applications, including those from Adobe where PDFs were invented, are using their own frameworks so their behavior isn't directly comparable.

Text Files: If you have an issue with plain or rich text documents, open them in TextEdit and see if the behavior is the same. DEVONthink uses macOS' text engine, so if there's an issue in our software it's likely you will see the same issue in TextEdit.

Email Import Issues


Messages aren't imported or can't be filed: Email messages are imported with a special identifier (UUID) that helps DEVONthink keep track of messages that have already been imported. Since a UUID must be unique, you can't have more than one file with that identifier. If you try to import the same message into a database, you will receive a logged message stating "n emails already imported".

Importing takes a long time or stalls: Importing email is not a trivial process. Not only does it copy the message into your database, but it also reads and analyzes the entire contents of each one. Importing a large mailbox will logically take much longer than a smaller one. One possibility is to split a large mailbox into multiple smaller ones. Importing smaller batches often proves to be less taxing on the machine's resources. And you don't have to import an entire mailbox at once.

Most email is handled via IMAP servers where your emails are stored, potentially so you can access them from different devices. Some of your emails and their headers will be stored on your Mac but the content can be periodically removed by Mail, leaving only the headers. This means Mail has to contact the email server and download the email (and its attachments) before it can pass it along to DEVONthink. This can slow the import process a great deal. And depending on the retention policy of the email server, it's also possible some emails may no longer be available.

Having emails local to the machine is ideal and can be accomplished by using an On My Mac mailbox in Apple Mail. For example, you could create a 2024 mailbox, search for emails from that year, and move or copy the emails to it. Be aware that moving the emails may remove them from the email server, but that depends on the email service provider. Also, if you're archiving emails, it may be desirable to remove them. If not, you can copy them. As was already mentioned, smaller mailboxes will be more performant, so dividing up the emails into logical mailboxes like our yearly example, is a good idea. Going forward you could set up mail rules in Apple Mail to copy or move to local email folders when they're received.

Regarding attachments, again local is ideal. In the settings for your email account in Apple Mail, there is an option to download attachments. If you're going to be importing emails and attachments, it's best to download them all.

One thing to consider is the space being used on your machine. A few things: The On My Mac mailboxes aren't necessarily permanent. After you have archived one successfully into DEVONthink, you could remove the mailbox. You could also relocate the database to an external hard drive.

Some emails fail when I drag and drop: Your email in Apple Mail is actually a database. Very active databases, with many additions, deletions, reorganizing, etc., can inherit inconsistencies over time. If you are receiving a message that a drag and drop into DEVONthink failed, it could be due to such an issue in Mail. Choose Mailbox > Rebuild Mailbox and let it finish. Then try the drag and drop again. You can also try dragging and dropping to the Finder first, then into your database.

Why can't I import from email application X?: Inter-application communication, something at which DEVONthink excels, isn't universally developed. In order for more true automation between applications to occur, the developers need to implement robust and reliable mechanisms, like AppleScript. Some apps may provide simple URL schemes but they are limited in use and capabilities, often only able to process one file at a time. Better results can usually be had by merely dragging and dropping. For email clients with a good AppleScript dictionary, the potential for streamlined workflows is increased.

Unlocking a database

If you open DEVONthink and see an icon of a crossed pencil to the right of the database's name, the database has a file permissions issue. This makes the database readable, but not writeable, so you can't modify the contents in any way.

A permissions issue like this is uncommon but generally caused by three events, in order from most to least common: restoring from Apple's Migration Assistant, restoring from Time Machine, or an operating system or hardware error. Doing things like using Migration Assistant will not always cause a permissions issue, but if you have a crossed pencil icon and you've recently migrated to a new machine, this would be the likely cause.

The first thing you can try is to select the database in DEVONthink then choose File > Rebuild Database. Do not interrupt the process or let the machine power down while it's working.

If that doesn't resolve the issue, try this:

If this does not resolve the issue, please contact our support team.

Overfilling a Database


If you are using an encrypted or revision-proof database, you define the maximum size it can grow to when you create it. This is a hard limit, no different than the size of the internal disk on your Mac. Finite space can't hold infinite documents, so you need to be aware of how much space you have available. If you add more data than it can hold, you will receive errors in the Log window of popover.

If you run into this situation, please contact our support team.

Another thing to be aware of, there needs to be enough space available to do maintenance, like a database rebuild. To keep an eye on the space, periodically select it in DEVONthink, then choose File > Database Properties. At the bottom of the statistics you will see the space consumed and the available space to work with.

Sync Issues

DEVONthink's synchronization was designed to run in self-maintenance mode. If you are having issues syncing your DEVONthink databases, the first place to look is Windows > Log. Most sync related errors and reports will be shown here.

Below we cover some things you can check for the type of sync method you're using as well as some common questions you may have.

Things to Try First

Here are a few simple things to try when you have a sync issue:

Verify & Clean

Verifying: If there is an issue reported with syncing, e.g., broken structures or missing manifests, you should first verify the sync data to see if it's intact and consistent. The results of a verification will be reported in the log window.

Cleaning: If the verification fails, you can then clean the sync location or database to remove the sync data in that location. The results of the clean will be reported in the Log window. After a successful clean, you can upload the database(s) again. And just to ease anyones' mind, cleaning a sync location has no effect on the local databases on your devices. Sync data is not your database and is separate from the local databases on your devices, Mac and mobile.

Before you clean sync data: Isolate one syncing device and do the maintenance there. Before you do, disable the sync location or specific database on the other syncing devices. After the clean and resyncing is finished, you can then enable the sync location on the other devices again.

To verify or clean sync data, open Sync settings. These commands are essentially the same but are applied to either an entire sync location or a specific database.

Both these actions can be used at any time, for preventative purposes or just to get a fresh start with syncing. Also, you may see unwanted databases in the Remote section of the databases list for a sync location. Cleaning the location will remove these databases too. But if you want to keep the sync data for your current databases, you can Control-click and clean specific databases in the Remote section.

Bonjour

Bonjour syncs are generally transparent, but it can only be used on a local network that allows Bonjour traffic and non-standard ports. Many public networks disallow this kind of traffic to protect their customers. Also, corporate networks will often disallow this traffic for security reasons.

Note:

Bonjour connections cannot be used over VPN. This is technologically infeasible, at least at the moment.

If you find yourself on a network that disallows Bonjour syncing, it is possible to connect your iOS device to your Mac via your Lightning cable. This creates a simple ad-hoc network that will allow Mac-to-mobile syncing. If you are in a corporate situation, please discuss this with your IT department to ensure you're not violating any security policies. They may also issue an exception for a specific port you could use for Bonjour syncing. If they do, you'd enter it in the Port section of the Bonjour options.

iCloud

Since your devices are generally signed into your Apple ID, using iCloud for syncing is the easiest to set up. However, it should be understood it can only be used for personal syncing. Collaborative syncing is not possible unless all participants are sharing an Apple ID.

If you are using an iCloud (Legacy) sync, the data is synced locally first. iCloud processes will then upload the changes to Apple's servers and propagate the information about it to all other devices. It generally happens smoothly and in the background but it means you can't expect the changes to be ready on other devices as soon as DEVONthink has finished synchronizing to iCloud. If you are using a CloudKit sync, DEVONthink deals directly with Apple's servers.

Here are a few things to check:

Note:

Be aware iCloud can stall. This is a sporadic, but documented, issue that can cause your devices to get out of sync. This is not under our control, nor can we even detect or anticipate it.

WebDAV

Our support for WebDAV services allows you to use cloud services that are WebDAV-enabled. This also presents some self-hosting opportunities, even with some NAS devices. However, they can sometimes be technically more difficult to implement. Here are some things to check:

Note:

WebDAV implementations vary so it's not possible to guarantee compatibility in all situations. For self-hosting, Apache implementations are the most compatible.

Dropbox

Dropbox is our longest supported sync method and is generally reliable and a good performer. However, there are a few things to consider.

According to Dropbox' rules, you cannot sync across user accounts. They don't allow you to share the Apps folder or its subfolders between accounts. Also, they only allow our sync engine to be logged into one Dropbox account at a time. If you have a work and a personal account, you can only sync to one with DEVONthink.

Collaborative syncing may be possible using a common Dropbox account, i.e., using the same username and password for syncing. But again, you can only sync to one active Dropbox account at a time.

Common Questions

I enabled the sync and nothing's happening: Our sync engine will not sync, upload or download, without being told to. We believe in opt-in processes whenever possible. Merely enabling a sync location just sets up a location to be ready to receive and transmit data. You need to enable individual databases to sync. You also need to do this on each device you want to sync. If you have enabled databases to sync, check Window > Log for errors.

I'm seeing a message about an invalid encryption key: When you set up a sync location, you have the option of entering an encryption key. This is used to scramble and descramble the sync data so it's stored in an encrypted state. Once you've synced the first time, this value, even if you aren't specifying a key, is stored for that sync location. This value must be entered on other devices syncing with this sync location.

You can't add, remove, or modify the encryption key value for a sync location after the first sync. If you want to make a change, you must clean the sync location first. Disable the sync on all devices but one, then clean the location. After the clean, Control-click the sync location again, choose Show Info, and make the modification to the key. After the first sync, this will be the value stored for the location. After the clean and resync from the one device, you must change the value on the other syncing devices, then re-enable their syncs.

I am seeing a message about missing manifests: Missing manifests are bits of transactional sync data that cannot be located by the sync engine. When this occurs, it can't validate the information about what has been synced. This is not an issue with the databases; it's missing sync data. See the Verify & Clean section above regarding verifying and cleaning the sync data.

It's telling me I have a duplicate database UUID: As noted in the glossary, a UUID is a unique value given to all DEVONthink databases. If you copy and rename a database file in the Finder, this UUID is preserved and DEVONthink sees two databases with the same UUID. This will not sync correctly. Please contact our support team for assistance on resolving this.

Repairing a defective database


DEVONthink databases are packages containing your files and the indices containing metadata, thumbnails, etc. These package files are normally robust and trouble-free but problems sometimes can arise. If your database starts behaving strangely, or if DEVONthink finds inconsistencies during start-up, it is time for some housekeeping. In this section we look at the most common issues and their usual causes, followed up by explanations of the maintenance commands in the File menu.

Missing and Empty Files


All documents in a DEVONthink database have a path the file system where their content file is located. This path is stored for every document, imported or indexed. If DEVONthink can't find a file at a path stored in its index, it will be reported as missing.

The most common causes of missing files are: indexed files being moved in the Finder, the indexed parent folder being renamed, or the indexed parent being moved. In the first case, the file isn't in the location it was indexed from. Moving the file back into place will resolve this issue. In the second case, the path no longer exists as the names in the path have changed. Changing the name back will resolve this. For the third case you may have had to relocate the folder for space or other organizational reasons. Select the indexed parent group in your database and open the Generic Info inspector. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Path field and choose Select. In the Open dialog, locate the indexed folder in its new location and press the Choose button. DEVONthink will update the paths for the contents of the folder in its new location.

Regarding indexed items, it's also possible for out-of-date items to be reported as missing, especially in cloud-synced locations. Remember that items indexed in cloud-synced locations may require a manual update via File > Update Indexed Items since a filesystem event may not be triggered by the cloud software. Also DEVONthink tries to make sure it doesn't cause any conflicts with those applications.

The second most common cause of missing files is people modifying the internal contents of a database. Some Finder replacement applications, like PathFinder, allow you to access package files like normal folders. The internals can also be accessed by other methods, like the command line or the Finder's context menu. If you delete or reorganize anything, you can easily cause missing files.

Empty Files: Empty files, also known as zero-byte files, are just that: files with no content and listed as having zero bytes for the file size. DEVONthink is aware of certain file types that can legitimately have empty files, but will report ones that can't, e.g., images. These aren't very common but are sometimes caused by a crash, incomplete file transfers, or temporary files created by some applications. They are handled in the same way as missing files.

Dealing with missing or empty files: Missing files are reported in DEVONthink's Window > Log. To deal with these files, Control-click the item in the Log window and choose one of two options:

Orphaned Files

Just as with any database application, controlling the data flow in and out is a critical process. DEVONthink should be the gatekeeper of the files in its databases. If an external agent, whether an application or a user, adds files outside DEVONthink, they will cause an internal inconsistency and lead to orphaned files when following the steps below.

The most common cause of orphaned files is a simple and common one: attempting to create revisions. Say you open a file, a Word document, in an external application. As you are reading it, you decide to make some changes. You type your edits, and select File > Save As (or File > Duplicate the file first). The application most commonly will open the Save dialog in the location of the original file, in this case, inside the internals of the database. You have just created an orphaned file DEVONthink knows nothing about. So the question becomes, how do I create a revision without causing this issue? One simple way is…

The other common cause is the same as with missing files: getting into the database package and adding files manually.

Note:

Modifying the internal contents of a database outside DEVONthink is unsupported behavior and can lead to broken or inconsistent databases. You should only get into a database's internals when instructed to by our support team.

