Getting Started

You’ve ordered a managed Seafile from server.camp — congratulations! Seafile is a powerful cloud storage solution that stands out for its fast sync and reliable file storage. This guide is written for freelancers, small and medium-sized businesses, and nonprofits that want to sync files securely, quickly, and GDPR-compliantly across multiple devices and team members.

Many organizations use Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive — and hand over control of their data in the process. Seafile delivers the same sync experience but runs entirely on infrastructure in Germany, making it a meaningful step toward digital sovereignty.

Seafile is especially well suited for scenarios where many large files need to sync quickly. It uses block-based synchronization — only changed parts of a file are transferred, making it significantly more efficient than competing solutions.

Common use cases:

• File sync between office, home office, and field workers
• Shared project storage — everyone always works with the current version
• Large file sync — CAD files, videos, graphic projects, raw data
• Edit Office documents together — directly in the browser via Collabora Online or OnlyOffice
• Secure file sharing for external partners with password and expiry date
• Automatic backup for important working folders
• Client-side encryption for especially sensitive libraries (key stays with the user only)

The central element in Seafile is the library — a container for related files, similar to a top-level folder. Inside a library, you have regular folders and files.

The difference from a simple folder:

• Each library syncs independently
• Each library can be shared separately
• Libraries can optionally be client-side encrypted (no access without the password, not even for server admins)

Recommended library structure for SMBs:

Slice libraries thoughtfully

Create libraries on the principle “edited together = shared library”. Since each library syncs and shares independently, don’t put everything in one — separate by access need. Team members sync only the libraries they actually need.

Your Seafile instance should look like your organization — not like a default installation. You have full access to the branding settings.

1. Click your profile icon in the top right, then System administration
2. Go to Settings in the left menu
3. Under Branding you’ll find:
   • Page name / title — shown in the browser tab and the interface (e.g. your company name or “MyNonprofit Cloud”)
   • Logo — displayed in the navigation bar
   • Favicon — the small icon in the browser tab
   • Login background image — the image on the sign-in page

Image formats for branding

Logo and favicon should be PNG with a transparent background. The login background image should be JPEG at least 2000 pixels wide so it looks good on large monitors.

Go to Settings → Custom CSS in System administration to match the frontend colors to your corporate identity.

Instead of writing CSS manually, use our Seafile Custom CSS Theme Generator:

1. Open server.camp/seafile-custom-css/
2. Choose your primary color (your brand color)
3. Choose the text color (black or white — based on contrast with the primary color)
4. Choose your Seafile version and theme
5. Copy the generated CSS code
6. Paste it in your Seafile instance under System administration → Settings → Custom CSS
7. Click Save

CSS and updates

The generated CSS overrides Seafile’s default colors. After a Seafile update, CSS class names may change and customizations may need to be regenerated. Just run the generator again.

Seafile at server.camp comes with either OnlyOffice or Collabora Online (based on LibreOffice). Both let you open and edit Office documents directly in the browser — including real-time collaboration.

Choosing between them:

• OnlyOffice: Focuses on maximum compatibility with Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx). The interface is modern and closely resembles MS Office.
• Collabora Online: Focuses on OpenDocument formats (.odt, .ods, .odp) and a rich feature set. Ideal if you want a browser-based LibreOffice.

Which office suite for which need?

Choose OnlyOffice for smooth exchange with the Microsoft ecosystem. Choose Collabora Online if you want the full power of LibreOffice in the browser or primarily use ODF files.

For a detailed comparison and more recommendations, see our blog post.

1. Click on an Office file in your library
2. The file opens automatically in the online editor in your browser
3. Edit the document — changes are saved automatically
4. When multiple people open the same file, everyone sees each other’s changes in real time

Collaborate together

Online editing works with share links too: share a folder with write access and recipients can open and edit documents directly in the browser — no Seafile account or local software required. Customers or external partners can review a document and leave comments.

Microsoft Office compatibility

While OnlyOffice is built natively on Microsoft formats, Collabora Online is based on LibreOffice. Both offer very good compatibility. With extremely complex formatting or special macros, occasional rendering differences may occur — do a final check in a local Office installation for those cases.

Alongside Office documents, Seafile includes a built-in Markdown editor for .md files — ideal for technical documentation, meeting notes, or personal notes, directly in Seafile without an additional app.

1. Download the Seafile desktop client from seafile.com/download (available for Windows, macOS, and Linux)
2. Install and launch the client
3. Click “Add account” and enter:
   • Server address: the URL of your Seafile instance (in your welcome email)
   • Username and password
4. After signing in, you’ll see a list of all available libraries
5. Click the libraries you want to sync and choose a local destination folder

Sync runs in the background from that point on. Changes — whether local or in the cloud — are transferred automatically.

You don’t have to sync every library to every device:

• Active project libraries: sync fully for fast local access
• Archive libraries (old projects, large media archives): access via the web interface only, don’t sync locally
• Sensitive libraries (HR, accounting): sync only on devices where they’re needed

Save storage on laptops

On laptops with limited storage, sync only the libraries you’re actively working on. All other libraries remain available in the cloud and can be accessed via the web interface or synced on demand.

SeaDrive for access without local copies

In addition to the regular Seafile client, there’s SeaDrive — a virtual drive that mounts all libraries as a network drive without storing files locally. Files are downloaded only when opened. Ideal for devices with little storage or when you have many libraries but only occasionally need specific files.

When two people edit the same file offline simultaneously and sync their changes, Seafile automatically creates a conflict copy (e.g. Filename (Conflict from Max Mustermann 2026-02-21).docx). No data is lost — you can merge the versions manually.

