How to set up Stirling PDF
· Updated 31 July 2026 · SparkBox team
Merge, split, convert, and edit PDFs. This guide covers how to access it, log in for the first time, configure the basics, and where its data lives so you can back it up.
1. What is Stirling PDF?
A powerful, self-hosted PDF toolkit. Merge, split, rotate, convert, compress, and watermark PDFs right in your browser. No files ever leave your server.
2. How to access it
Once it's enabled, Stirling PDF runs on your SparkBox at:
http://<your-NAS-IP>:8084Upload a PDF or use the built-in tools to create, merge, and convert documents
3. Tips
- Drag and drop PDFs into the browser to start editing
- Use the merge tool to combine multiple PDFs into a single document
4. Where your data lives
Stirling PDF's config and persistent data are stored on the SparkBox host under:
/opt/sparkbox/modules/stirling-pdf/config/Backups via the SparkBox dashboard's Backup tile include this directory by default, so a single restore brings Stirling PDF back to its current state on a fresh install.
Next steps
That's Stirling PDF live on SparkBox.
If something doesn't match what you see, post in d/sparkbox or hit us up on YouTube. Every SparkBox bug gets patched; every UX-stumble in this guide gets rewritten.
Questions, or did this not match your box?
Every guide here came from a real problem someone hit. If yours behaves differently, say so — that is how these get corrected, and how the fix gets prioritised.
We answer there rather than in a comment box, because that is where the people who have already solved it are.