Pending Files

You may see a message in the Log window about "n items to be uploaded" or you may see a  icon to the right of an item's name. These are pending, meaning the metadata for the item is in the database but the content is not. As this is something that can propagate to other devices, it shouldn't be ignored.

A common cause is indexing files and syncing while the files aren't available. For example, indexing files on a connected hard drive then ejecting the drive or indexing cloud synced files that have been evicted from the local machine by the cloud service. Syncing while the content is unavailable pushes only the metadata from the database. This means another device, Mac or mobile, won't have contents available to download, leaving them with pending files. This also should underscore why it's important to read and understand the In & Out > Importing & Indexing section before committing to it.

To address this, start with a toolbar search for item:pending in your database to help isolate the files. If none, are found, try emptying the trash in DEVONthink. If any pending files found and you don't need them, move them to the databases' Trash and empty it. Also, make sure the indexed files are available, whether in your cloud-synced folder or by connecting the volume from which you were indexing. You may need to select the indexed parent and choose File > Update Indexed Items to reconnect them with their contents.

If needed, check the database on other devices to see if the items are intact. If they are, you could put them on an external drive and replace them in the affected database. In the worst case scenario, you would need to restore from your backups.

File Integrity

Another report you may see in the Log window is regarding file integrity. DEVONthink scans and stores a checksum for each file in a database. This value is updated as the files change. However, if you use the utility command File > Check File Integrity, it may report an integrity error. This means the stored checksum doesn't match the newly scanned checksum. This may indicate a problem with the file itself. However, this error will also be reported for indexed items that are not up to date. Using Files > Update Indexed Items may resolve the issue with indexed files.

XLS Files: Though much less commonly used but still prevalent in legacy files, Microsoft .xls files will report a checksum error after you've opened and closed them, even without modifying the document. Converting these the newer .xlsx format is recommended.

We will now look at the maintenance options available, from the simplest health check to trying to recreate a damaged database.

Verify & Repair

One of the first options to explore is File > Verify & Repair Database. This checks a database's consistency to ensure it's healthy. If prompted there are problems, press Repair and DEVONthink will try to correct it. It will report missing files and import orphaned ones. But be aware this will not fix missing or empty files. That is handled as described above.

If Verify & Repair Database was able to repair your database, use File > Optimize to optimize your database and have DEVONthink create an internal copy of the index.

Note:

Verify & Repair isn't just for emergencies. Running this command on an occasional basis is not a bad idea. In fact, if you're a fairly heavy user of DEVONthink, running it weekly or bi-weekly does no harm. It's just a routine checkup.

Rebuild Your Database

A deeper maintenance routine, a database rebuild is typically used with more serious database errors, e.g., with reports of file errors. It can also be used when searches, classification, etc. are clearly and consistently behaving erratically.

To rebuild the database from scratch, use File > Rebuild Database. During the rebuild process, your files are exported and reimported, recreating the internal index afresh. You should not interrupt this process or let the machine power down while it's working. And for safety, a new restore point is created at the beginning of the rebuild process. A progress report or errors can be viewed in the Log window or popover.

The Rebuild command won't be available if a database is actively syncing. Also, bear in mind you'll need to have sufficient hard drive space to do a database rebuild. While DEVONthink uses clever mechanisms to reduce overhead and disk usage, you should still be mindful of the available disk space. This includes when you're dealing with an encrypted or revision-proof database. If the Rebuild command isn't enabled, you may have insufficient disk space to run it. Try emptying the database's Trash and recheck if the command is enabled..

Restore Internal Backups

DEVONthink doesn't do file backups but does an internal metadata backup for support purposes. Weekly, it creates a copy of a database's metadata, saving it as a restore point. Only two restore points are kept, with the oldest one being purged.

A less frequently used mechanism, it can be useful after a crash, especially if the crash occurred during a drag and drop of a large number of items between databases. When the database is opened and appears to be empty, restoring an internal backup could resolve this with a few mouse-clicks.

To restore the metadata files from a previously saved internal backup, hold the ⌥ Option key and select File > Restore Backup. DEVONthink presents you with a list of all available backups. Choose the latest one or the one with a size that appears to be correct and click Open. This swaps the current set of metadata files with the chosen backup metadata (the current set becomes the backup, the backup becomes the current set) so that data is never overwritten. Run File > Verify & Repair to ensure everything is healthy. If everything looks good, you can manually use File > Optimize to optimize your database create a new restore point.

Recover or Manual Rebuild

If your database is constantly crashing, it's possible it is – or is becoming – damaged. In this case, there are two options to consider:

Restore From Backups: Restoring a database from your external backups is usually a quick and effective way to get back up and running. As noted in the linked section, if your data is important to you then diligent backups should be high on your priorities.

Manual Rebuild: If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation where you have no backups, it may be possible to rebuild a damaged database manually, following these steps:

Recover Files

In a worst case scenario, if you do not have a current backup of your documents and a manual rebuild didn't work, you can rescue your files manually, but you will lose any group structure. To manually copy your files from the defective database, show the database package in the Finder, Control-click it, and choose Show package contents from the context menu. Copy the Files.noindex subfolder to a safe location, e.g., the desktop. If you look inside the folder, you will see a series of subfolders — one per file extension, e.g., .rtf — with subfolders in each. Your imported documents are stored within those. It is possible to create a new database and import this folder but you will have to rebuild the database's structures and apply any metadata again.

Contact Support

If none of the above steps helped solving the problems you have with your database, please contact us with a precise-as-possible description of your problem.

Crashes and Stalls


Database Warning

You may have seen the warning dialog above. Except in specific circumstances, it's not usually the database being opened simultaneously. Instead it occurs most commonly after a crash or a force quit. When you see this dialog, press Continue. The database will be automatically checked to ensure it's consistent and healthy and you will be prompted if there are issues. If there are none, you may not see anything happen. Select File > New Window or press ⌥⌘N to open a new window and you're back to work!

Crashes and Stalls

As much effort as we put into building a stable and robust application, the variables involved make a "perfect application" impossible. Even changes made by Apple can cause occasional unexpected behavior. If you have a consistently repeatable crashes or stalls, please report it to us. But please try to reproduce the crash or stall before reporting it.

Crashes: A crash is an unexpected termination of the application. You're working and suddenly you're looking at your desktop.

If DEVONthink crashes but you can relaunch the application without incident, hold the ⌥ Option key and choose Help > Report Bug.

If DEVONthink crashes on startup, there is no opportunity for you to use our bug reporting mechanism. However, you can manually retrieve the crash logs:

Stalls: Sometimes known as "beachballing", "the rainbow cursor", or the "pinwheel of death", it accompanies your application not responding to mouse-clicks or a frozen interface. Certain actions can sometimes cause this, e.g., indexing files on a networked volume or adding a very large volume of documents at once. Make sure to give the application a little time to work. You should not rush to force quit the application, ever. But if the stall goes on for a sustained period of time, say over five to ten minutes, then you may need to, but again, this depends on what you were doing that precipitated the stall. Before you force quit, please follow these instructions:

Problems using Services

Why do the Services menu commands show no shortcuts?

They should; however, the keyboard shortcuts for Services menu commands are only requested by the supplying application. macOS assigns these shortcuts and has ultimate control over which application or service gets what. If the DEVONthink Services menu items do not have shortcuts assigned, it is likely that macOS assigned these shortcuts to another command, or that they are used by the current active application.

Why do specific services not appear in the menu?

The operating system relies on information supplied by the current application to determine which services should be shown in the Services menu. For some applications, often those developed for both Mac and Windows, this information may not be what's anticipated. When this occurs, certain services may not be present. For example, selecting text on a web page in Firefox will display the service DEVONthink: Take Plain Note. The same text on the same page in Safari will show that option as well as DEVONthink: Take Rich Note.

Slow Finder Dialogs

If you find the Open or Save dialog in applications on your Mac are opening or performing slowly, it may be that you have too many tags in your system. Having 5000 tags or more in your filesystem can cause the Finder to stall as it tries to process them.

As noted in the Finder Tags and Tagging Sources subsections, tags can come from several sources. These tags can also be added to your Finder tags, perhaps unknowingly.

Tags are added to the Finder tags from DEVONthink in one of three ways:

Regarding the last two items, you can prohibit DEVONthink from exporting tags to the Finder. Disable Export Tags in the Files > Tags settings. Note this is a global setting, affecting all databases. Also, disabling this option will not remove already exported tags from the Finder.

Deleting tags in the Finder: While disabling the Spotlight index for a database will immediately remove Finder tags from the system, the other options will not.

To manually remove tags, in the Finder press ⌘, to open the settings. Select the Tags view. Here you will see a complete list of Finder tags. Select the tags you want to remove and press the minus button. You will be prompted to approve the deletion. Note: This does not remove any files. It only removes the tags.

Automation

Automation. No matter how efficient we are, there is always some process that could be done more quickly, and sometimes more accurately. This may be as simple as renaming a file, or as complex as filing, emailing, and archiving. While not everything can be automated, and careful thought should go into your automation plans, DEVONthink offers a level of automation capabilities rarely rivaled in other Mac applications.

AppleScript: Recognizing the need for effective real-world automation, DEVONthink has extensive support for AppleScript. Not only used in the scripts you can install from DEVONthink > Install Add-Ons, they are also at the core of several pre-installed templates. Additionally, in conjunction with other AppleScript-enabled applications, the potential for automation on your Mac is extraordinary. This mature but easy to learn technology is the one we will focus on. [Read more...]

Smart Rules and Batch Processing: DEVONthink also offers two for those with little to no programming experience: smart rules and batch processing. Smart rules are conceptually similar to smart groups but allow you to run pre-defined smart actions when certain events happen. Batch processing also uses smart actions but works on selected items for more impromptu automations and also allows you to save often used configurations. The variety of smart actions available makes them accessible to all users, while still providing other powerful options. This includes smart action scripts. [Read more...]

AI Assisted Automation: If you are using an AI model in DEVONthink, there are some automation options available to you. Whether you're asking a question or examining a document, it's possible to leverage artificial intelligence in ways not possible before now. A pair of smart actions for batch processing and smart rules, as well as some new script commands, help integrate an AI engine into your processes. [Read more...]

Smart Templates: Templates are an often overlooked feature in DEVONthink, providing a way to create reusable documents to be added on demand. But beyond simple document templates, there are more capable templates you can create: powerful templates, including ones driven by scripting, that will create entire group structures, import items, accept user input for dynamically created items, and more. [Read more...]

JavaScript: In addition to AppleScript, JavaScript for Automation (JXA) is supported. We advocate AppleScript for its ease of use by new and less-experienced programmers but if you prefer to code in JavaScript, you certainly can.

On a side note, our AppleScript dictionary supports the do JavaScript command. With it you can interact with web-based content viewed in a DEVONthink window. With a bit of creativity, some pretty amazing things can be done!

AppleScript Objective-C: Sometimes referred to as "ASOC", this is a powerful hybrid of the two languages. As it's not very accessible to many lay-coders, we don't generally recommend or publish scripts solely written in it. However, as DEVONthink is a native macOS application, you surely can use use ASOC in your scripts, if you're inclined to use it.

Terminal: For those who are into other technologies, like Python, bash, Ruby, etc., the question arises: Is there a command line interface (CLI) for DEVONthink? The answer is no. However, you can still use a do shell script command in AppleScript when needed. Actually, the combination of the shell and AppleScript creates even more opportunities, as their individual strengths compensate for the other's weaknesses.

AppleScript

AppleScript is an automation technology introduced by Apple in 1993. Over the years it has matured and become the friend of many Mac users wanting to exert more control over their computing experience. Written in an easy to learn, almost conversational language, it offers a tremendous amount of power with less effort than many languages. DEVONthink has very robust AppleScript support and comes with many built-in scripts. These, and those you write or obtain, make it possible to automate nearly every aspect of the application, and to integrate the application with almost every other macOS application that supports AppleScript.

Installation

Add-On Scripts: All add-on scripts that come with DEVONthink are automatically installed or updated when you open a new version of DEVONthink for the first time. You can, however, manually (re-)install them by choosing DEVONthink > Install Add-Ons. The scripts from this panel are installed in a number of locations:

DEVONthink Scripts: The internal scripts found in DEVONthink's Scripts menu are installed in ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.devon-technologies.think. The scripts will be found in one of four directories:

Additional scripts, like those you write yourself, can be put into any of these folders to be used in these contexts. Other scripts that may include integration with DEVONthink can be located wherever it's convenient.

Script Shortcuts

Many people like mousing around their applications, while others like to use their keyboards. If you want to add keyboard shortcuts to scripts in this menu, you have two options:

Learning AppleScript

While this documentation is not an AppleScript language guide, all the scripts that come with DEVONthink are editable and can be explored or modified as you see fit. The separate sections in this chapter provide any required terminology and a simple example script or two. Additionally, there are some great resources available online and in print. For the official archived documentation, refer to Apple's AppleScript web site. Some additional resources are listed below:

Online:

Books:

Note:

When using more modern versions of macOS, you will be prompted by the operating system to allow DEVONthink to "control" other applications. If you've seen such a prompt and didn't allow it, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Automation to enable it. Please make sure to allow the automation requests for DEVONthink to ensure your scripts will run successfully.

