Use Stirling Cloud AI from your server

Before you start#

• Link this server to a Stirling account; see Connect to Stirling Cloud. Only the organization owner can link a server. Until it is linked, the option shows Link an account first.
• Make sure the server can reach Stirling Cloud over the internet.
• Enable login and sign in as an administrator.

Turn it on#

1. Open Settings → Server → AI Engine.
2. Under Connection, select Use Stirling Cloud AI.
3. Choose whether to turn on Let Stirling Cloud keep indexed documents; see Document questions.
4. Select Save Changes, then Restart Now.

Status then shows Running on Stirling Cloud.

To set it in configuration instead:

aiEngine:
  enabled: true
  mode: CLOUD
  cloudDocumentIndexing: true

AIENGINE_ENABLED=true
AIENGINE_MODE=CLOUD
AIENGINE_CLOUDDOCUMENTINDEXING=true

services:
  stirling-pdf:
    environment:
      AIENGINE_ENABLED: "true"
      AIENGINE_MODE: CLOUD
      AIENGINE_CLOUDDOCUMENTINDEXING: "true"

Document questions#

Your PDF files stay on your server. Each AI tool sends Stirling Cloud only the page text it needs.

Let Stirling Cloud keep indexed documents (off by default) lets Stirling Cloud also store that text, indexed, so later questions can search across a document. Stored text is deleted when the user signs out, or after the web sign-in lifetime (security.jwt.tokenExpiryMinutes, 24 hours by default). With it off, no text is stored and document questions are unavailable.

What changes in this mode#

• Models & Providers and Documents & RAG show Managed by Stirling Cloud. Your model, document and limit settings are not used.
• Capabilities still apply; see Turn capabilities on or off.
• Processor Ingestion can't prepare searchable chunks through Stirling Cloud. That step needs your own engine.
• AI usage counts against the linked account's processing allowance; see Connect to Stirling Cloud.
• For what Stirling Cloud receives, see Where document content goes.

If Status shows Stirling Cloud unreachable, check the account link and that the server can reach the internet. Stirling Cloud is refusing this server means the account link may have been revoked; reconnect the server.

To stop using Stirling Cloud AI, choose Off or Run your own engine, then save and restart.