Papermark — Open Source Document Sharing Analytics

What Papermark Does

Papermark handles secure document sharing with detailed engagement tracking:

• Document Sharing: Upload PDFs, generate unique shareable links for each recipient
• Page-by-Page Analytics: Track which pages were viewed, time spent per page, and total viewing duration
• Email Capture: Require viewers to enter their email before accessing documents
• Password Protection: Add passwords to sensitive documents
• Custom Domains: Use your own domain for branded sharing links
• Custom Branding: White-label the viewer with your logo and colors
• Data Rooms: Create secure virtual data rooms for due diligence with folder organization
• Expiration & Access Control: Set link expiration dates and revoke access anytime
• Notifications: Real-time email alerts when someone views your document
• Team Collaboration: Share documents across team members with role-based access

Tech Stack

Sharing a Document via API

// Upload and create a shareable link
const response = await fetch("/api/documents", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: "Series A Pitch Deck",
    url: "https://your-storage.com/pitch-deck.pdf",
  }),
});

const doc = await response.json();

// Create a link with settings
const link = await fetch(`/api/documents/${doc.id}/links`, {
  method: "POST",
  body: JSON.stringify({
    emailProtected: true,
    password: null,
    expiresAt: "2026-05-01T00:00:00Z",
    allowDownload: false,
  }),
});

Self-Hosting with Docker

git clone https://github.com/mfts/papermark.git
cd papermark
cp .env.example .env

# Configure .env:
# DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
# NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your_secret
# NEXTAUTH_URL=https://your-domain.com
# NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=https://your-domain.com

docker compose up -d

FAQ

Q: How is Papermark different from DocSend? A: Papermark is open-source and self-hostable, so you own your data. It provides similar analytics (page views, time per page) without monthly fees or per-link pricing.

Q: Can I track who viewed my pitch deck? A: Yes. Enable email capture on links, and Papermark records viewer email, pages viewed, time per page, and total duration with real-time notifications.

Q: What file formats are supported? A: Primarily PDF documents. The viewer renders PDFs page-by-page with smooth navigation.

Q: Is there a hosted version? A: Yes. Papermark offers a hosted version at papermark.io with free and paid tiers, or you can self-host for free.