Basic AppleScript Terminology

AppleScript is not a difficult language to learn. Its plain English approach of "talking" to applications and elements is easily understandable. However, like any language, there are some variations in the words you can use; dialects, if you will. AppleScript is implemented by the developer of an application, so the commands and parameters may be conceptually the same as another application's, but using a different term. This is certainly not meant to be a complete guide to AppleScripting DEVONthink, but what follows are some common terms or concepts you're likely to encounter. The examples here and in this chapter are meant to give you basic ideas about scripting DEVONthink.

Talking to DEVONthink

In AppleScript you "talk" to programs like DEVONthink using a tell statement, typically referring to an application either by its name, "DEVONthink 4", or its bundle identifier, "com.devon-technologies.think". While these forms will work, we strongly recommend to talk to DEVONthink using the application ID DNtp, as seen in the following statement:

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

close current database

end tell

DEVONthink's dictionary

AppleScript-capable applications have their commands, elements, and properties listed in an AppleScript dictionary. DEVONthink includes a large dictionary as a great reference for you. To view the dictionary, open the Script Editor application, select File > Open Dictionary and choose DEVONthink in the appearing window. You can also add DEVONthink to your Script Editor library. Select Window > Library, click the + button and choose DEVONthink. This way you keep DEVONthink's dictionary at hand.

Note: Using the in your script is optional, but including it can make the script seem a bit less robotic. You can also use possessive forms, if they feel more comfortable to you. For example, all the lines in this script are functionally the same:

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

set flag of children of current group to true

set the flag of the children of the current group to true

-- Possessive Forms

set the flag of the current group's children to true

set the current group's children's flag to true

end tell

As noted above, the dictionary is the best place to find specific terminology to be used with DEVONthink.

Again, this isn't a course on AppleScript, but there are a few DEVONthink-specific things you should understand when scripting our application.

Records: Almost every item in a DEVONthink database is a record, a record with properties. Do a search for "record" in the dictionary and you'll see it's a fundamental unit with a wide range of properties associated with it. This means you won't be writing code like, get the second rich text file…. You will be dealing with records with a particular type, in this case rtf.

There are many commands specifically for use with records: create record with, exists record with…, etc. Also note there are some commands that require the term record. For example: move, delete, and convert. You will see a dictionary listing move record, so you can see the command isn't merely move, it's move record.

Parents and Children: Another concept to understand is parents & children. Generally speaking, these classes deal with the container or the contents of some object. The parent of an object is the group containing it. The children of a group are the immediate contents of that group. It does not include the children of sub-groups. Children can be documents or groups; parents can only be groups, tag groups, or RSS feeds.

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

set thisGroup to current group

name of (the children of thisGroup whose (type is XML))

end tell

DEVONthink Windows

While there are standard windows in DEVONthink, it is better to refer to them by their proper classes. A document window (or content window) is a standalone document window. A main window (or viewer window) is a main window. However, they are both subsets of the think window class so it's often useful to use this term to cover either case.

Using Locations

One of the common tasks people want to perform with AppleScript is importing files to a specific group. In order to direct the files to a given location, you need to reference it properly. Below are three general options for choosing a location:

There are many times you want to direct files into a specific group. That group may not be the current group you're in and you may not want to choose a destination each time. Here are two common ways of specifying a particular group in your database to be a destination group in your script:

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

set myGroup to get record at "/Inbox/New Files"

import "~/Desktop/001.txt" to myGroup

set groupTwo to get record with uuid "98BBF96D-7743-46C6-9EB4-51C6EF68373C"

import "~/Desktop/002.txt" to groupTwo

end tell

Working with a selection

Many times you want to process items you have selected in DEVONthink. What class you use depends on the selection.

As a practical example of working with a selection, imagine you want to generate a list of names and dates for use in a document you're working on. Below is a handler commonly seen in DEVONthink scripts:

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

if selected records is {} then return

set nameList to {}

repeat with thisRecord in (selected records)

copy ((name of thisRecord) & ": " & (creation date of thisRecord as string) & return) to end of nameList

end repeat

create record with {name:"Files", type:text, content: (nameList as string)} in incoming group

end tell

If you have external AI set up and a code-compatible model, you can use DEVONthink's Script Assistant. Choose the AI model and enter a description of the desired script in the prompt field, then press the ↩ Return key to compose and refine a script.

Internal Scripts

The Scripts menu of DEVONthink, located to the left of the Help menu, gives you access to a large number of pre-made scripts, with more scripts available. These scripts are not only useful for every day use, but are also great for learning how to script DEVONthink.

All the scripts we provide are editable using the Apple's Script Editor, though we do suggest making copies to work on. They are located in ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.devon-technologies.think/Menu. Open this folder in the Finder with Scripts > Open Scripts Folder command. Add your own scripts to the menu by adding them to the appropriate subfolder in this directory, even creating subfolders of your own.

A complete listing of the installed scripts is in the Appendix.

Script Localization

If you need to support multiple languages in your scripts, it is possible to vary the content of messages based on the language in which DEVONthink is running.

You must have saved your script as a script bundle, a .scptd file. In the Contents > Resources directory of the bundle, add a folder with the two character country code for the language, followed by .lproj, e.g., fr.lproj would contain French strings. Add your own definitions in a Localizable.strings and put it in this directory. Define a word or phrase in your language, followed by the translated phrase. For example, in a strings file in a de subdirectory, enter: "This is a new day!"="Heute ist ein neuer Tag!";. In your script, you'd enter a command like, display alert (localized string "This is a new day!"). If DEVONthink is running in German, you'd see the German message.

Localization is also available for smart templates. See the Template Localization section later in this chapter.

Triggered Scripts

Triggered scripts are AppleScripts that you attach to an item in DEVONthink (a group or document). Instead of being bound to a set interval like a reminder alarm, these scripts are executed every time you select the item. Such a script could change some metadata, force an update of indexed items, or many other habitual actions you may need to perform. So with some creativity and a bit of scripting, you can add your own custom behaviors when interacting with items in your database.

Items with attached scripts show an AppleScript property icon behind their name. And a toolbar search for item:scripted will show you items with attached scripts.

Triggered scripts can be stored anywhere, but are typically located in a folder within the ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.devon-technologies.think/Menu directory. Adding or removing a triggered script from an item in DEVONthink is done via scripting, using the attached script property for a selected record. Here is a code snippet you can use to attach scripts to selected items:

Example:

property dtScripts : (POSIX path of (path to library folder from user domain) & "Application Scripts/com.devon-technologies.think/" as string)


tell application id "DNtp"

if (selected records) is {} then return

set chosenScript to choose file with prompt "Choose a triggered script to attach to the selected item:" default location dtScripts of type {"scpt", "scptd"} without multiple selections allowed

repeat with theRecord in (selected records)

set attached script of theRecord to chosenScript

end repeat

end tell

Terminology

Triggered scripts are defined by a specific handler: on triggered(var), where var is the variable representing the item the script is attached to.

Example:

on triggered(theRecord)

tell application id "DNtp"

display alert "" &  (name of theRecord as string)

end tell

end triggered

Reminder Scripts

Reminders have several pre-built alarms available for notifications. Reminder scripts are AppleScripts run by an alarm set on a specific reminder for an item. By using or writing your own, you can extend notification possibilities of your reminders. Bear in mind, you can only specify one alarm per reminder.

Adding an External Script

To add an external script as an alarm for a reminder, choose Execute External Script. The next dropdown lists any available AppleScripts, located in the ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.devon-technologies.think/Reminders directory. Add any of your own scripts to this directory to make them available for any alarm you set.

Adding an Embedded Script

Sometimes you only need to add a script for a specific purpose, not general use with all reminders. DEVONthink allows you to quickly write an ad-hoc AppleScript specifically for the current reminder.

To write an embedded script for a reminder, choose Execute AppleScript/JavaScript as the alarm. Click the … button and a popup will appear with a pre-built handler in place. Add your code as necessary, then press the compile button, the one with the stylized eye, to make sure it compiles correctly. If it does, you will see the code format itself subtly. If not, you will hear a system alert. Click outside the popup to dismiss it. When the alarm goes off, the script will be executed.

Note:

When a reminder is set to Once, the reminder is removed and the embedded script lost after the alarm goes off. If you have code you'd like to potentially use again, put it in an external script.

Terminology

Triggered scripts are defined by a specific handler: on performReminder(theRecord), where theRecord is the variable representing the item the alarm is set for.

Example:

on performReminder(theRecord)

tell application id "DNtp"

set label of theRecord to 1

say (name of theRecord as string)

end tell

end performReminder

Debugging Tip: When testing an external reminder script, use the Once interval and set the alarm time. Your intuition may be to look at the clock and set the alarm a minute or two ahead. However, if you set the alarm to a time before the current time, it will trigger instantly. This makes for easier testing before you commit to the true interval you'll use.

If you have external AI set up and a code-compatible model, you can use DEVONthink's Script Assistant. Choose the AI model and enter a description of the desired script in the prompt field, then press the ↩ Return key to compose and refine a script.

Toolbar Scripts

Scripts can also be added to the toolbar of any DEVONthink window. While there is a limited amount of space available in a window's toolbar, this is a handy way to launch commonly used scripts with one click.

To add a toolbar script place the script into the folder ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.devon-technologies.think/Toolbar. In order for the script to be available for use in the toolbar, you must quit and relaunch DEVONthink. Then Control-click the toolbar of a DEVONthink window and choose View > Customize Toolbar. Drag your script into the toolbar and it's ready for use.

Terminology

Unlike some other script types, there are no special handlers required for a toolbar script. You only need valid AppleScript talking to DEVONthink.

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

open tab for record (content record)

end tell

Smart Rules and Batch Processing

Not everyone is a coder, perhaps even you. But that doesn't mean you don't have automation needs. DEVONthink has two related technologies that allow you to process your data by constructing a chain of predefined commands: smart rules and batch processing. While the former are for more transparent background processes and the latter for handling selected items, both share common traits and methods. Understanding one leads to understanding the other.

Smart Rules

Smart rules are smart groups‚ evolved. Built in the same style as smart groups, smart rules don't just show items matching criteria, they can act on them! From something as simple as adding (or changing) a color label, to modifying a filename then filing a document in another location, smart rules provide some powerful automation possibilities. And they're not just for the technically inclined. No programming experience is needed for almost every action available.

Smart rules are conceptually simple and can be summed up as follows: When this event occurs > do this action > on items matched > in this location. Smart rules are made of four parts:

Create a smart rule: Smart rules can be created in one of two ways:

Note in either case you can change the Search in parameter to target other locations, including all open databases.

Note:

Smart rules are considered global objects and can be created only in the Navigate sidebar of a main window. If you want to create a smart rule for a group in the item list, choose Data > Reveal to display it in the Navigate sidebar.

When you create a new smart rule, you will be shown the predicate editor, just as you see with smart groups. Just follow these simple steps to define the parameters of the rule (with an example):

This rule shown above would add "_edited" as a suffix to the name of any edited images whose name begins with "screen".

One step further‚ chained actions: If you hadn't noticed, there's a + button to the right of the action you specified. And yes, that means you can chain multiple actions in a smart rule! For example, we could add an action to open the edited imaged in the system default application after it has been renamed.

Understanding the input: In a smart rule, there always is only one input. You can't use conditionals or split the actions into a parallel process. A matched document is passed along through the entire process. So if you have a smart rule processing Markdown files and one of your actions is Convert to Rich Text, the resulting rich text file is created but not passed on to the next actions. The originally matched Markdown is still the input. However, there are two actions that allow switching the input: Duplicate & Continue and Convert & Continue. The items created by these actions become the input for the following actions. In our example, these actions would pass on the resulting rich text document as the input for the rest of the rule.

Order of operations: If you have more than one smart rule targeting the same location and/or types of files, they will run in the order they appear in the Navigate sidebar. The topmost rule will execute first, then the second, and so on. Be aware one rule could make a change that affects whether an item is matched by subsequent rules. If it does, those rules logically will not process the items. Drag related smart rules into the order they should run or stop and reconsider how your rules are set up.

Chaining smart rules: Creating smart rules with more limited functions is often useful. For example, a rule that just files documents based on a certain custom attribute can be used on selected documents or by drag and drop to the rule. Now say you have another rule with more complex functions, e.g., moving a document into a database, doing OCR, then adding custom metadata. Provided it's using the same custom metadata, instead of adding the same actions as the previous rule, add the Apply Rule action and choose the filing smart rule. Now add another smart rule that should also file things based on the same custom metadata but in a different location. Use the Apply Rule action there as well. Now both rules can use the filing smart rule's actions without having to redundantly add their own actions. This is a powerful way to extend the functions of a smart rule while also using the simpler functions, when needed.

