Foxel: Manage Private Cloud Files with AI Search

Overview

Foxel brings files from local storage, cloud drives, and network services into a single web application. It is aimed at individuals and teams who want a private, extensible way to browse and manage files across different backends rather than handling each service separately.

Its semantic search can find content using natural-language descriptions, while built-in permissions and sharing support controlled access. Foxel also exposes S3 and WebDAV interfaces, making it useful when files need to be accessed by other tools or mounted as a drive.

Key Features

• Connect local storage, S3-compatible services, WebDAV, SFTP, SMB, and numerous cloud-drive adapters.
• Search images, documents, and other unstructured content by meaning, using configurable embedding providers and Milvus or Qdrant vector databases.
• Preview images, videos, PDFs, Office documents, text, and code in the browser.
• Manage roles and path-level permissions, with audit logging for user actions.
• Share files through public or password-protected links with expiration settings.
• Extend the application with plugins that add frontend components and backend routes.
• Access files through S3-compatible and WebDAV endpoints, or temporary signed links.
• Use an integrated AI agent and MCP endpoint for file-related tools, with approval batches for agent write operations.

Use Cases

• Individuals consolidating files from several cloud drives and local storage into one private interface.
• Small teams that need role-based access, path-specific permissions, and traceable file activity.
• Photo or document collections where finding content by description is more useful than remembering filenames.
• Users who want to mount remote files through WebDAV or connect applications through an S3-compatible API.
• Self-hosters who want to add storage adapters or application functionality through plugins.

Getting Started

Docker Compose is the recommended route:

mkdir -p data/db data/mount
curl -L -O https://github.com/DrizzleTime/Foxel/raw/main/compose.yaml
# Set strong SECRET_KEY and TEMP_LINK_SECRET_KEY values in compose.yaml
docker-compose up -d

See the README for setup details and configuration guidance.

Alternatives

• firefiles: Firefiles focuses on a browser-based drive for cloud storage buckets, while Foxel connects multiple storage backends with previews, access controls, sharing, and semantic search.

Considerations

• Foxel is a self-hosted application. Deployment and persistent data storage are the operator's responsibility.
• Semantic search requires embedding-provider configuration and a supported vector database, such as Milvus or Qdrant.
• The README recommends replacing the compose file's default secret keys with strong random values before deployment.
• The README lists Python 3.14+ and React 19 for the stack; check the repository's setup instructions for current deployment requirements.
• Some integrations require credentials for the corresponding storage account or server. Review the storage adapter notes before configuring them.