Avoid conflicts

For files that multiple people edit simultaneously, use Collabora Online in the browser instead of local editing via the sync client. Changes are merged in real time and conflicts don’t occur.

The Seafile app is available for iOS and Android. After signing in with your server address and credentials:

• View and download files — Office documents can be opened directly
• Auto-upload photos — enable camera backup to automatically save phone photos to a library
• Make files available offline — star important files to open them without an internet connection
• Share files — create share links directly from your phone
• Upload files — upload photos, scans, or documents from your phone to the right library

Camera backup for nonprofits and field workers

Automatic camera backup is especially useful for nonprofits (event photos land automatically in Seafile) and field workers (photos of job sites, delivery notes, and customer visits are saved immediately and available in the office).

As admin under System administration → Users:

1. Click “Add user”
2. Enter email address and password
3. The user receives an invitation email

Alternatively, use “Send invitation” to send an email invitation — the invitee sets their own password.

Username convention

Seafile uses the email address as the username. If you use Seafile Corporate with SSO (single sign-on) via Authentik, users sign in with their central account and don’t need separate Seafile accounts. Contact our support to set up SSO.

1. Open a library → click “Share” in the top right
2. Enter a username or group
3. Choose the permission:
   • Read — download only
   • Read & Write — upload, edit, delete

Recommended for teams: create a group (e.g. “Accounting”), add all members, then share the library with the group. New group members get access automatically.

For customers, partners, or suppliers:

1. Right-click a library or folder → “Share link”
2. Optionally: set a password and expiry date
3. Send the link by email

Choose between read links (download only) and upload links — with upload links, external people can submit files without seeing existing contents.

Upload links for customer submissions

Upload links (also called “drop links”) are ideal when customers or suppliers need to send you files: send them the link, they upload — done. They can’t see what others have uploaded. No FTP, no email attachments, no size limits.

Seafile offers a unique feature: encrypted libraries. The encryption key lives exclusively with the user — not on the server.

How it works:

1. Create a new library → enable encryption → set a password
2. All files are encrypted on the client before upload
3. Not even the server admin can read the contents

Suitable for:

• Personnel data (employment contracts, salary information)
• Especially sensitive customer data
• Documents with legal confidentiality obligations (lawyers, tax advisors)
• Board documents in nonprofits (e.g. financial reports, internal resolutions)

Important: don't lose the password

The encryption password cannot be reset. If you forget it, the data is inaccessible — including to our support team. Store the password securely — e.g. in Vaultwarden.

Limitation: no online editing in encrypted libraries

Client-side encrypted libraries don’t support online editing with Collabora Online, since the server can’t decrypt the files. Files in encrypted libraries can only be opened and edited locally via the desktop client or mobile app.

Seafile retains earlier versions of files by default:

• Version history: right-click a file → “Version history” — view and restore older versions
• Trash: deleted files can be restored from the trash
• Retention period is 30 days or longer depending on configuration

Versioning as a safety net

Versioning protects against accidental overwrites and data loss. Before making major changes to an important file, you don’t need to create a manual copy — Seafile automatically retains the previous version. And if a team member accidentally deletes a file, it’s recoverable from the trash.

Library structure for freelancers

Keep it simple: one library per client (with subfolders for projects, invoices, contracts), one personal work library, and one encrypted library for especially sensitive data. Archive completed projects in a separate “Archive” library that you don’t sync locally.

Set up groups and permissions cleanly

Create groups that reflect your team structure (e.g. “Design”, “Project management”, “Accounting”). Always share libraries with groups, not individual people. When someone leaves or changes departments, just update their group membership — no need to adjust every individual share.

SSO with Authentik

From the Corporate plan, you can connect Seafile with Authentik for single sign-on. Your team signs in once and has access to all connected services (e.g. Seafile, Mattermost, Paperless-ngx, …) — no separate passwords.

Simple library structure for nonprofits

Four libraries are enough to start: Nonprofit (bylaws, minutes, templates — readable by all members), Board (internal documents — board only), Events (planning, photos, materials — shared per event), Finances (encrypted — treasurer and board only). Add more libraries as needed over time.

Collecting and sharing photos from nonprofit events

Before the event: Create a “Photos” folder in the events library and generate an upload link. Print the link as a QR code on posters or share it via messenger. After the event: Sort the photos and create a read link to the finished photo folder to distribute to all members.

File naming convention

Agree on a consistent naming scheme as a team — e.g. YYYY-MM-DD_ProjectName_DocType.docx. This makes searching and sorting much easier, especially in libraries with many files. Example: 2026-02-21_ClientA_Quote-v2.docx.

Clean up libraries regularly

Schedule a brief “tidy-up” session once a quarter: archive completed projects to an archive library, delete share links no longer needed, and check whether group permissions are still current.

Enable two-factor authentication

Under Profile → Two-factor authentication, enable 2FA for your account. Especially important for admin accounts and users with access to sensitive libraries. If you use Authentik for SSO, 2FA is configured centrally there.

Store passwords for encrypted libraries and share links securely in Vaultwarden. No credentials get lost, and you can share them with the team when needed.

From the Corporate plan, connect Seafile with Authentik via OpenID Connect (OIDC). Your users sign in with a single account across all connected services. Contact our support team to set it up.

If you need help setting up groups, encrypted libraries, desktop sync, or the Collabora Online integration, reach out any time at support@server.camp.

Find answers to common questions on our product page.