Working Safely: In smart rules, the actions are executed based on the event handler you're using. For testing, set the event trigger to On Demand. This way you can select the rule to see its matches, then Control-click it and choose Apply Rule to run it and see the effects on the matched items. Once things are working as expected, you can add other event triggers to suit the situation.

Also be aware the effects of smart rules are very broad, i.e., they affect all the items they match. While you are testing, it's a good idea to put some limiting criterion in place. For example, instead of matching all images in all databases, try matching images in a specific group or only images that begin with "Screen".

Batch Processing

Smart rules are useful for repetitious actions, usually happening in the background. For times when you need to make impromptu changes on specific items, e.g., prefixing a date to the name of several documents, batch processing is the best option.

Select a few documents to process, then choose Tools > Batch Process. The Batch Processing window appears where you can create your chain of actions, just as described for smart rules. Then press OK and the documents are modified. And if this is something you'll do often, you can create new reusable configurations as you need them. Note not every smart action is available in batch processing. However, for most actions the available ones are more than sufficient.

Exporting and Importing

If you want to share or backup individual smart items, it is easily done. The simplest way to export a smart item is to drag and drop it to the Finder. Smart rules export as .dtSmartRule, batch configurations as .dtBatchProcess files. You can also choose Export from the context menu for a smart rule or batch configuration. And lastly, you can export from the action menu in the Batch Process window.

To import these items, you can simply double-click the exported file to reinstall it. Alternately, for smart rules, you can also drag and drop directly into the Smart Rules or choose Import from the context menu. For batch configurations, you can drag and drop to the Configurations section of the Batch Process window or choose Import from the context menu or action menu.

If you want to share or independently backup all these smart items, you can find the BatchProcessing.plist and SmartRules.plist in the ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink directory.

For your reference, there is a complete list of available Events and Actions. For those interested in the using script-based actions, continue to the next section…

Smart Item Scripts

Smart item scripts are AppleScripts or JavaScripts run by specialized actions in a smart rule or batch processing. These actions allow you to extend the possibilities beyond the already powerful pre-defined actions.

There are three actions you will use: one simply runs code on matched items, the other can also handle incoming and outgoing data, and one handles input.

Script Actions

Apply Script: This action runs AppleScript or JavaScript for Automation (JXA) code on the matched items. It runs as a standalone action, not receiving or passing along any data to its surrounding actions. It is often used for specific functions not available in the pre-defined actions. For example, using a specific tag on a document for filing or setting metadata. This action also has the advantage of being able to quickly process multiple documents.

Set Script Input: This optional action functions as a variable, a temporary container for a value to be passed on to the Script with Input/Output action. The input can be set from many sources, like a chat response, a document's aliases, etc. However, it only accepts strings, numbers, or URLs.

Script with Input/Output: This powerful action contains a script handler that receives input and can also send information to actions that follow it. Getting information from other steps in your process opens up new opportunities for deeper automation. To accept input from a previous action, use the Set Script Input action. If you're using output from the action, it can be accessed with a Script Output placeholder.

If you examine some of the built-in scripts, you can see examples of input and output. For an example output only, the Coordinates script gets the latitude and longitude from the geolocation of a record, something for which there is no specific smart action. So it returns those values to be used with a subsequent action via the Script Output placeholder, perhaps one that sets custom metadata. For an input example, see the Annotation – Append Text script. It receives input from a Set Script Input action to be added to the end of the document's annotation file.

External Scripts

External scripts are accessible to any rule or configuration. So if you have code that would be useful in more than one process, saving them externally is a good idea. To run an external script, add the action, select Externaland choose one of the installed scripts.

In the ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.devon-technologies.think/ directory you can find the scripts for the Apply Script action in Smart Rules and those for Script with Input/Output in Script Output. And of course you can add any of your own scripts.

We have compiled a list of the pre-installed scripts, for everyday use and your education.

Embedded Scripts

If you are writing a script for a specific smart rule or batch process, you can use an embedded script. The code is part of the action and can't be used by another other smart rule or configuration.

To create an embedded script, add an Apply Script action then choose AppleScript or JavaScript. Click the Edit Script button and a popup will appear with a pre-built handler in place. Add your code, and press the compile button, the one with the stylized eye, to make sure it compiles correctly. If it does, you will see the code format itself subtly. If not, you will hear a system alert. When done, click outside the popup to dismiss it.

For those new to scripting, there is a pre-built handler for each type of action.

Terminology

Apply Rule: These scripts are defined by this handler: on performSmartRule(var), where var is the variable representing items matched by the smart rule.

Example:

on performSmartRule(theRecords)

tell application id "DNtp"

repeat with theRecord in theRecords  

if (name of theRecord as string) contains "Piglet" then

set state of theRecord to true  

end if  

end repeat  

end tell  

end performSmartRule

Script with Input/Output: These scripts are defined by this handler: on scriptOutput(theRecord,theInput)You can see there are two parameters for the handler: theRecord and theInput. In order to use the input parameter, it must be proceeded by a Set Script Input action. Here is an example of the handler:

Example:

on scriptOutput(theRecord, theInput)

tell application id "DNtp"

set name of theRecord to (its name & "-" & theInput as string)

return name of theRecord  

end tell  

end scriptOutput

External Debugging

While there isn't a step-by-step logging of all actions in a smart rule, when you are using a script action, errors will be reported in the Log window or toolbar button. However, if you're writing the script in Apple's Script Editor, here are two core snippets you could use to develop and test the script:

Example:

tell application id "DNtp" to my performSmartRule(selected records)


on performSmartRule(theRecords) 

… 

end performSmartRule


tell application id "DNtp" to my scriptOutput(selected record 1,"")


on scriptOutput(theRecord,theInput) 

… 

end scriptOutput

After you have the script working, you can copy and paste it into the script in your smart item.

If you have external AI set up and a code-compatible model, you can use DEVONthink's Script Assistant. Choose the AI model and enter a description of the desired script in the prompt field, then press the ↩ Return key to compose and refine a script.

AI Assisted Automation

Artificial Intelligence has been integrated into many aspects of DEVONthink and automation is certainly included. Here we will look at a few different options for using your AI model.

Smart Actions

There are two specific smart actions available to use in smart rules and batch processing: Chat - Query and Chat - Continue if. These actions are simple to use and require little more than creating a good prompt. Each action works in conjunction with a subsequent one. You make your query and receive a response, then you use another action to do something with it.

Chat - Query: This action allows you to enter a pre-made prompt or ask a question. This action can be used with or without a document, as the need fits. And if you defined a Role in the AI > Chat settings, it will be used to shape the response in this action.

The response you get back from your AI model is stored in a special placeholder: Query Response. Depending on the nature of the question and answer, you may be able to use this placeholder directly with another action. Or you may use it in another action further along in the chain of actions.

Chat - Continue if: This is a conditional action allowing you to enter a prompt for your AI and get a yes or no in return. If the response is yes, the following actions will be run. If not, it will stop running. As a simple example, you could ask if the selected document mentions scripting. If it does, use the Apply Script:Tags - Add Most Important Words action to tag it.

There are a few smart actions that can provide flexibility to or extend the usefulness of the AI responses in automation. Note they aren't specific to the higher editions of DEVONthink or only for AI actions.

User Input: Only used in batch processing, this action opens a dialog for you to enter text. Enter the question or comment to be answered in the dialog. Ask a question, enter an answer. The results of this action are stored in the User Input placeholder. One way this can be used with the AI actions, is to create a dynamic prompt for a Chat — Query action that contains reusable instructions, e.g., formatting, etc. It can also be used with the next action: Set Script Input.

Set Script Input: Discussed in the previous section, this acts as a variable. It can accept input from many actions, including the User Input action. Regarding AI, it will accept input from the Chat Response placeholder so you can pass it on to the next action: Script with Input/Output

Script with Input/Output: Also discussed in the previous section, this action accepts input provided by the Set Script Input action and uses it in the embedded or external script you choose. In regards to AI, this action can pass its return value to one of the chat actions via the Script Output.

Scripting

Another way DEVONthink has integrated AI into its automation tools is via script commands. You can view DEVONthink's AppleScript dictionary for more information but here is a brief introduction to the commands.

display chat dialog: Provide a prompt and the specifier, e.g., a window or document to process, and this opens the Summarize and Transform popover with your AI's response. Optionally, add a role and a window name.

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

display chat dialog think window 1 name "Top five words" role "Provide the response in Markdown formatting. Include the frequency of each word in parentheses. Add a short summary. Include any misspelled words and their corrections at the end." prompt "What are the five more frequently used words in this document?"

end tell

download image for prompt: If you need to create an image programmatically instead of using the Generate Image window, you can use this command. Specify the engine, noting the options like size are governed by the engine you're using. See the AI > Images settings for more information. Also the image is returned as a data class.

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

set imageData to download image for prompt "A 1934 canary-yellow Ford sitting at a stop light next to a red Ford Fusion. High noon on a small town main street." engine FluxPro aspect ratio "16:9"

set newImage to create record with {name:"Fords", type:picture} in current group

set data of newImage to imageData

end tell

get chat models for engine: Displays the available models for a specific AI engine.

Example:

tell application id "DNtp" to get chat models for engine Claude

-->{"Claude 3 Haiku", "Claude 3.5 Haiku", "Claude 3.5 Sonnet", "Claude 3 Opus"}

get chat response for message: This can be used in many different ways, when provided with your prompt and many options, e.g., engine, role, temperature, etc. You can also include a reference to a selected record or a list of them. Here is a simple interactive example of document creation:

Example:

tell application id "DNtp"

set theInput to text returned of (display dialog "Tell me about…" default answer "sea turtles")

set aiReply to (get chat response for message "list seven interesting facts about " & theInput & " in a Markdown table. Don't number the items. Don't use emoji. Include live hyperlinks to the sources. Add only " & theinput & " as the headline and include a picture after it.")

set newDoc to create record with {name:(paragraph 1 of aiReply as string), type:markdown, content:aiReply} in current group

end tell

Obviously, this command is far more powerful than just making Markdown documents about sea turtles! But this hopefully provides a view of the syntax.

Smart Templates

Some of the DEVONthink provided templates are "template packages" (.dtTemplate) and "smart templates" (.templatescriptd). Stored in the ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink/Templates.noindex directory, both types of templates provide a great deal of flexibility and power, like allowing for inclusion of language resources. With some creativity and scripting know-how, you can set up everything from commonly used group hierarchies to daily journal entries and much more.

Template packages

The simpler type of automated templates DEVONthink supports are: template packages. These are folders with the file name extension .dtTemplate that contain one or multiple .lproj folders, one for each supported language. Depending on the system language, you can let DEVONthink import the files in the correct language. If you inspect the contents of a template package, e.g., Classifications > Decimal Filing System.dtTemplate, you will see the project folders and their assets as a great example of this type of template.

Smart templates

The more advanced type of automated templates are smart templates. These are not simple files, but actually AppleScript packages containing script code, and often including related assets that can be inserted into your database. This allows for some very powerful actions like:

Creating Templates

Template Packages: To create your own template package, you can duplicate an existing template, Control-click it, choose Show Package Contents and edit the internals as needed. Also note exporting multiple selected files will yield a template package.

Smart Templates: To make your own smart templates, have a look at the prefabricated smart templates. Duplicate a .templatescriptd file, like the "Note" template. Control-click it, and choose Show Package Contents. You can inspect and modify the supporting assets and the main.scpt file to fit your needs.

Template Placeholders

Placeholders in templates are simple control codes that are replaced by DEVONthink when a template file is imported. These placeholders can be used in your files, including simple templates, or folder names of your templates packages. When used in files, they are typed in the text of DEVONthink-native files; e.g., plain or rich text, Markdown, etc. These can be manually typed or you can Control-click in the text and choose Insert Placeholder. Below is a list of valid placeholders:

Note:

There are more placeholders from the context menu than can be used in a template. For example, the placeholder %record_locality% relates to an existing record, so this placeholder will not be used when creating a file from a template.

Custom Placeholders: One more powerful feature of smart templates is the ability to define custom placeholders, extending the possibilities beyond the list shown here. This allows you to add a custom placeholder in the text of a template, then define the replacement value for that placeholder in the main.scpt. As a great example, check out the use of the custom %project% placeholder in the Project smart template. Notice the use of the placeholder in the enclosed rich text file and the script.

Terminology

With the internal script of a smart template, there are no special handlers required. However, the internal script must be located in the Contents/Resources/Scripts folder inside the package, and it must remain named main.scpt. Beyond that, you only need valid AppleScript.

Template Localization

If you need to support multiple languages in your templates, it is possible to have the name and/or content change based on the language in which DEVONthink is running. You can add your own definitions in .strings files in the Contents > Resources directory of a template package. Here are the files that can be used:

Toolbar Templates

To add any template to the toolbar, place the template into the folder ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink/Templates.noindex/Toolbar. In order for the script to be available for use in the toolbar, you must quit and relaunch DEVONthink. Choose View > Customize Toolbar, drag your template into the toolbar and it's ready for use.

