AI chat
Joplin can connect to a chat model — either a cloud service or one running on your own machine — so that plugins can use it to summarise, rewrite, or answer questions about your notes. The model itself is configured in one place in the settings. Plugins then use that model without needing their own API keys.
There is no built-in chat sidebar in Joplin; this is the foundation that plugins build on.
Turning it on
AI is off by default. To enable it:
- Open the Configuration screen and go to the AI section.
- Tick Enable AI features.
- Pick a Chat provider and fill in its settings.
- Click Test AI configuration to verify it works.
AI features are only available on the desktop app.
Picking a provider
| Provider | What it is | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Joplin Cloud AI | A chat model hosted by Joplin Cloud. Available to Joplin Cloud users on supported plans. | Zero config — Joplin reuses your sync credentials. Selected automatically the first time you enable AI if you are syncing with Joplin Cloud. |
| OpenAI-compatible | Any service that speaks the OpenAI API: OpenAI itself, Ollama, LM Studio, OpenRouter, vLLM, and many others. | Set the base URL (e.g. https://api.openai.com/v1 or http://localhost:11434/v1 for Ollama), the API key, and the model name. |
| Anthropic | Direct calls to Anthropic's Claude models. | Set your API key and a model id (e.g. claude-3-5-sonnet-latest). |
You can change provider at any time.
Local vs remote: the "Allow remote providers" switch
To protect against accidentally sending your notes to a cloud service, Joplin keeps a second, separate switch: Allow remote AI providers. By default it is off.
- Local providers (Ollama, LM Studio, or any other server running on
localhost/127.0.0.1) work with this switch off — nothing leaves your computer. - Remote providers (Joplin Cloud AI, Anthropic, OpenAI, anything not on localhost — including services on your local network) need this switch on. If it's off, AI calls to a remote provider fail with a clear error.
LAN addresses are deliberately treated as remote. The idea is "did my data leave this device", not "did it leave my house".
Token usage
Most chat providers charge per token. To help you keep an eye on usage, Joplin tracks cumulative input and output tokens for the currently configured provider and shows them in Settings → AI. There's a Reset token usage button next to the counters.
When you change provider or endpoint, the counters reset automatically so you don't mix totals from different services.
Testing your setup
The Test AI configuration button sends a one-message chat ("Reply with the single word OK.") to your active provider and shows the response inline. This is the fastest way to confirm everything works end-to-end — the configuration screen does not validate provider details until you actually call the model.
If the test fails, the error message is shown directly below the button. Common ones:
- "Joplin Cloud AI requires Joplin Cloud sync" — you picked Joplin Cloud AI but you're not syncing with Joplin Cloud. Either restore Joplin Cloud sync or pick a different provider.
- "Remote AI providers are not allowed" — turn on Allow remote AI providers.
- "No choices in response — check that the base URL includes /v1" — common for local Ollama / LM Studio servers; the base URL needs the
/v1suffix.
Plugins that use AI chat
Plugins can call joplin.ai.chat() to ask the model a question. They cannot choose the provider or the model — both come from your settings. That means a plugin written against OpenAI will also work against Ollama or Joplin Cloud AI with no changes.
If a plugin uses AI, you'll see it in the plugin's description. The plugin can read your notes as part of building its prompt, so the usual rules apply: if you're using a remote provider, that note content goes to the provider.
Disabling AI
Untick Enable AI features in Settings → AI. While the master toggle is off, no AI call from any plugin or built-in feature succeeds, regardless of provider settings or the remote-allow switch.