How DEVONthink Keeps You in Control

You might assume that our applications will do certain things automatically, such as performing OCR on imported files. However, many decisions are yours to make, not the software’s. We prefer clear opt‑in controls rather than hidden opt‑outs. Several features or actions in DEVONthink or DEVONthink To Go require setup on your part before they function on their own. These are the most common ones:

• Sync: Not every database needs to be synced. You must set the same sync location on each device running DEVONthink or DEVONthink To Go, then choose which databases to sync. If you create new databases, manually enable them for syncing or import them from the sync location. For more information, have a look at our sync checklist for DEVONthink.
• AI: Nothing is enabled by default, because AI always remains a private matter. If you want to use external AI, set up a connection to your provider in the AI settings and obtain any required API keys. You can also choose task-specific models, e.g., for summarization.
• Automation: In DEVONthink, you must manually run automations or configure their event triggers. Scripts and batch processes must be run manually. Newly installed, created, or duplicated smart rules initially use the On Demand trigger. Add other triggers, e.g., On Import, if you want them to run automatically.
• OCR: DEVONthink does not automatically OCR every image or PDF on import. Set up a smart rule to detect those documents and run OCR. To make incoming scans from a known scanning software searchable, switch on Settings > OCR > Convert Incoming Scans. In DEVONthink To Go, enable OCR > Make scans searchable for in-app scans.

In the Settings, our applications give you precise control over many options, including automatically importing email attachments, scheduling RSS updates, creating thumbnails, or transcribing media files. We believe you should decide how much an app does on its own.

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