Apple Mail Rules

When considering importing emails into your DEVONthink databases, the question of "automatic" email importing invariably comes up. While this isn't fully possible yet, there is a mechanism in Apple Mail that can provide some level of "automatic": Mail Rules.

Found in Apple Mail's Settings > Rules, these are a rules consisting of criteria to be matched and an associated action (similar to smart rules). As incoming emails are detected, Mail will check for matches in a rule and execute any actions you've specified in the rule.

One of the actions available is Run AppleScript. Selecting this option shows a dropdown with any installed Mail Rule scripts. These scripts are installed in ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.apple.mail folder. If you write or obtain other scripts for use with Mail Rules, they can also be placed in this directory. The scripts provided by DEVONthink are:

Terminology

A full lesson on writing scripts for Mail Rules is beyond the scope of this help, but you can open and explore the installed scripts.

Do note there are two required handlers: using terms from application "Mail" and on perform mail action with messages theMessages for rule theRule, where theMessages is a variable representing the items matched by the rule. Here's a simple example:

Example:

using terms from application "Mail"

on perform mail action with messages theMessages for rule theRule

tell application "Mail"

repeat with thisMessage in theMessages

display alert "" & (subject of thisMessage)

end repeat

end tell

end perform mail action with messages

end using terms from

Note:

Mail Rules are controlled by Apple Mail, not DEVONthink. While they generally behave as expected, we can't control whether the rules will be triggered in Apple Mail.

Application Scripts

AppleScript is perfectly suited for integrating different applications, interchanging information, and creating workflows. DEVONthink comes with a number of scripts that exchange information between DEVONthink and other AppleScript supporting applications, like Safari or Mail.

The Script Menu Extra Scripts provided by DEVONthink are installed in an application-specific folder in ~/Library/Scripts/Applications, e.g., ~/Library/Scripts/Applications/Safari. These scripts are accessible from the global scripts menu in the menu bar at the top of your screen while you're in the specific application.

Mail Scripts

Importing email into your DEVONthink databases is a possible use of AppleScript. Using AppleScript-enabled email applications, especially those with a robust scripting dictionary, increases the potential for processing emails. This can help you quickly file those emails directly into DEVONthink.

DEVONthink comes with scripts for Apple Mail, Microsoft Entourage, and Microsoft Outlook. Just select a message or mailbox in a supported email application and choose the desired script from the global scripts menu. DEVONthink provides the following scripts:

Web browsers

Depending on the capabilities of the web browser you're using, you may be able to use application scripts. We have included a handful of simple scripts that can be run while browsing in Safari or DEVONagent.

Other Applications

Obviously we haven't covered all the possible applications or scenarios on your machine, and we are sure you have ideas we haven't thought of. If you have an application you'd like to integrate with DEVONthink, check if it has an AppleScript dictionary. If it does, the potential exists to communicate between the applications. But also be aware the commands, elements, and properties you can work with are coded by the developer of those applications.

Folder Actions

Folder actions are scripts that you can attach to folders in the Finder. These act on all items you add to these "hot folders." When you add items, the operating system detects the added files and runs any folder actions attached to the folder.

The actions supplied by DEVONthink are installed in ~/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts, and you can add your own scripts to this directory, as needed. For everyday use and exploration, here are the folder action scripts provided by DEVONthink:

These built-in actions also include this line to run an available smart rule on imported or indexed items: perform smart rule record theRecord trigger import event. You can enter the name of a specific smart rule in your own scripts, as needed.

This built-in action include this line to run an available smart rule after OCR has finished: perform smart rule record theRecord trigger OCR event. You can enter the name of a specific smart rule in your own scripts, as needed.

Attaching a folder action

To attach a folder action script to a folder, do the following:

Manage folder actions: To manage all your folder actions, Control-click a folder and choose Services > Folder Actions Setup from the context menu. Use the Folder Actions Setup utility to see which folders have scripts attached, and to remove folder actions from folders.

Note:

Modern versions of macOS will require you to allow the Folder Actions Setup application to run. This notification is controlled by the operating system, not DEVONthink.

Terminology

While we can't provide specific training on how to create folder actions, check out Apple's documentation. However, the on adding folder items to folderVariable after receiving filesVariable is the handler most commonly used in our folder action scripts. Here is a simple example:

Example:

on adding folder items to theFolder after receiving theFiles

repeat with thisFile in theFiles

tell application id "DNtp"

set newRecord to import thisFile to incoming group

if exists newRecord then tell application "Finder" to delete thisFile

end tell

end repeat

end adding folder items to

Folder actions, like any computer processes, are treated very literally. When processing files with a folder action, it's best to move or delete the files from the watched folder. This keeps the action from trying to reprocess files.

Also, while folder actions can still be a useful option, many can be replaced by indexing a Finder folder and processing their contents with smart rules. You can use the Move into Database action to import the document into your database, keeping the Finder folder clean for subsequent additions.

Shortcuts and Automator

Apple's Shortcuts and Automator applications were created to help non-programmers take some control of their machines. They allow you to visually string together simple steps to create an automated process. Though much more limited due to their linear nature and lack of debugging tools, they may still be useful for some situations. Additionally, they let you create other types of items like workflows, services, or Quick Actions.

DEVONthink doesn't offer specific Shortcut or Automator actions. However, as DEVONthink has a deep and robust scripting dictionary, the Run AppleScript action in those applications opens up some automation opportunities. The key to integration with DEVONthink is passing or receiving file paths via scripting.

Note:

While Shortcuts is newer, the tips presented here generally apply to both applications. And while we may investigate DEVONthink-specific questions regarding Shortcuts or Automator, we do not offer support specifically for them.

Getting information into DEVONthink


As an example, importing selected files in the Finder can be accomplished by passing file paths to DEVONthink. To do this, use a Get Selected Files in Finder action before this Run AppleScript action:

Example:

on run {input}

tell application id "DNtp"

repeat with thisFile in input

import (POSIX path of thisFile) to incoming group

end repeat

end tell

end run

Sending information out of DEVONthink


For passing items from DEVONthink, this Run AppleScript action provides a list of file paths to be processed. This action should be placed before the third-party application's actions.

Example:

on run {}

tell application id "DNtp"

if (selected records) is not {} then

set fileList to {}

repeat with thisRecord in (selected records)

if (path of theRecord is not "") then

copy ((path of theRecord) as POSIX file) to end of fileList

end if

end repeat

end if

if fileList is not {} then return fileList

end tell

end run

Note:

In Shortcuts, the records' path likely needs to be passed as a POSIX file. Automator prefers POSIX paths, so use copy (path of thisRecord) to end of fileList instead. Also, you need to ensure the selected items are not groups or smart groups as they don't exist in the filesystem.

WARNING: Be very cautious when using the paths from DEVONthink. Actions like moving, deleting, renaming etc. would compromise your database. Immediately following the AppleScript action, use a Save action with the AppleScript Result in Shortcuts or the Copy Finder Items action in Automator to keep from modifying the underlying files in your database.

Every database, group, or document in your DEVONthink database has a URL (uniform resource locator) associated with it. While web URLs typically begin with http:// or https://, DEVONthink's URLs take the form of x-devonthink-item:// followed by a long alphanumeric ID. These are most commonly used for backlinks and deeplinking, even with external applications. But item links can also be used as a type of automation when extended with URL parameters.

You can get this item link manually by selecting a document or group and choosing Edit > Copy Item Link. You then can manually extend the copied URL with the following parameters, as needed:

Example:

x-devonthink-item://<recordID>?reveal=1

x-devonthink-item://<pdfID>?page=5

x-devonthink-item://<textFileID>?search=iPad%20Pro

x-devonthink-item://<movieID>?time=43.5

Note:

The first parameter after the ID is always added after a question mark (?), additional ones after an ampersand (&), and any values must be percent-encoded.

Terminology

Manually getting item links can be useful for some hard-coded cases, but there are many times you want to get them programmatically. There are two AppleScript properties for a record related to item links:

Here is an example of getting and using an item link to create a Markdown compliant link on the clipboard:

Example:

tell application "DNtp"

set recordName to name of content record

set recordURL to reference URL of content record

set the clipboard to ("[" & recordName & "](" & recordURL & ")")

end tell

The terminology for using item links can depend on the capabilities of the application you're scripting. Here is an example, using a hard-coded URL, with an application that can open URLs:

Example:

tell application "Opera"

tell window 1

make new tab with properties {URL:"x-devonthink-item://929D101B-35AC-474C-801C-D8818C48DB80?line=125"}

end tell 

end tell

P.S.: For the shell scripters, the URLs can be used with an open command.

URL Commands

URL commands are similar to item links but instead of pointing to a file, they execute special commands in DEVONthink. Though not as powerful as AppleScript, these commands can be used in special circumstances.

Terminology

The URLs are constructed from a single command and optional parameters, with the following format:

x-devonthink://<command>?<parameter=value&parameter=value&...>

Note:

The first parameter after the ID is always added after a question mark (?), additional ones after an ampersand (&), and any values must be percent-encoded.

Listed below are the commands and parameters available:

Commands:

Note:

Use the location parameter set to a URL with the commands above to download the page in the specified format.

Parameters:

Example:

x-devonthink://createRTF?title=New%20bookmark&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.devontechnologies.com&noselector=1

Note:

These are not x-callback-urls. An x-callback-url is a specific type of URL scheme that returns a value to the calling application.

Appendix

In the appendices you will find a wealth of additional information that helps you getting familiar with DEVONthink, such as a glossary of commonly used terms, a listing of the Boolean operators used in searches, commonly found context menu items, and much more.

Glossary

Become familiar with these terms to get the most out of working with DEVONthink.

Interface Elements

Get familiar with the names of part of DEVONthink windows.

Documents & Groups

Tags

See the Iconology section for icons specific to these two items.

Item Properties

See the Iconology section for icons specific to the flagged, locked, or unread states.

Synchronization

AI

Iconology

Additional icons behind item names, e.g., in main windows, indicate that the item has been indexed instead of imported, is locked, has a comment or annotation attached, is encrypted, e.g., PDFs or encrypted databases, or has a triggered script attached. Groups also serving as tags show a tag icon. Depending on your preferences, replicants, duplicates, or replicated duplicates are indicated with a little grey icon instead of appearing in color.

Toolbar Items

DEVONthink provides a wide variety of toolbar items, giving you quick "push-button" access to many everyday tools.

Default Items

The following toolbar buttons are available in the default set you see when you first launch DEVONthink:

Additional Items

In addition to the default set, there are many other specific buttons available, shown in the order found in the View > Customize Toolbar sheet:

Custom Items

If you are creating scripts or templates, they will be available to add to the toolbar after quitting and relaunching DEVONthink. See the appropriate sections for information on where to save these files for use in the toolbar.

Interface Shortcuts

For some people, navigating an application via keyboard shortcuts feels much more efficient. Below are some shortcuts for getting around the interface. Some are common to most Mac applications; others are specific to DEVONthink. And if you're looking for hotkeys for command shortcuts, we also have those listed.

There are a few keys found only on extended keyboards. Here are the equivalents available on laptops using the Function key:

Extended Keys:

Windows

Note:

Hold ⇧ to cycle in reverse order.

Document Lists

Navigating items:

Selecting items:

Manipulating items:

Item List:

View/Edit Pane

The first section of shortcuts are generally applicable to documents like Markdown, rich text, etc. Keys more specific to other formats are listed separately.

PDFs and Images:

Sheets:

Multimedia:

Note:

These keys operate when a multimedia file is playing in a document window. They are not global controls, i.e., they will have no effect on an audio file playing in a minimized window.

The Sorter

Views: You can jump to a specific view by pressing Option-Command and 1 through 6, starting at the Navigation view.

General Note Creation and Clipping:

Voice and Video Note:

Screen Capture:

Both of the next two functions use the Web Clip view. However, when opened via the Clip To DEVONthink browser extension, the hotkeys have different functions.

Web Clip:

Clip to DEVONthink:

Context Menu Items

DEVONthink's menus are full of powerful commands. But many of them are also found in its context menus, shown when you Control-click certain elements in the application. This provides quicker access to certain functions, streamlining your experience. As the name implies, the commands are contextual so the available functions depend on what is selected or clicked on. For example, the OCR commands are only shown if an image or PDF document is in your selection. Below is a list of common menu items available in the context menus for documents and windows.

Item List

These context menu items are commonly shown when you Control-click in an item list. As other interface elements, e.g., the AI > See Also have item lists, you will find many of these commands when you Control-click in them too.

New Documents: You will see the Data > New and New from Template commands when using the context menu in the item list of a main window.

Note:

These specific commands are only shown when a selection contains files that can be processed by them: Imprinter, OCR, and Recognition. This includes selected groups containing these documents.

Navigate Sidebar

New Databases: No matter what section of the Navigate sidebar in which you open the context menu, you will see these commands: New Database, New Encrypted Database, New Revision-Proof Database. This makes it easy to spin up a new database at any time.

