Calibre-Web-Automated — Self-Hosted eBook Library with Auto Import and Conversion

Introduction

Calibre-Web-Automated (CWA) is a fork of Calibre-Web that adds automatic book ingestion, format conversion, and metadata enrichment on top of the familiar web-based eBook library interface. Drop files into a watched folder and CWA handles the rest: converting to your preferred formats, fetching cover art and metadata, and organizing everything into your Calibre library automatically.

What Calibre-Web-Automated Does

• Watches an ingest folder and automatically imports new eBook files into the Calibre library
• Converts books between formats (EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, PDF, KEPUB) using Calibre's conversion engine
• Fetches metadata, cover images, and descriptions from online sources automatically
• Serves a polished web UI for browsing, reading, and downloading books from any device
• Supports OPDS feeds for integration with mobile reading apps like KOReader and Moon+ Reader

Architecture Overview

CWA extends Calibre-Web (a Python Flask application) with background automation services. A file watcher monitors the ingest directory for new books. When a file appears, the automation pipeline invokes Calibre's command-line tools (calibredb and ebook-convert) to import and convert the file, then updates the Calibre SQLite database. The web interface serves books directly from the Calibre library directory, and an OPDS endpoint provides catalog access for compatible reading apps.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy via Docker with two volume mounts: one for the Calibre library and one for the ingest folder
• Set CONVERT_TO environment variable to define target formats (e.g., epub,kepub)
• Configure automatic metadata fetching by enabling the built-in metadata provider settings
• Adjust import behavior with variables for duplicate handling, author formatting, and file cleanup
• Place behind a reverse proxy with authentication for secure remote access to your library

Key Features

• Drop-and-forget automation: add files to the ingest folder and everything else happens automatically
• Multi-format conversion powered by Calibre's mature conversion engine
• Web-based reading with an in-browser EPUB reader for instant access
• OPDS catalog support for syncing with mobile and e-ink reader applications
• User management with per-user permissions, download quotas, and shelves

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Calibre-Web — the upstream project provides the web UI but requires manual import and conversion; CWA adds the automation layer
• Calibre (desktop) — the full desktop application with a GUI; CWA provides a headless, Docker-friendly server experience
• Kavita — manga and comic focused reading server; CWA specializes in eBook management with format conversion
• Audiobookshelf — targets audiobooks and podcasts; CWA is designed for text-based eBooks
• Komga — comic and manga server with OPDS; CWA handles eBook formats and Calibre library compatibility

FAQ

Q: Do I need an existing Calibre library? A: No. CWA creates a new Calibre library if one does not exist at the mounted path. You can also point it at an existing library.

Q: What file formats can I drop into the ingest folder? A: CWA accepts EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW3, CBZ, CBR, FB2, LIT, and other formats supported by Calibre's import engine.

Q: Does it work with Kindle devices? A: Yes. Set MOBI or AZW3 as a conversion target, then use the built-in send-to-Kindle feature or download converted files directly.

Q: How does duplicate detection work? A: CWA checks title and author against the existing library. You can configure it to skip, overwrite, or keep both copies when a duplicate is detected.

Sources

• https://github.com/crocodilestick/Calibre-Web-Automated
• https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web