Getting Started

Your managed Nextcloud at server.camp is ready. Nextcloud is the GDPR-compliant alternative to Google Drive and Dropbox: store, sync, and share files — on your own infrastructure in Germany. This guide is for freelancers and SMBs that want to manage their documents securely in their own cloud.

Nextcloud is an open-source cloud platform for secure file storage, sync, and sharing — on German server infrastructure, fully GDPR-compliant. Nextcloud is far more than just file storage: apps for calendar, contacts, office editing, task management, and video conferencing turn Nextcloud into your central work platform.

Try Nextcloud free for 30 days

Many SMBs use Google Drive or Dropbox for file management — convenient, but problematic: company data sits on US servers, falls under the US CLOUD Act, and is difficult to recover after a security incident.

Nextcloud delivers the same ease of use, but fully under your control: all data stays in Germany, you know exactly who has access, and you’re not dependent on the terms of a US corporation.

Common use cases for SMBs:

• Shared file storage for the team — instead of emailing attachments back and forth
• Secure sharing with clients — folders with expiration dates and passwords
• Sync between office desktop, laptop, and mobile device
• Collaborative editing of office documents in the browser (with Collabora Online)
• Calendar and contacts shared across the team — CalDAV/CardDAV compatible
• Project folders with clearly defined access rights per group
• Backup destination for important data from other systems

After your Nextcloud instance is provisioned, you’ll receive an email with your credentials. Sign in via the web interface. You’ll land on the Dashboard, which gives you an overview of recent activity, upcoming events, and recent files.

Personalize the dashboard

Use the gear icon on the dashboard to show and hide widgets. Display only what you actually need — upcoming calendar events, recent file changes, or assigned tasks.

Install the Nextcloud clients to automatically sync files between your devices:

• Desktop: Nextcloud Desktop Client for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Mobile: Nextcloud app for iOS and Android

Enter your Nextcloud instance URL during setup and sign in with your credentials. Sync starts automatically.

Selective sync

You don’t have to sync every folder to every device. In the desktop client, under account settings, choose which folders should be available locally. This saves storage space — especially on laptops with small SSDs.

Nextcloud supports WebDAV — mount it like a network drive:

• Windows: File Explorer → “Map network drive” → enter the WebDAV URL
• macOS: Finder → “Connect to Server” → https://your-nextcloud.de/remote.php/dav/files/username/

Under Settings → Personal Information:

• Upload a profile picture
• Verify display name and email address
• Set language and time zone
• Adjust notification preferences

Under Settings → Security, enable two-factor authentication. Strongly recommended for all user accounts — required for admin accounts.

Supported 2FA methods

Nextcloud supports TOTP apps (e.g. Aegis, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator) and WebAuthn/FIDO2 security keys. TOTP apps are the easiest starting point for most users.

Instead of entering your main password in third-party apps, create an app password under Settings → Security → Devices & Sessions. Revoke access for individual devices at any time without changing your main password.

A well-thought-out folder structure saves a lot of time in the long run. Some recommendations by audience:

Freelancers:

📁 Clients/
   📁 Client Name A/
      📁 Projects/
      📁 Invoices/
      📁 Contracts/
📁 Accounting/
📁 Templates/
📁 Personal/

SMBs / Agencies:

📁 01_Clients/
📁 02_Internal/
   📁 HR/
   📁 Finance/
   📁 Templates/
📁 03_Projects/
📁 04_Marketing/
📁 05_Archive/

Associations / Nonprofits:

📁 Board/
   📁 Minutes/
   📁 Bylaws/
📁 Members/
📁 Events/
   📁 2026/
📁 Finance/
📁 Communications/
📁 Photos/

Number folders for a fixed sort order

Prefix your main folders (01_, 02_, …) to enforce a fixed order. The most important folders always appear at the top, regardless of alphabetical sorting.

Share folders with groups instead of individual users. Manage permissions centrally: when an employee leaves, remove them from the group — access to all shared folders is revoked automatically.

