Documents/files placed into a share drive folder can be ingested directly into Anima.
You may decide this as a key path to ingest paper post or any other electronic documents into Anima.
At least one linked user must be online for the folder connection to stay active. To ensure cover when someone is away or offline, the folder needs to be linked multiple users. Please see Step 4 for further details.
Before you start
You’ll need admin access in Anima to set this up.
If your practice uses Microsoft Teams or OneDrive, please use this guide instead.
Step 1: Check that Local Folder Ingestion is enabled
Open the Anima desktop app
Go to Settings
Select Organisation Settings
Go to Documents
Open the Intake tab
Scroll to Ingestion from a local folder
If the toggle is grey (off) click the toggle to switch it on
Step 2: Select your shared folder
Under Ingestion from a local folder, click Select a Folder
Your computer’s file explorer will open
Navigate to your practice shared drive
Create (or select) a shared folder, ideally named something clear, like:
Anima DocumentsSelect the folder
You should now see:
The folder path listed in Anima
Your name linked to that folder
If you would like the files placed into this folder to automatically be read and summarised by Annie (Anima's AI) turn on the toggle under the column name 'Auto-Processing'.
Step 3: Save your changes
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save changes.
This finalises the configuration.
Step 4: Link multiple users (important)
At least one linked user must be online for the folder connection to stay active.
To ensure cover when someone is away or offline, the folder needs to be linked multiple users.
Each additional user must log into Anima themselves and complete the steps below on their own computer. To do this, they must have admin access.
Log into the Anima desktop app
Go to Settings → Organisation Settings → Documents → Intake
Under Ingestion from a local folder, click Select a Folder
Select the same folder that was already set up. You do not need to create a new folder. You can confirm you’re selecting the correct one by checking the file path shown for users who have already linked it.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save changes
Testing (recommended)
To test that ingestion is working:
Drop a test PDF or Word document into the shared folder
Wait 1–2 minutes
In Anima, check Documents → Uploaded queue
If setup is correct, the document should appear automatically.