The commands listed alphabetically below may be seen when opening the context menu in the various sections of this sidebar. Again, the commands are contextual so where you open the menu or what is selected dictates the available commands. For example, the Add to Favorites command logically isn't shown when Control-clicking an item in the Favorites section.

Note:

Context menu commands for the other sidebars as well as the inspectors are covered in their respective sections.

Document Contents

The context menu is shown in the view/edit pane for documents provides commands based on whether there is a selection or not. Some commands are also only available when a limited number or words or links are selected in the text. Also, some are relative to the file type, e.g., shown for PDF documents. Format-specific commands are described in their respective sections in the Documents chapter. This includes special item links, like page links.

The following alphabetical list covers context menu commands you may see when working with documents in the view/edit pane.

Note:

Proprietary formats viewed via QuickLook won't display a context menu unless they support the View > Document Display > Text Alternative view.

Command Keys

Below are the the factory default shortcuts for the commands in DEVONthink's menus. The main commands, those visible when you open the menu, are listed first. Shortcuts for submenu commands are listed separately. Any alternate commands, e.g., those that are available when holding the ⌥ Option key are listed directly after the related command.

This listing uses Apple's standard command key symbols:

There are also a few commands using buttons only found on extended keyboards. These are listed by name. However, there are equivalent key combinations available on laptops using the Function key:

Extended Keys:

The Application Menu

Shortcuts found in the DEVONthink menu.

The File Menu

Shortcuts found in the File menu, including the New Window, Export, and Close Database submenus.

New Window

Close Database

The Edit menu

Shortcuts found in the Edit menu, including the Find, Spelling and Grammar, and Insert submenus.

Find

Spelling and Grammar

Insert

The Data Menu

Shortcuts found in the Data menu, including the New, Open With, and Mark submenus.

New

Open With

Mark

The Format Menu

Shortcuts found in the Format menu, including the Font, Style, Alignment, and Ruler submenus.

Font

Style

Alignment

Ruler

The Tools Menu

Shortcuts found in the Tools menu, including the Inspectors, and Filter submenus.

Inspectors

Filter

Flip

Batch Process

The View menu

Shortcuts found in the View menu, including the Full Screen, Zoom, and Document Display submenus.

Full Screen

Zoom

Document Display

The Go Menu

Shortcuts found in the Go menu. Note a few commands are marked with the extended keys mentioned at the beginning of this section, e.g., Home.

Workspaces: Workspaces you create will be automatically assigned a shortcut of ⌥⇧⌘1, ⌥⇧⌘2, etc. up to the ninth workspace.

The Window Menu

Shortcuts found in the Window menu.

The Scripts Menu

Shortcuts found in the Scripts menu. As the script menu is segregated into subfolders by design, there are no top level commands with shortcuts at the factory settings. However, there are a few built-in scripts with default shortcuts:

Date

Download

Metadata

DEVONthink stores a large number of metadata fields internally when importing documents from the file system, e.g., from PDF, RTF, MP3, EXIF/IPTC, HTML, and email messages as well as from all files that deliver metadata through the Spotlight metadata importer. Here's a partial list of theoretically supported fields:

File Metadata

General Metadata:

PDF Metadata:

RTF Metadata:

Email Metadata:

Media and Publication Metadata:

MultiMarkdown Metadata:

Custom Metadata

Another powerful feature of DEVONthink is custom metadata fields. Specified in the Settings > Data, you can define fields that are meaningful to you, your company, your research group, or even your family!

When you create a custom metadata field, you give it a name. DEVONthink uses this name to create an identifier for use in automated processes. This identifier is created automatically and cannot be changed.

Data Types: When you define a custom field, you choose a data type for it. So what's a "data type"? It's simply a type of value; like "a" is a character and "42" is a (the!) number. The following data types are supported, including any interface items associated with them, e.g., checkboxes or dropdown menus:

Note there are metadata attributes that support an Undefined option: Countries, Languages, and Sets. This can be used anywhere custom metadata is displayed, e.g., in an item list column or the Data inspector. You can search for this by leaving the term empty, e.g., mdcountry= is equal to "The Country attribute is Undefined."

Note:

The Countries and Languages lists are lengthy, but not necessarily exhaustive. For Multi-line Text and Rich Text, only one line will be displayed in its column in the item list.

Predefined Custom Metadata: In Settings > Data, we have provided some custom metadata fields to get you started. These are ready to use and explore and serve as great examples of the data types discussed above:

Search Operators

DEVONthink is well known for its powerful search functions. Not only does is support search prefixes, but also extended operators like booleans, parentheses, and wildcards. The syntax of the operators is compatible to DEVONagent and EasyFind, the Finder, Spotlight, common search engines as well as common programming languages such as C, C++, Objective-C, Java, and JavaScript. The complexity of the query is unlimited.

Case-Insensitivity: You are free to use capitalization as you wish, e.g., for proper names, but DEVONthink will ignore case when interpreting the query. However, the operators listed below are case-sensitive, so age before beauty is not the same as age BEFORE beauty.

White Space Handling: Words linked by non-white separators (e.g., page-index or page_id) are treated like phrases put into "quotes". Words separated by hyphens are handled like word1word2 OR "word1 word2". Characters separated by dots are considered to be abbreviations and therefore handled like words separated by hyphens, e.g., the term t.a.t.u is equal to "t a t u" OR tatu.

Wildcards

To make searching more flexible, you can replace parts of words with wildcards. For example, you can search for plural forms of words without having to type, e.g., "dog" and "dogs". The available wildcards are:

Note:

The wildcards presented here are not full regular expressions.

Example:

Searching a document containing this text: DEVONtechnologies makes great software:

text:~tech matches as the tech is contained in one of the words.

text:tech does not match as there is no word tech.

text:tech* does not match as there is no word beginning with tech.

text:*tech does not match as there is no word ending with tech.

text:*tech* matches as tech is found in a word with text before and after it. However, unless you have a specific purpose, using the contains (~) operator is more succinct.


Searching a document with the text: He made a cake. She is making cookies. They live in Madeira:

text: ma[dk]* matches "made", "making", and "Madeira".

text: ma[dk]? matches only "made".


Given a document named 2024-2-14_Big Light Electric:

name:[0-9] would only match "2".

name:[0-9][0-9] would only match "14"

name:[0-9]* would match all the numbers, regardless of length.

name:[0-9][0-9]* would match two or more numbers, e.g, "14" and "2024".

name:19[0-9][0-9] If you were looking for documents only in the 1900s, this would match, e.g. "1914".

name:202[0-9] big would match this document or others from the 2020s, e.g., "2021-3-9_Big Light Electric".

Boolean Operators

The operators (often called Boolean operators) are words or symbols that establish logical rules for the terms in the search query. If no operator is given, DEVONthink infers AND. The available Boolean operators are:

Besides the classic Boolean operators, DEVONthink uses a number of operators that usually are found in high-end databases. Use these operators as a replacement for AND and "quotes" to fine tune your query.

For convenience, some of these operators can also be abbreviated using commonly used symbols:

Operators are evaluated in the following priority: parenthesis > phrase/hyphens > (NOT) BEFORE/AFTER/NEAR/NEXT > NOT > AND/OR/XOR/EOR. Terms with same priority but without parenthesis are evaluated from left to right.

Examples

By using any or all of the operators and rules laid out above you can create complex queries that find the exact information you're looking for. Here are some example queries that show how the operators are used.

Example:

Devonian Dinosaurs

This query looks for all documents that contain the words "devonian" and "dinosaurs".

Example:

(Steve NEAR Jobs) AND iMac BUT NOT MacBook OPT Pro

This query looks for documents that contain the words "Steve" and "Jobs" no farther ten words away from each other, as well as the word "iMac" (no specific position relative to Steve and Jobs), but not the word "MacBook". The word "Pro" does not need to occur, but if it does, the document is ranked higher in the list of search results.

Example:

Paracetamol NEAR (~effect OR impact) AND ((side OR second*) NEAR/2 ~effect)

This query looks for documents containing the word "Paracetamol" near (within 10 words) to words either starting with "effect" (and so also "effects") or "impact". In addition, the document needs to contain the word "side" or any word starting with "second" located within two words range of any word starting with "effect".

Search Prefixes

DEVONthink supports a wide variety of searchable attributes. These include common attributes, like names or tags, but also include document or DEVONthink-specific items, like word counts or custom metadata you've defined.

Similar to searching with Spotlight or some other applications, the use of search prefixes is not only supported, but encouraged. These take the form of a prefix and a prefix operator, e.g., name:, followed by the search term.

Search prefixes

These prefixes are automatically applied when you choose criteria in the advanced search editor but they can also be manually entered in the search field. In the following list, we show the human-readable names you'd see in the criteria editor. In parentheses are the corresponding raw query values you'd type in a toolbar search or use in scripting.

Item prefixes: These special prefixes are for state-based queries, like if items are replicants or contains aliases. They all follow the form of item:<specified state>, e.g., item:locked.

You can specify the state of items, i.e., is or is not. The available options are as follows:

The other option is specifying whether items do or don't contain a certain property. For example, you can search for items containing aliases and the item:<specified state> syntax is also used. This includes the negated form. Here are the searchable properties:

Marked: Item states shown in the Flag column in the item list, e.g., locked, can be searched for. When choosing criteria in the Advanced options of the toolbar search, choose the Marked criterion. If using a raw query string, the search prefix is item:<specified state> and it's negated form, item!:<specified state>. Here are the marking options available:

Dates: Dates are a very commonly used property in searches, for example, if you're looking for a document you created two days ago. Here are the date-based properties you can search for. See the Date Operators in the next section for the syntax you can use with these.

Miscellaneous Properties: There are also more esoteric attributes you can search for, like the number of attachments in emails, or the detected language of a document.

Custom Metadata: Any custom metadata attributes defined in the Data settings are also available as search prefixes. The search prefix you will type is a concatenated form of the attribute's name, prefixed with md. For example, an attribute of Total Cost would have a search prefix of mdtotalcost.

There are also two special prefixes you can use:

Example:


added>=2019-03-10 scope:selection

tags:sync; methods scope:"Tech Stuff"

any: name:test OR imprint {any: tags:blue; red}

Sub-criteria searches: Yes, you may have noticed in the last example a tags search in curly braces. This creates sub-criteria for the search. This obviously extends the search options to allow creating even more complex forms.

Prefix Operators

Many times prefixes end with a colon, e.g., tags: but some use other forms, depending on the available options in the criterion. For example, words can "begin with" some characters, but a size is greater or less than a value. If you select a criterion you would see what options apply. Use the keys below to map the option to its operator.

Matches, Is, Is Not:

: is equal to the term matches. With strings-based queries, it allows for wildcards to be used. It is also used for state-based queries, like Kind. The negated form, :! is also supported.

== is equal to the term is. This must be an exact match of the search term. These can be used in strings and number-based queries. The negated form, != is also supported.

Example:


Kind is Group → kind:group

Item is indexed → item:indexed

Item is not Replicated → item:!replicated

Extension is XML Document → extension==XML

Language is not English → language!=en

String Matching: These are operators that are used with string-based queries, like names or text content. These queries also support:

:< is equal to begins with.

:> is equal to ends with.

:~ is equal to contains. (The tilde is the second key down on the top left of an English keyboard.)

Example:


Subject begins with party → docSubject:<party

Locality ends with field → md_locality:>field

Name contains tech → name:~tech

Number Matching: In addition to the == and != operators, numbers can also use these operators:

< is equal to is less than and <= is is less than or equal to.

> is equal to is greater than and >= is is greater than or equal to.

Example:


Word Count is less than 1000 → wordcount<1000

Size is greater than 10MB → size>10 MB

Hits is greater than or equal to 1 → hits>=1

Range Matches: For certain numerical attributes, you can use a range matching syntax, attribute:lowerLimit-upperLimit. For example, wordcount:500-1000 matches files with between 500 and 1000 words. This is identical to the longer form syntax of wordcount>=500 wordcount<=1000. Range matches can be used with: width, height, duration, length, hits, wordcount, charactercount, and size prefixes.

Date Operators: These are operators used with date-based queries, like the creation date of files.

< is equal to before and <= is before or on.

> is equal to later and >= is later or on.

:# is equal to within last and :!# is not within last. These searches default to days, but you can also use weeks, months, or years, e.g., modified:!#1weeks. Note you always use the plural form of the time component.

For dates-based queries, : is equal to is and :! equals is not.

For greater compatibility, some other combinations of operators are allowed. due:<=2020-01-03 is equivalent to due<=2020-01-03.

Named Relative Dates: You can use these terms for relative dates: Today, Yesterday, This Week, Last Week, This Month, Last Month, This Quarter, Last Quarter, This Year, and Last Year. Use these with is, before (or on), and after (or on) operators.