Find user and group management under Settings → Users. Create new users, set up groups, and manage membership from there.

When sharing files or folders, use the available security options:

• Set a password on external share links
• Define an expiration date so links don’t remain valid indefinitely
• Restrict permissions: read-only, upload-only, or allow editing — based on your needs

Review shares regularly

Under Files → Shares, find an overview of all active shares. Review them regularly (e.g. monthly) and remove any that are no longer needed.

Nextcloud automatically saves older versions of your files. If you accidentally overwrite a file, click the three-dot menu on the file → Versions to restore an earlier version. Deleted files go to the trash and can be restored from there.

Nextcloud is highly extensible through apps. The following apps are tested and recommended at server.camp. Install and enable them directly via Profile picture → Apps.

At server.camp, choose between Collabora Online and OnlyOffice. Both let you create and collaboratively edit text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations directly in the browser.

Which one should you choose?

• OnlyOffice: The best choice when your team primarily works with Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx). Highest compatibility and a familiar interface.
• Collabora Online: Based on LibreOffice. Ideal for OpenDocument formats (.odt, .ods, .odp). Excellent rendering fidelity for complex layouts.

Recommendation

If your team mainly uses Microsoft Office, OnlyOffice is usually the better choice. If you work with open formats or need specific LibreOffice features, go with Collabora Online.

Use templates

Store frequently used document templates (proposals, invoices, meeting minutes, letterheads) in a “Templates” folder. Nextcloud Office lets you access these templates directly when creating new documents.

For a detailed comparison of Collabora vs. OnlyOffice, see our blog post.

Deck is a Kanban board for task and project management. Create boards with lists and cards, assign tasks, set deadlines, and attach files.

For freelancers: Keep projects and to-dos per client in view. For SMBs: Manage team tasks transparently, without a separate tool like Trello or Asana. For associations: Event planning with task assignment to different volunteers.

Nextcloud Talk provides text chat, audio and video calls, and screen sharing — directly in Nextcloud, no external tools needed.

Performance for video conferences

For video conferences with many participants (more than 4–5 people simultaneously), the Corporate plan is recommended — it includes a high-performance backend for Talk.

The Calendar app provides personal and shared calendars with full CalDAV support. Create events, set reminders, and sync calendars with your smartphone or desktop client (e.g. Thunderbird, Apple Calendar).

Practical tips:

• Create separate calendars for different areas (e.g. “Client meetings”, “Internal”, “Personal”)
• Use appointment booking so clients or external parties can book available time slots
• Import existing calendars from Google Calendar or Outlook as .ics files

Sync calendar to your phone

On Android, use DAVx⁵. On iOS, use the built-in CalDAV/CardDAV support under Settings → Accounts → Add Account → Other.

The Contacts app manages your address books with CardDAV support. Contacts are automatically linked to your email and calendar features.

For freelancers: Keep client contacts central and synced across devices. For SMBs: A shared address book for the entire team. For associations: Maintain a member directory as a shared address book.

Sync contacts to your phone

On Android, use DAVx⁵. On iOS, use the built-in CalDAV/CardDAV support under Settings → Accounts → Add Account → Other.

The Mail app is a webmail client built into Nextcloud. Connect any email account via IMAP/SMTP and read and write emails in the same interface where you manage your files and calendar.

Not a replacement for a mail server

The Mail app is a client — it doesn’t provide an email server. You still need an email provider (e.g. your existing one). The Business and Corporate plans at server.camp optionally include a dedicated mail server.

Create surveys, feedback forms, or registration forms directly in Nextcloud — a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Forms.

For freelancers: Collect client feedback. For SMBs: Internal surveys and order forms. For associations: Event registration, votes on association matters.

Group Folders creates folders that belong to specific user groups and aren’t tied to individual accounts. Ideal for team folders that should persist independently of individual people.

