Wallabag: Open-Source Article Saving and Reading Application for Content Curation

What is Wallabag?

Wallabag is an open-source article saving and reading application that enables users to save web articles, remove clutter, and read them later in a clean, distraction-free interface. Designed for content curation and knowledge management, Wallabag helps users organize and reference saved articles without vendor dependency. Over 100,000 users worldwide use Wallabag to manage their reading backlog and organize information.

Unlike Pocket ($4.99-premium/month) where articles are hosted on Pocket servers, or Instapaper ($11.99/month), Wallabag enables users to save articles on their own infrastructure. Complete data ownership, privacy, and no tracking make Wallabag ideal for privacy-conscious users and organizations.

Wallabag serves as a personal information management system. Users save articles of interest. Content is curated and organized with tags and collections. Articles are read later in clean, distraction-free interface. Knowledge base is built from saved content.

Key Features and Capabilities

Article Saving and Organization

• Save Articles: Save articles from browser via browser extension or manual import
• Auto-Tagging: Automatically categorize articles with machine learning
• Manual Tags: Add custom tags for personal organization system
• Collections: Create collections to group related articles
• Star Favorites: Star important articles for quick access
• Archive: Archive articles to keep reading list clean

Reading Experience

• Reader Mode: Clean, distraction-free reading interface
• Font Customization: Adjust font, size, and spacing for readability
• Dark Mode: Eye-friendly dark theme for night reading
• Text Adjustment: Adjust text color, background, and contrast
• Reading Time Estimation: Shows estimated reading time
• Save Position: Remember reading position for later

Content Management

• Search: Full-text search across saved articles
• Filtering: Filter by status, tags, or date
• Export: Export articles in multiple formats
• Import: Import from Pocket, Instapaper, or other services
• Web Capture: Capture web pages with screenshots

Developer Features

• API: Full REST API for custom integrations
• Browser Extensions: Extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge
• Mobile Apps: iOS and Android apps for mobile reading
• Webhooks: Trigger actions based on article events

System Requirements and Technical Specifications

Server Requirements

• Operating System: Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 9+, CentOS 7+) or Docker
• Web Server: Apache 2.4+ or Nginx 1.14+
• PHP: 7.3+ with required extensions
• Database: MySQL 5.7+ or PostgreSQL 9.6+
• RAM: 512MB minimum, 2GB+ recommended
• Storage: 10GB+ for articles and media

Client Requirements

• Modern web browser for reading interface
• Browser extension support for saving
• iOS 10+ or Android 5+ for mobile apps

Installation and Deployment

Docker Installation

# Run Wallabag with Docker
docker run -d 
  --name wallabag 
  -p 8080:80 
  -e SYMFONY__ENV__DOMAIN_NAME=http://localhost:8080 
  wallabag/wallabag

# Access at http://localhost:8080

Linux Manual Installation

# Install dependencies
sudo apt-get install php7.3 php7.3-mysql composer

# Clone Wallabag
git clone https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag.git
cd wallabag

# Install dependencies
composer install

# Configure database and run migrations
php bin/console wallabag:install

# Access at http://localhost:8000

Production Configuration

# Configure Apache or Nginx reverse proxy
# Enable SSL/TLS with Let's Encrypt

# Set up PostgreSQL for production
# Configure automated backups

Use Cases and Real-World Applications

Knowledge Workers

Professionals save articles and research for reference. Content is organized with personal tags. Knowledge base grows for future reference.

Researchers and Academics

Researchers save papers and articles for analysis. Content is organized by topic and research area. References are easily searchable.

Content Curators

Curators save content from various sources. Content is organized and categorized. Collections enable sharing of curated content.

Advantages of Wallabag

• Complete Privacy: No tracking or analytics
• Data Ownership: Articles remain on your infrastructure
• Clean Interface: Distraction-free reading experience
• No Vendor Lock-In: Export and migrate your data
• Customizable: Full source code allows customization
• Cost Effective: Free versus Pocket or Instapaper subscriptions
• Import/Export: Easy import from other services

Pricing and Licensing

Software Cost: Completely free and open-source under MIT License

Deployment Options:

• Self-Hosted: Infrastructure costs $10-50/month
• Wallabag.it: Managed hosting available