Calibre-Web
Connect Crow to Calibre-Web for a rich web-based ebook reading experience with shelves, reading progress, and library management.
What You Get
- Search and browse your ebook library
- Manage bookshelves and collections
- Track reading status (read, reading, to-read)
- Download books in multiple formats
- Read books directly in the browser via the web UI
Setup
Crow supports two modes for Calibre-Web: self-hosting via Docker or connecting to an existing instance.
Option A: Docker (self-hosted)
Install Calibre-Web as a Crow bundle. This runs Calibre-Web in Docker alongside your Crow gateway.
"Crow, install the Calibre-Web bundle"
Or install from the Extensions panel in the Crow's Nest.
After installation, set the path to the directory containing your metadata.db:
# In your .env file
CALIBRE_WEB_DB_PATH=/path/to/calibre/libraryRestart the bundle for changes to take effect:
"Crow, restart the Calibre-Web bundle"
Calibre-Web will be available at http://your-server:8083. Create an initial admin account through the web UI on first launch.
Option B: Connect to existing Calibre-Web
If you already run a Calibre-Web instance, connect Crow to it directly.
Step 1: Get your API key
- Open your Calibre-Web interface
- Go to Settings (admin menu)
- Generate or copy your API key
Step 2: Add to Crow
Set the following in your .env file or via Crow's Nest > Settings > Integrations:
CALIBRE_WEB_URL=http://your-calibre-web:8083
CALIBRE_WEB_API_KEY=your-api-key-hereAI Tools
Once connected, you can interact with Calibre-Web through your AI:
"Search my books for fantasy novels"
"Add this book to my Reading shelf"
"What am I currently reading?"
"Show me my to-read list"
"Download that book as PDF"
Troubleshooting
"Connection refused" or timeout
Make sure the CALIBRE_WEB_URL is reachable from the machine running Crow. If Calibre-Web is on a different machine, use the correct IP or hostname.
API key not working
Regenerate the API key from Calibre-Web's admin settings. Make sure you copied the full key without extra whitespace.
"metadata.db not found"
Verify that CALIBRE_WEB_DB_PATH points to the directory containing your Calibre metadata.db file. Calibre-Web requires an existing Calibre library database to function.