FAQ: how to use AI in ONLYOFFICE

As the ONLYOFFICE AI plugin continues to evolve becoming more powerful and easier to use, we receive a lot of questions and suggestions from our users regarding the AI functionality in our office suite. In this article, you will find the answers to all the questions and learn everything you need to know to use artificial intelligence in ONLYOFFICE like a pro.

AI plugin in ONLYOFFICE: general information

The history of AI integration in the ONLYOFFICE editors dates back to 2023 when our team released a ChatGPT-based AI plugin. Since then, we have significantly improved the functionality of the plugin and made it compatible with all popular AI models and AI providers, not only OpenAI’s ChatGPT, redefining the philosophy of using AI in office software.

AI integration in the ONLYOFFICE suite works via a special plugin that allows you to connect various AI providers and models and use their capabilities for document editing. The plugin is available in the ONLYOFFICE plugin marketplace and works as any other plugin developed for the ONLYOFFICE suite. What this means is that you can install the plugin when you need it and delete it with a few clicks if you no longer want to use it.

In comparison with the initial release, the current version of the plugin doesn’t make the user rely on a certain AI provider. On the contrary, our plugin allows you to choose your favourite AI assistant, whether it be ChatGTP, DeepSeek, Claude or Mistral, and even combine several models to increase your productivity while you deal with different text-related tasks.

After you add and configure an AI model in ONLYOFFICE, you can access its features on the AI tab on the top toolbar or use the context menu when working with the selected text in your document. Using the plugin, you can send requests to the chatbot, summarize large texts in a few sentences, rewrite your texts completely, generate new content, correct grammar and spelling mistakes, analyze words, translate and more.

Watch this video to learn more about AI capabilities in the ONLYOFFICE editors:

Now that you have a basic understanding of how AI works in our editors, let’s move on to more specific questions about AI integration. To make things easier, we divided all the questions into several categories.

Getting started with AI

Question: How to install the AI plugin?

Answer: You can install it like any other ONLYOFFICE plugin. Open your document, access the Plugins tab and click the Plugin Manager icon. In the Plugin Manager, you will immediately see the AI plugin and you just need to click the Install button. After that, you should activate the installed plugin and this can be done if you go to the Background plugins menu on the Plugins tab and drag the corresponding slider. If done correctly, you will see the new AI tab appear on the top toolbar. Now you can add your favourite AI assistant — Google Gemini, DeepSeek, Mistral, Groq AI, Claude and more.

Question: How do I get an API key for the AI plugin in ONLYOFFICE? Is it free?

Answer: In ONLYOFFICE, you can connect various AI models only if you have valid API keys that you can get from the corresponding AI provider. Usually, you need to register an account on the provider’s website to be able to generate API keys. Please remember that some AI companies provide their keys only on a paid basis so it’s highly recommended to consult the terms of use and conditions of the AI providers whose chatbots you are planning to use in ONLYOFFICE.

Compatibility with AI providers and services

Question: Is there some solution to connect ONLYOFFICE Docs to Ollama as ChatGPT can be connected?

Answer: Sure thing. You can easily connect Ollama as an AI provider and add one of its models to the ONLYOFFICE editors. Please note that Ollama is compatible only with the desktop version of the suite so you need to download ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors for your OS to use this integration. For more information, take a look at this detailed guide in our blog.

Question: Will there be an option to use a custom AI provider in ONLYOFFICE?

Answer: In version 2.2.2, we implemented support for custom AI providers in our plugin. What it means is that you should be able to use any AI provider if you configure it correctly. If you face any problems, don’t hesitate to let us know on our forum.

Question: Gemini’s API key is free, and we look forward to a plugin that supports it for a better AI experience.

Answer: We have good news for you! Google Gemini is one of the default AI providers in our plugin. If you have a valid API key, you can easily configure this chatbot according to the step-by-step instructions in this guide.

Question: Am I allowed to use the AI plugin with LocalAI?

Answer: Of course, you are. Our team has prepared a special guide in our blog on how to connect LocalAI on Linux and use it for document editing.

Question: Hi. At the moment I am searching for a European alternative for Google Docs. What this means is that I don’t want AI implementations that are not European. Is that possible?

Answer: Of course, it is. The AI plugin in ONLYOFFICE is compatible with any AI provider so you can choose those you trust. When it comes to European Al alternatives, you can consider Mistral. This is a French company that develops open-source large language models (LLM) for different purposes. Read our blog to learn more about how to connect and use Mistral with our editors.

Functionality, usability and customization

Question: Why is the AI plugin a pop-up window? It would be more convenient if it were placed in the left navigation bar.

Answer: Thank you very much for your suggestion. Initially, we focused on implementing the ability to connect and use any AI provider in our editors. Now that this feature has been added, we will concentrate on making the plugin more user-friendly and easier to use. One of the key improvements will be the ability to use the plugin’s window as a left-side panel to guarantee a flawless user experience. Stay tuned for further updates!

Question: The installed AI plugin should have an auto-update feature. The AI plugin updates too frequently. If I don’t check for a few days, it’s no longer the latest version.

