Local Development

Run Paperclip locally with zero external dependencies.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• pnpm 9+

Start Dev Server

pnpm install
pnpm dev

This starts:

• API server at http://localhost:3100
• UI served by the API server in dev middleware mode (same origin)

No Docker or external database required. Paperclip uses embedded PostgreSQL automatically.

One-Command Bootstrap

For a first-time install:

pnpm paperclipai run

This does:

1. Auto-onboards if config is missing
2. Runs paperclipai doctor with repair enabled
3. Starts the server when checks pass

Tailscale/Private Auth Dev Mode

To run in authenticated/private mode for network access:

pnpm dev --tailscale-auth

This binds the server to 0.0.0.0 for private-network access.

Alias:

pnpm dev --authenticated-private

Allow additional private hostnames:

pnpm paperclipai allowed-hostname dotta-macbook-pro

For full setup and troubleshooting, see Tailscale Private Access.

Health Checks

curl http://localhost:3100/api/health
# -> {"status":"ok"}

curl http://localhost:3100/api/companies
# -> []

Reset Dev Data

To wipe local data and start fresh:

rm -rf ~/.paperclip/instances/default/db
pnpm dev

Data Locations

Data	Path
Config	~/.paperclip/instances/default/config.json
Database	~/.paperclip/instances/default/db
Storage	~/.paperclip/instances/default/data/storage
Secrets key	~/.paperclip/instances/default/secrets/master.key
Logs	~/.paperclip/instances/default/logs

Override with environment variables:

PAPERCLIP_HOME=/custom/path PAPERCLIP_INSTANCE_ID=dev pnpm paperclipai run