The open-source document management system Paperless-ngx has delivered a notable feature jump with its 3.1 branch, then followed up with several fixes and a security patch inside a single week. The current build, 3.1.3, landed on 4 September 2026.
What the 3.1 branch adds
The 3.1.0 feature release from 27 August 2026 makes generative AI a fixed part of automation: a new “Apply AI suggestions” workflow action automatically applies AI proposals for titles, correspondents and tags. It is joined by selective remote OCR, letting users decide per document whether text recognition runs locally or via an external service – a trade-off between privacy and accuracy.
- Merging documents as new versions rather than separate entries
- Customizable icons for saved views
- OIDC group synchronization mapped to Paperless roles
- Expanded export and compression options
A rapid patch cadence
The big release was followed by dense bug fixing: 3.1.1 (31 August) corrected, among other things, AI suggestions that could accidentally strip existing metadata. Version 3.1.2 (1 September) closed a security hole tracked as GHSA-2jhj-xqrq-rmrq and is recommended for all users. The latest point release, 3.1.3, mostly smoothed out the interface, including loading indicators and sidebar animations.
Self-hosters should update to at least 3.1.2 to pick up the security fix. The AI features remain optional and can run without any external provider.
Sources: GitHub – paperless-ngx Releases · Paperless-ngx Changelog