Answer: Auto-update sounds like a good feature for some users but others might find it irritating. In ONLYOFFICE, we provide you with full control over your office suite, including the plugins, so this is you who decides if something should be installed, updated or deleted. The AI plugin is not an exception.

Question. Hi. I’m curious about the use of AI in the ONLYOFFICE suite. Is it customizable by the user? I’m interested in leaving Google due to the fact that the user does not have a say in when and how AI tech is applied to their daily functionality.

Answer: Currently, you are not allowed to customize the AI plugin’s functionality but this is what we are planning to change. We have plans to make the plugin customizable so that our users can add the features and tools they need and interact with artificial intelligence the way they like. Stay tuned and don’t miss our updates!

Question: Are the current features only Chat, Summary, Translation and Text analysis? Are there other features?

Answer: Yes, you are right. At the moment, the AI plugin lets you use various AI models for the Ask AI, Summarization, Translation and Text Analysis options. We are working on enhancing its functionality hoping to add new options as soon as possible. Our idea is to allow users to choose the AI tools they need within the plugin providing a unique editing experience.

Question: Can the AI chat interact with the document?

Answer: Basically, you interact with the connected AI chatbot in a separate window in your document. In this window, you can send various requests to the AI and get the answers to your questions. You can always copy the text information from the chat and paste it into your document. In further updates, we have plans to make the chat more interactive and allow more features and operations for a more comfortable user experience.

Question: Unfortunately, the AI plugin falls short of expectations. I anticipate that whatever selection I make will automatically be inserted into the prompt when using “Ask AI”. A customizable option to tailor prompts for summarization and other features would greatly enhance its usefulness. Additionally, it would be beneficial to have the ability to specify what action should be taken with new text, such as replacing existing text.

Answer: This is exactly what we are going to implement. We would like to make our plugin as flexible and customizable as possible so that everyone can configure the AI functionality depending on their needs. Watch out for more details and further updates in our blog!

Question: I would like to know how I can edit a document online with AI. For example, slides.

Answer: With artificial intelligence in ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor, you can easily generate text for your slides and polish it according to your requirements — rewrite it for different audiences, make it shorter or longer, correct spelling or grammar mistakes, translate and summarize.

Using the Ask AI feature, you can ask the chatbot to come up with an ideal structure and title for your presentation on a certain topic, find interesting facts to make it more engaging and even give you some useful tips on how to present your topic in front of a large crowd.

General questions

Question: I’d like to avoid using AI as much as possible, basically.

Answer: There is nothing easier! If you don’t want to interact with artificial intelligence technology in ONLYOFFICE, no one will make you do so. Just don’t install the AI plugin from the ONLYOFFICE plugin marketplace and enjoy traditional document editing without AI being involved.

Question: Hi. I’m looking for an office solution that doesn’t come with AI already built-in or otherwise forced on us. Does ONLYOFFICE meet that criteria? It looks like there’s no AI unless I choose to install it.

Answer: ONLYOFFICE is an ideal choice for you! In our editors, no AI assistant is activated by default. You can decide if you need artificial intelligence assistance or not. If you need it, just install and configure the AI plugin and enjoy AI-powered document editing. In case you no longer want to use AI tools, just uninstall the plugin.

Question: Is the AI plugin from your marketplace the only AI tool in ONLYOFFICE?

Answer: We have another plugin called ZhiPu Copilot which is based on the capabilities of ChatGLM, the ZhiPu AI large language model. Designed to simplify workflows and boost productivity, ZhiPu Copilot offers various AI tools to handle all important tasks, such as content explanation and summarization, translation, text analysis, custom requests and more. Read this article to learn more about this plugin and its features.

Question: Does ONLYOFFICE’s AI provide accurate information and precise answers?

Answer: The ONLYOFFICE team doesn’t assume responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of the information provided by the connected AI assistants.

Question: Do I need to have an Internet connection to use AI in ONLYOFFICE?

Answer: No, you don’t. The ONLYOFFICE plugin is compatible with local AI models that you can install and run on your device without having access to the Internet. In this case, you need to install ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors and connect an AI model by your local AI provider. For example, Ollama or LocalAI.

Further AI enhancements

Question: I still hope AI can be integrated with the collaboration space. For example, allowing AI to learn from the documents stored in the collaboration rooms.

Answer: If you mean ONLYOFFICE DocSpace, our room-based document collaboration platform, we are already working on enabling artificial intelligence within this solution to make it easier to work with documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDF files. Hopefully, this integration will become available this year. Read our blog to be the first to know about that!

Get started with AI in ONLYOFFICE

Get a powerful combination of the ONLYOFFICE suite and various AI helpers by downloading the free desktop client for Windows, macOS, or Linux, or creating a free ONLYOFFICE DocSpace account:

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If you haven’t found the answer to your question and want to ask us something about AI in ONLYOFFICE, don’t hesitate to tweet us at @only_office or leave your comment below. Also, you are welcome to ask your questions on our forum.