Example:


Date Created is after January 31, 2019 → created:>=2019-01-31

Date opened is not within last 5 days → openingDate:!#5days

Date Due is not Today → due:!Today

Date searching allows for some flexibility in formats. Time is not a required parameter, but can be specified. These searches are all equivalent:

Example:


added>10 march, 2019

added>March 10, 19

added>2019-03-10 08:30:00 -0500

Placeholders

One of the most powerful features of DEVONthink is the ability to insert data dynamically. A placeholder is a bit of code DEVONthink interprets when used in these scenarios, replacing it with a specific value. You may have an imprint with a Name placeholder defined in the title. When the imprint is used on a PDF, the placeholder is converted to the name of the file!

To extend the possibilities even further, you can combine static text and multiple placeholders to achieve truly custom results. You can use these in a variety of ways: smart rules and batch processing, Reminder alarms, custom imprints on images and PDFs, in WikiLink templates, and more.

Below is a list of placeholders currently available. Following each description is the raw placeholder that can be used when creating templates in external applications or using the import template AppleScript command:

Note:

Please be aware not all placeholders can be used in all situations. For example, you can't use the Location placeholder in a document template as the document doesn't have a location until after it's created. Testing is strongly encouraged.

Generic Info:

Counters:

Item Locations:

Document Attributes:

Geographic Info:

Formatting:

Detected Values: The following placeholders get their values from the name or content of a matched document. For example, the Document String is the result of a Scan Name or Scan Text smart action.

Date Placeholders: There are several types of date-specific placeholders to choose from. You can choose from several built-in formats, e.g., the short date, or create your own with individual date component placeholders. Due to the repetition of date placeholders, the raw value of every individual placeholder isn't listed here. However, below are the date component raw values. Note some formats will appear relative to your geographic location, e.g., Jan 1, 2001 for the medium date would be common in the US.

Calendar Components:

Time Components:

Listed below are the supported date types with their raw prefix provided. The placeholders in the previous list relate to the current date, so entering (%month%) would give you the current month. To use other kinds of dates, e.g., Newest Document Date, use the raw value, then add the date component from the list above with the first letter capitalized. For example, getting the month of the newest document date would be: %newestDocumentDate% and month yielding newestDocumentDateMonth.

On a side note, you can string together multiple date and time component placeholders, e.g., to create a Zettelkasten timestamp string like 20010101115959.

Clipboard:

Computer Properties:

Properties: Some files have specific properties, e.g., the author of an email. These are displayed in the Info > Properties inspector. Here are the supported properties and their placeholders, including the raw value.

Custom Metadata: This menu lists any custom metadata attributes you've defined in the Data settings. In order to use raw placeholders, add the md prefix to the identifier of the custom attribute shown in the settings. For example, mddoi for the Digital Object Identifier attribute.

Smart Action Placeholders

These placeholders are used for automation in smart rules and batch processing.

Chat Suggestions: These placeholders are specific to smart actions so are only available in smart rules and batch processing. The values for the placeholders come from your AI provider. The AI engine will examine a document and return the value for the placeholder, e.g., the amount on a receipt. Many of these are described above: Title, Filename, Tags, Rating, Authors, Company, Address, Geolocation, and Date. However, there are some specific placeholders for AI:

Templates

Below are listed the pre-installed templates that come with DEVONthink. You are free to inspect or modify these templates to suit your needs, but we do recommend making a duplicate to preserve the original.

More templates are available by selecting Data > New from Template > More Templates, the Help > Support Assistant, or via the Extras sidebar.

Note:

Some of the included templates are just simple files. Others are smart templates, packages that contain assets and scripts that provide powerful template generation. See the Automation chapter for more information on them.

Accounts & Passwords:

AI Templates

The templates in this category all utilize AI models to return results, create documents or images, etc. The availability and quality of output is governed by the choices and services set in DEVONthink's AI settings.

Classifications:

Education:

Productivity:

Registers:

Smart Groups: These templates create smart groups, not individual documents. Note these are local smart groups so they only search in the database in which they're located.

Toolbar: By default this contains no templates. Add your own templates to ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink 3/Templates.noindex/Toolbar. These can be added to the DEVONthink windows using View > Customize Toolbar.

Read more about using and creating templates in the Documents chapter…

Scripts

DEVONthink is well known for its automation capabilities and to that end comes with many built-in scripts. Below is a list of the DEVONthink supplied scripts available to you.

Script menu

This is a list of the pre-installed scripts in DEVONthink's Scripts menu, presented as they appear in the submenus there:

Chat:

Comments:

Data:

Download:

Edit:

Execute:

Export:

Feeds:

Format:

Images:

Import:

Reminders:

Note:

These are scripts for integrating with external applications. For scripting internal reminder scripts, see the Reminder Scripts section of the chapter about automation.

Rename:

Sheets:

Tabs:

Note:

The last script does no URL validation, though DEVONthink's dictionary makes it possible to script this too.

Thumbnails:

Note:

While these scripts work with all image formats including PDF, they should not be used for PDF documents. They will only work on the first page of the PDF and destroy all embedded metadata.

Smart Item Scripts

These are scripts available to smart items, i.e., smart rules and batch processing. They are divided by the two available actions: Apply Script and Script with Input/Output.

Apply Script:

Script with Input/Output:

You can read more about how to use these scripts in the Smart Rules and Batch Processing section of this manual.

Smart Rule Events and Actions

DEVONthink provides many powerful actions for use with smart rules and batch processing. Smart rules run when certain events happen, e.g., when you open a file or DEVONthink syncs. These are called event triggers and are listed first. Following that are the available actions for both functions.

Events

When an action is triggered is almost as important as the action itself. Actions can be triggered when any of these events occur:

You can add and remove multiple event triggers by pressing the + or - buttons. For example, you could use an On Import and an On Moving event trigger to act on imported items or items being moved in your databases.

Actions

The power in smart rules and batch processing is found in the actions. DEVONthink provides actions that cover simple tasks, e.g., prefixing a filename, all the way to ultra-powerful AppleScript injection via external or embedded scripts. Since you can chain multiple actions together, the possibilities are nearly endless.

Note batch processing supports a smaller number of actions than smart rules. Here's a list of available actions with those also usable in batch processing marked with (BP):

Item scanning: Supported both in smart rules and batch processing, the next actions allow you to scan the name or text of a document and use the results when found. Each of the actions also has a parameter you specify for the type of data you're scanning for. These actions and parameters can be used with subsequent actions that support placeholders, e.g., Scan Text: Date → Document Date with Change Modification Date. If the action returns no results, actions using the results will not be executed. However, unrelated actions in the smart rule chain will be executed normally.

The following four parameters are used with the Scan Name and Scan Text actions. With String, Date, and Amount, a prefix and/or suffix before/after the wildcard has to be specified.

Example:


Using the String parameter, Invoice * would capture 0012345 in a file named Invoice 0012345..

Using the Date parameter, * would capture the date in a file named 2020-01-01.

Using the Amount parameter, $* would capture the dollar amount detected.

Using the Regular Expression parameter, Bill To: ([A-Za-z0-9 ,]+) would capture the name of the person or company billed. \1 would be used in the subsequent action.

Scripting and Chat: These commands are used for adding script actions processes or integrating an AI model, e.g., ChatGPT, into your automations. You can read more about these actions in the Smart Rule Scripts section.

Batch Processing Only: There is one action found only in batch processing: User Input. As batch processing is a more impromptu mechanism, it's a good place to allow user interaction. This smart action opens a dialog for you to enter information, e.g., to type a prompt, enter a name, etc. The result is stored in the User Input placeholder, used by a variety of actions.

The following smart actions are only available in the higher editions of DEVONthink. You will find them throughout the list of actions in the dropdown menu as you're creating your smart rule.

Custom Metadata: If you have specified custom metadata fields, you will have options to change values with an action. For example, if you had a Boolean field named "Done", you could have the action set this field to true when the action is triggered. (BP)

AI Models

AI models are constantly evolving, with new models appearing, updating, and sometimes disappearing. While a complete compendium of models and capabilities is impossible to create and maintain, here is a list of the commercial models currently supported, listing the size of the context window and supported functions, e.g., vision.

The icons for the functions are as follows:  for vision,  for tooling,  for thinking, and  for deep search.

OpenAI:

Anthropic:

Gemini:

Mistral:

Perplexity:

OpenRouter:

Bear in mind, local AI models are not listed here due to the lack of standardization. Depending on your hardware (and your level of patience), you may be running larger models than someone on a less powerful machine. Also, you may have a penchant for a specific AI model provider and want to use their models.

Website Export Templates

For exporting selected groups or files as a website, DEVONthink uses templates available in ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink/Websites/ to create HTML files from documents. In the save dialog that appears when you use File > Export > as Website, click the Show Options button, choose a template, and set your options. Then choose your location and export. Listed below are the available templates but feel free to duplicate and modify them to suit your own needs:

These templates are constructed of the placeholders listed below. Each placeholder will be replaced with actual information during the export. The placeholders will only be replaced in documents that are converted to HTML during export, namely plain text, rich text, Microsoft Office/OpenOffice documents, scripts, chat logs, and sheets.

Hidden preferences

There are a few settings in DEVONthink not available through the application Settings. Most of them are intended to facilitate customer support but they might be interesting for you as well.

Note:

These hidden preferences could be changed or removed with any update.

How to use the hidden preferences

You can toggle or set values for hidden preferences using the defaults command in the Terminal application. When setting these preferences via the Terminal, DEVONthink should not not be running or the changes may not be preserved when quitting.

To set a preference using the Terminal, noting the commands are case-sensitive, they are written like this (excluding the parentheses): defaults write com.devon-technologies.think (the preference name) (the preference type) (the value). For example, the following command enables the preference by setting a -bool (boolean type) to TRUE:

Terminal:

$ defaults write com.devon-technologies.think ShouldScaleAttachedImages -bool TRUE

Some hidden preferences require you to specify a numeric value, e.g., CounterDigits. These types of preferences also need to be set via a Terminal command. Use the -int (integer) type before specifying the number, like so:

Terminal:

$ defaults write com.devon-technologies.think CounterDigits -int 3

Other preferences use a -string type. For example, there is a preference to allow DEVONthink to detect other plain text formats as plain text, AdditionalPlainTextExtensions. As this command replaces the existing list of additional plain text extensions, we recommend that you first read the current list (empty by default) before adding your own to them.

Terminal:

$ defaults read com.devon-technologies.think AdditionalPlainTextExtensions

2014-07-31 08:25:27.101 defaults[21950:3312262] The domain/default pair of (/Users/eb/Library/Preferences/com.devon-technologies.think AdditionalPlainTextExtensions) does not exist

# This "error" shows there are no additional formats specified.

$ defaults write com.devon-technologies.think AdditionalPlainTextExtensions -string .otl.todotxt

$ defaults read com.devon-technologies.think AdditionalPlainTextExtensions

.otl.todotxt

Available hidden preferences keys

Here is a list of the available hidden preferences. Each one includes a description, its data type, and an example value:

Read Me

This chapter contains the version history of DEVONthink, our end user license agreement (EULA), and credits.

Version History

New  Improved  Fixed  Removed

Version 4.2 Cassini

DEVONthink introduces a refreshed look with a new app icon and full support for Apple's Liquid Glass design on macOS Tahoe. On macOS Sequoia and later, sidebars and inspectors now animate smoothly in and out, and the Navigate sidebar is spring-loaded. Simply drag items to the window edge to reveal it automatically. PDF documents on Tahoe also respect your dark mode preference for more comfortable reading.

The Chat assistant gains powerful new capabilities: adjust many options directly within the chat window, and access up to 50 saved conversations to pick up right where you left off. You can now choose between DEVONthink, Perplexity, or Exa for web and Wikipedia searches, giving you control over speed versus freshness. Updated AI models including Claude 4.5, GPT 5.2, Gemini 3, and Google Nano Banana Pro, deliver improved performance across all AI use. When generating images, you can choose the aspect ratio.

New workflow tools help you work faster: the detachable Graph popover lets you visualize document connections, you can manually save named versions for finer revision control, and annotation files are now easier to create, locate, and open directly from menus and inspectors. Markdown documents also support smart quotes and dashes for polished typography.

Note:

DEVONthink now requires macOS 13.5 Ventura or later.

Note:

We name this release after the Cassini lunar crater and its namesake, Giovanni Domenico Cassini (1625–1712). The Italian-French astronomer served as the first director of the Paris Observatory. Cassini was a methodical observer and organizer of knowledge, systematically cataloging celestial phenomena and discovering four of Saturn's moons and the division in its rings. His dedication to precise observation and documentation lives on as one of the foundational principles of science.

Version 4.1.1

This release helps mitigate AI risks, especially when processing online content, to reduce the potential for malicious prompt behavior. We also updated the supported AI providers, adding support for Google's Nano Banana image engine and Anthropic's Claude 4.5 Sonnet.