Group folders over personal shares

For permanently shared team data (templates, documentation, project files), group folders are better than personal shares. When an employee leaves or a member departs, the data in the group folder remains intact.

Memories turns Nextcloud into a photo gallery with a timeline view, albums, and intelligent organization — a self-hosted alternative to Google Photos.

For associations: Collect event photos centrally, organize them in albums, and share with members.

Workflow: proposal to invoice

Use the folder structure Clients → Client Name → Projects/Contracts/Invoices and store proposal and invoice templates in Nextcloud Office. Everything in one place — share documents directly via share link when needed.

Create an onboarding folder

Create a group folder “Onboarding” with all relevant information for new team members: welcome document, IT checklist, access information, process descriptions, and templates. Every new employee has access to everything from day one.

Custom domain and SSO

From the Business plan, use your own domain (e.g. cloud.yourcompany.com). The Corporate plan also includes Single Sign-On (SSO) so employees can sign in with their existing company accounts. Learn more under Custom Domain.

Upload folder for event photos

Before an event, create a folder and share it as a “File Drop” (upload only). Participants upload photos via the link without seeing other files. After the event, sort photos into a Memories album and share with all members.

Event planning with Deck

Use Deck boards for event planning: create cards for each task (book venue, organize catering, send invitations) and assign them to the relevant volunteers. Everyone sees who needs to do what by when.

After installing the desktop client, choose which folders to sync. Sync runs in the background — changes are automatically uploaded and pushed to all connected devices.

Virtual Files (Windows & macOS)

Enable “Virtual Files” in the desktop client. Files appear as placeholders and are only downloaded when opened. This saves local storage — especially when your Nextcloud holds more data than fits on your device.

1. Click the share icon (arrow) next to a file or folder
2. Choose Create share link
3. Optionally configure: password, expiration date, permissions (read, edit, upload)
4. Copy the link and send it to the recipient

File drop for external uploads

To let external parties upload files without seeing the folder contents, use the “File Drop (upload only)” option. Ideal for clients sending documents, or event participants contributing photos.

Nextcloud provides calendars and contacts via the standard CalDAV and CardDAV protocols, compatible with nearly every calendar and contacts app.

Find the CalDAV/CardDAV URLs under:

• Calendar: Calendar app settings → “Copy private CalDAV link”
• Contacts: Contacts app settings → three dots next to the address book → “Copy contacts link”

Setup on different platforms:

• iOS: Settings → Accounts → Add Account → Other → Add CalDAV/CardDAV Account
• Android: Install DAVx⁵ and enter your Nextcloud URL
• Thunderbird: Add Calendar → Network Calendar → Enter CalDAV URL
• macOS: System Settings → Internet Accounts → Add Other Account → CalDAV/CardDAV

Connect Nextcloud to Paperless-ngx to import documents directly from Nextcloud into Paperless-ngx for archiving and searching. See the Nextcloud integration guide for Paperless-ngx.

If you use Authentik for Single Sign-On, your users can sign in to Nextcloud and other services with a single account. Contact support to set up SSO.

For centralized password management across the team, Vaultwarden is the recommended dedicated password manager — with organizations, password sharing, and browser integration that goes beyond Nextcloud’s built-in Passwords app.

Send files to Nextcloud easily

Set up a rule in the Mail app, configure WebDAV on your scanner, or use a share upload link to quickly save documents to your Nextcloud.

Keep file naming consistent

Agree on a naming convention as a team, e.g. YYYY-MM-DD_ClientName_DocumentType.pdf. This makes searching and sorting dramatically easier.

Use notifications selectively

Under Settings → Activity, configure which events trigger email or push notifications. Disable unnecessary noise, but keep important triggers active (e.g. “File in group folder changed”).

Bookmark the web interface

Save your Nextcloud URL as a bookmark or pin it as a tab in your browser. Your cloud is always one click away.

• Nextcloud User Manual — official documentation
• Nextcloud Client Downloads — desktop and mobile apps
• server.camp Support — we’re here to help personally