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Web Server and Remote Access

Web Server Introduction

Use Web Server to access your timeline, search, chat, and web clipping from any browser

pinakea can run an embedded Web Server so you can access your library from any browser — on your phone, tablet, or another computer.

Web Server is available on Free, Pro Monthly, and Pro Lifetime. See Paid Features for how the Free monthly processing limit works.

Web Server remains the boundary for the remote Web UI, Tailscale use, and the Apple Shortcut. Account sign-in, active-Mac status, passwords, sessions, clipping tokens, Tailscale settings, SSRF checks, and rate limits still apply.

Use it to:

  • Browse your timeline and open item pages
  • Run search (including semantic search)
  • Use chat with streaming answers and clickable citations
  • Clip a URL from mobile Safari with Add URL or the Apple Shortcut (no iOS app required)
Set scope

Web Server shows the currently selected Set only. There is no remote “switch Set” control — switch Sets inside the pinakea app to change what the Web UI shows. See Sets (Libraries).

Editing with a View

Enable Web Server

  1. Open pinakea → Settings (Cmd+,) → Web Server.
  2. Set a password and click Save Password.
  3. Turn on Enable Web Server.
  4. Use Open Web UI (on the Mac itself) or copy one of the listed URLs in Web Server status (for example http://192.168.x.x:8080/) and open it in your browser.
Note

The first time you start Web Server, macOS may ask for Firewall and Local Network permissions. If you want to connect from other devices, choose Allow.

Tip

pinakea also shows a small Web Server indicator (network icon) in the bottom status bar. Click it to jump to Settings → Web Server. The icon changes depending on whether Web Server is off, local-only, or running with Tailscale remote access enabled.

Connect from another device

  • Make sure your phone/tablet is on the same Wi‑Fi network as your Mac.
  • Open one of the URLs shown in Settings (not 127.0.0.1, which only works on the Mac itself).
  • Log in using the same password you set in Settings → Web Server.
  • Bookmark the page for quick access.

Remote access with Tailscale (optional)

If you want to access your library when you are not on the same network (for example from cellular), use Tailscale.

If you’re new to it, see Tailscale for a quick explanation of what it is and why it’s a secure way to do remote access.

  1. Install Tailscale on your Mac and your device.
  2. Sign into the same Tailnet on both devices.
  3. In pinakea → Settings → Web Server, enable Enable Remote Access (Tailscale).
  4. Use the Tailscale IP shown in the Web Server status list (or click Copy Tailscale URL).
Tip

Avoid exposing Web Server directly to the public internet (for example via port forwarding). Remote access is designed to be opt-in via Tailscale.

Using the Timeline (Web UI)

Open the root URL (the page titled “pinakea Server”).

Source filter

  1. Choose a source (or keep “All active sources”).
  2. Click Apply.

Pagination (older/newer items)

The timeline shows your most recent items by default. Use Prev / Next at the bottom to load older or newer pages.

  1. Choose a search scope:
    • Titles
    • Summary
    • Content
    • Semantic
  2. Type your query and press Enter.
  3. Use Clear to return to the normal timeline.

When search is active, results may show tag chips you can tap to refine your query.

Item pages

Tap any item title to open its item page:

  • Summary (when available)
  • The item’s saved content (as stored by pinakea)
  • Copy actions (plain text or markdown)
  • A best-effort Open original link (when available)

Chat (with streaming)

Use the Chat button in the top-right of the Web UI.

  • The left side lists your chat sessions.
  • Click New to start a new session.
  • Send a message and the assistant response streams in real time.
  • Citations like [#1] become clickable once the answer finishes and open the cited item page.
Info

Web chat uses the same underlying chat system as the desktop app. Starting or switching sessions in the browser can affect what you see in the in-app chat view if it’s open.

Web clipping (Add URL)

This is the easiest way to save a webpage from a phone without a browser extension.

For the fastest Share Sheet workflow over Tailscale, use Save to pinakea Apple Shortcut. Install it from Settings -> Web Server -> Install Save to pinakea Shortcut; pinakea generates the Shortcut with a hidden clipping token, so it does not store your Web Server password and you do not copy/paste secrets.

  1. Copy a URL in your mobile browser.
  2. In the timeline page, paste it into Add URL and tap Add URL.
  3. Confirm the clip (“Save to pinakea”).
  4. Wait for the status page to show Saved, then open the new item.
Tip

Web Server now handles more cookie-gated redirect flows than earlier versions. If a page used to fail after several redirects, retry the clip once on the latest build.

Bookmarklet (optional)

A bookmarklet is a normal browser bookmark that runs a small script. This one takes the page you’re currently viewing and opens pinakea’s Confirm clip screen automatically.

1) Pick the base URL

Use one of the URLs shown in pinakea → Settings → Web Server → Web Server status (not 127.0.0.1).

Examples:

  • Local network: http://192.168.x.x:8080
  • Remote (Tailscale): http://100.x.x.x:8080 (see Tailscale)

2) Create the bookmarklet in iOS Safari

  1. Open any webpage in Safari.
  2. Tap Share → Add Bookmark (or Add to Favorites).
  3. Edit the bookmark and set:
    • Name: Clip to pinakea
    • URL (replace the base URL first):
javascript:location.href='http://YOUR-MAC-IP:8080/clip?url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)

Replace http://YOUR-MAC-IP:8080 with your base URL from step 1.

3) Use it

  1. Open the webpage you want to clip.
  2. Open your bookmarks/favorites and tap Clip to pinakea.
  3. pinakea opens a confirmation page — tap Save to pinakea.
Note

Some websites may block bookmarklets or restrict script execution. If it doesn’t work, use the copy/paste method above (Add URL).

“Open original” in the Web UI

On an item page, Open original tries to open the source in the most useful way for browsers:

  • Web sources (http/https) open the original URL.
  • Local files (Folder and Obsidian sources) are served by pinakea via a /original/... URL.
  • Mail items use a message:// link so Apple devices can open the message in Mail (when available).

All “Open original” links open in a new browser tab.

Troubleshooting

  • Can’t connect from another device: check that the server is running in Settings → Web Server, and use a http://<your-mac-ip>:<port>/ URL (not 127.0.0.1).
  • Firewall/local network prompt was denied: allow pinakea in macOS firewall settings, then restart the browser server toggle.
  • Port already in use: change the port in Settings (default is 8080).
  • Tailscale IP doesn’t work: enable Enable Remote Access (Tailscale) in Settings; when disabled, requests from Tailscale IPs are rejected.
  • Library is locked: open pinakea on the Mac that runs Web Server. Complete sign-in, choose Refresh Status when account status cannot be confirmed, or choose Activate this Mac only when this Mac is inactive. If the account already has five active Macs, deactivate one first.
  • Web Server will not start: check that a password is saved, the port is available, and macOS local-network/firewall permission is allowed.
  • “Too many redirects” while clipping: some sites require a short cookie/consent redirect flow before serving content. Retry once; Web Server now supports more of these flows, but a few sites may still block automated clipping.
  • A clip failed — is Web Server down?: usually no. A failed clip job does not stop Web Server. You can immediately start a new clip or continue using Timeline/Search/Chat.

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