DEVONthink now detects empty pages when clipping PDFs, ensuring more consistent and useful results, and we made the Safari and share extensions more reliable on macOS Tahoe. Mailboxes in the Import sidebar load faster and match Apple Mail's appearance and you can modify a document's searchable text via the chat or scripting. On the sync side, DEVONthink now automatically adjusts resource usage based on your machine's temperature and workload, and sync in general is more performant. Of course, we fixed bugs and glitches, too.

Version 4.1 Europa

Here it is, the first feature release for DEVONthink 4. Choose from a much wider range of server-based AI models via OpenRouter or by connecting to just any OpenAI-compatible provider. Integrate models from, e.g., Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, xAI, Baidu, Moonshot AI, Qwen, and more. In addition, DEVONthink Europa adds native support for Claude 4.1 Opus, Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite, OpenAI GPT-5, Google Imagen 4, and the latest models by Mistral. Connect to your institution's Ollama installation with a new configuration option.

To further automate your work, describe your task to the the AI-powered script assistant. It generates AppleScript and JavaScript for Automation (JXA) scripts and even corrects common scripting issues. Edit images, both generated or dropped in from other sources, with prompts using common AI image generation models. As generative AI is notoriously bad at maths, the Chat and other AI-assisted functions now support mathematical functions, and if you're working in academia, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) gets direct access to the huge document collection on arXiv. In addition, DEVONthink Europa comes with a new Quick Look extension for previewing Spotlight results on macOS Sequoia and later, and more responsive editing of especially larger Markdown documents. It also updates and sorts lists and empties the trash significantly faster.

Note:

This version is named after Europa, Jupiter's fourth-largest moon. It is a captivating world encased in an icy shell that hides a global subsurface ocean, one of the most promising locations for extraterrestrial life in our solar system. Discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei, its name, rooted in Greek mythology, reflects its enduring allure as a symbol of curiosity and the unknown.

Version 4.0.2

This maintenance release introduces support for Google Imagen 4 (Preview), along with several improvements and fixes. We enhanced handling of relative links in Markdown documents to allow spaces, and we corrected an issue with list indentation. We also improved document language detection, which can influence Chat-suggested properties like tags. The Favorites section, e.g., in the Move To context menu now correctly lists all favorited groups. Colored groups also show their designated colors in more locations, such as the Path bar. For AI features, we expanded the prompt field in the Chat and Help assistants to accommodate longer prompts. We extended the timeout period for image generation, and queries will retry up to two times when necessary. As always, we focused on increasing the application's stability and reliability.

Version 4.0 Copernicus

Our fourth major release — DEVONthink 4.0 Copernicus — brings a host of powerful new features and improvements. DEVONthink now supports external AI providers, both commercial and local AI, as a complement to its own internal engine and implemented with privacy and data safety in mind. You can also write search queries in natural language, let the AI summarize or transform text, and extract text from images or handwritten notes. Use speech-to-text to transcribe and save the speech from media files. You can even create images using AI, directly within DEVONthink.

Store important legal or financial documents in audit-proof databases and as PDF/A. Text in PDFs without text layer and in images is searchable without OCR, and versioning lets you return to previous versions of a document. Edit a document's table of contents, adjust spacings, and fine-tune the WYSIWYG display for Markdown. Organize your favorites, smart groups, and smart rules into groups. We also added new inspectors, most notably a graph that visualizes document relationships. The rewritten web interface of the Server edition is built on a modern foundation, more powerful yet easier to use.

For automators of any skill level, there are new and improved smart actions, including some utilizing AI, as well as many new AppleScript commands. Batch processing now lets you save and reuse configurations.

Note:

DEVONthink now requires macOS 13 Ventura or later.

Note:

We're dedicating this version to the Copernicus lunar crater and its namesake, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543), who revolutionized our understanding of the universe. Contrary to the prevailing view that the Earth was the center of everything, he proposed that the Sun revolved around the Earth. This crater, with its rays extending across the lunar surface, is as notable as the groundbreaking ideas of the man it honors.

License Agreement

PLEASE READ THIS LICENSE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING OUR SOFTWARE. BY USING THE SOFTWARE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE YOU MUST DELETE THE SOFTWARE FROM YOUR DEVICES.

1. License

The application and other components (e.g. graphics, sounds) governed by this License (the "Software") and the related documentation are licensed to you by DEVONtechnologies. You own the devices on which the Software is stored but DEVONtechnologies and/or DEVONtechnologies' licensor(s) retain title to the Software and related documentation.

1.1: This License allows you to use the Software on the number of devices owned or controlled by you, defined by the number of Seats purchased for the License or, for the App Store, by Apple. A Seat is a physical device capable of running the Software. This License does not limit the number of people using the Software on the device.

1.2: Licenses purchased directly from DEVONtechnologies can be resold in compliance with European Union law. Licenses purchased in the Apple App Store are non-transferrable.

2. Restrictions

2.1: The Software contains copyrighted material, trade secrets and other proprietary material and in order to protect them you may not decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise reduce the Software to a human-perceivable form.

2.2: You may not sublicense, modify, rent, lease, or create derivative works based upon the Software in whole or in part. You may not distribute the Software in any form.

3. Maintenance and Support

DEVONtechnologies provides support for the Software with respect to this license agreement or as required under applicable law. Apple has no obligation whatsoever to furnish any maintenance and support services with respect to Software.

4. Disclaimer of Warranty on Software

4.1: You expressly acknowledge and agree that use of the Software is at your sole risk. The Software and related documentation is provided "AS IS" and without warranty of any kind. You acknowledge that DEVONtechnologies, if technically and legally possible, provides free trial versions of the Software for evaluation.

4.2: DEVONtechnologies expressly disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. DEVONtechnologies is responsible for warranties required by applicable law.

If Software was purchased in the Apple App Store and you notify Apple in case that Software fails to conform to applicable warranty, Apple will refund the purchase price. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Apple will have no other warranty obligation whatsoever with respect to Software, and any other claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses attributable to any failure to conform to any warranty will be DEVONtechnologies' sole responsibility.

4.3: Unless otherwise provided in Sect. 6, DEVONtechnologies does not represent or warrant to you that (a) the Software will meet your requirements, (b) your use of the Software will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or free from error, (c) any information obtained by you as a result of your use of the Software will be accurate or reliable, and (d) that defects in the operation or functionality of the Software provided to you will be corrected.

4.4: No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by you from DEVONtechnologies shall create any warranty not expressly stated in this License.

5. Limitation of Liability

5.1: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, SHALL DEVONTECHNOLOGIES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE OR RELATED DOCUMENTATION.

5.2: In no event shall DEVONtechnologies' total liability to you for all damages, losses and causes of action (whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise) exceed the amount paid by you for the Software.

5.3: The aforementioned limitation of liability also applies for the personal liability of DEVONtechnologies' staff, contributors, representatives, licensors, organs and their members.

5.4: If you are domiciled in the Federal Republic of Germany, the aforementioned limitations of liability (Sect. 5.1 to 5.3) do not apply for personal injury of life, body and health, and for strict product liability law. They do not apply in case the damage is a consequence of the breach of a cardinal obligation, an essential obligation, or a warranty in the meaning of Section 444 of the German Civil Code.

5.5: Liability for the breach of a cardinal obligation or essential obligation is limited to the amount paid by you for the Software. Aforementioned limitation of liability with respect to the amount you paid for the Software does not apply in case of gross negligence, wilful misconduct, personal injury of life, body and health, the breach of a warranty in the meaning of Section 444 of the German Civil Code, other strict product liability law. DEVONtechnologies remains responsible for product liability according to Sect. 44 a TKG (Telekommunikationsgesetz).

5.6: The aforementioned limitations of liability (Sect. 5.1 to 5.5) only apply as far as permitted by law.

5.7: DEVONtechnologies is responsible for addressing any claims of this License.

6. Defects

6.1: DEVONtechnologies grants you a license to the Software in its current version only. DEVONtechnologies encourages you to use the free trial version of the Software for evaluation.

6.2: You cannot claim that a given state of the Software will be achieved through an update or a new version.

6.3: In the event that the Software does not comply with express terms of this License Agreement or there is a breach of these warranties, if the usability of the Software is affected severely and sustainably, or if any bug or any severe anomaly could not be detected during the use of the free trial version, DEVONtechnologies may at its option either replace the Software free of charge to you or refund the purchase price.

7. Intellectual Property Rights

DEVONtechnologies owns or licenses the intellectual properties that Software is based on. In case of third-party claims that Software infringes third-party's intellectual property rights, DEVONtechnologies is responsible for the investigation, defense, settlement and discharge of any such intellectual property infringement claim.

8. General

8.1: Any changes, amendments, or the abrogation of the agreement between you and DEVONtechnologies, including this License, require written form. The requirement of written form can only be waived in written.

8.2: This License constitutes the whole legal agreement between you and DEVONtechnologies with regard to the Software, and completely replaces any prior agreements between you and DEVONtechnologies in relation to the Software. Separate agreements may apply for other software or services which DEVONtechnologies may provide to you. If the End User License Agreement available on the DEVONtechnologies website differs from this License, the online version has precedence.

Apple, and Apple's subsidiaries, are third party beneficiaries of the License, and, upon your acceptance of the terms and conditions of the License, Apple will have the right (and will be deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce the License against you as a third-party beneficiary thereof.

8.3: You agree that you comply with applicable third-party terms of agreement when using Software.

8.4: You agree that if DEVONtechnologies does not exercise or enforce any legal right or remedy which is contained in this License, or which DEVONtechnologies has the benefits under any applicable law, this will not be taken as a waiver of DEVONtechnologies' rights and those rights will still be available to DEVONtechnologies.

8.5: If any court of law, having jurisdiction to decide on this matter, finds that any provision of this License is invalid, then this provision will be removed from this License without affecting the remaining parts of this License. The remaining provisions of this License will continue to be valid and enforceable.

8.6: This License, and your relationship with DEVONtechnologies with regard to the Software, shall be governed by the laws of Germany without regard to its conflicts of laws provisions. The application of the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG) shall be excluded.

8.7: The court of Besigheim, Germany, shall have sole jurisdiction if you are a businessman. In case you are a consumer, the place of jurisdiction shall be Besigheim, Germany, if you transfer your legal domicile or regular residence to a place outside the Federal republic of Germany, or your legal domicile or regular residence are unknown upon filing a legal action.

8.8: You agree and warrant that you are not located in a country that is subject to a U.S. Government embargo, or that has been designated by the U.S. Government as a "terrorist supporting" country; and you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.

Credits

ABBYY FineReader Engine

ABBYY FineReader 11.x Engine Copyright © ABBYY Software Ltd. OCR by ABBYY Software House.

MultiMarkdown

MultiMarkdown is released under both the GPL and MIT licenses. You may pick the license that best fits your needs.

The GPL: This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA

The MIT License: Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

Pantomime

ShortcutRecorder

All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Contributors to Shortcut Recorder, in no order in particular:

Sparkle

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

Skim

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. Neither the name of Christiaan Hofman nor the names of any other contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

LetsMove

Public domain. More information can be found at LetsMove.

ZipZap

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Other Products

Besides DEVONthink, DEVONtechnologies publishes a number of other commercial, shareware, and freeware applications and services that might be helpful for you.

Overview

DEVONtechnologies is focused on developing innovative applications for finding, storing, and organizing information. We make the latest, complex technologies easy to use, and fast.

We also publish some freeware apps and services.

Newsletter & Community

Would you like us to keep you informed about updates and new product releases? Visit our blog and subscribe to our free newsletter.

If you have a moment feel free to visit our lively user community. Here, users of all skill levels meet to discuss our applications, talk about our technology, and exchange tips and tricks for DEVONthink & Co.

DEVONthink

Built on core concepts: capture, organize, search and utilize, DEVONthink is your document and information management solution. Efficiently, capture and organize your documents. Find your documents with lightning-fast searches and share those documents to other apps. And use it's built-in AI or access external AI to make connections and queries about your documents. For any project or topic, large or small, DEVONthink can be the center of it all.

DEVONthink To Go

Carry a library of your documents in the palm of your hand with DEVONthink To Go. Make databases for any need, filling and organizing them for quick access and searches. Create, edit, and annotate documents wherever you are. Use access to external AI to ask questions and gain insight into your documents. And keep your databases in sync with other mobile devices or DEVONthink on your Mac.

Learn more about DEVONthink To Go.

DEVONagent

Learn more about DEVONagent Pro.

DEVONsphere

Our answer to Spotlight, DEVONsphere Express is your Mac-based search utility. Using a simple but powerful search syntax, locate documents in the locations you choose, even ones in your DEVONthink databases. Also, its unique See Also function detects what's in your frontmost application and tries to find related items for you.

Learn more about DEVONsphere Express.

Needful Things

Search files on your hard disk, watch web cams, create thumbnails, or access all your files and apps from the menu bar. Reformat paragraphs in your favorite word processor or do little calculations anywhere you can type in text. Your network connection lets you down or you want to know if a remote server is still alive or already swimming belly-up? All for free.

Learn more about our freeware apps and services.