How to Set Up and Use Your Business Nextcloud Server

Welcome to your Cloud Acropolis Business Nextcloud instance. This guide covers everything you need to get started — from your first login through file sync, document editing, and team collaboration. Your Nextcloud server is fully managed, protected, and dedicated to you.

1. Accessing Your Nextcloud Server

Your Nextcloud URL was sent to you in your welcome email. It follows this format:

https://bnc-{number}.cabiz.lt

Nextcloud has its own built-in username and password authentication. No one-time email code (OTP) is required to access the main interface — you log in directly with your Nextcloud credentials.

2. First-Time Setup

Step 1 — Log In and Change Your Password

Use the Username and Password from your welcome email to log in for the first time. You will be prompted to change your password — choose a strong, unique password and store it securely.

Step 2 — Enable Two-Factor Authentication (Recommended)

Nextcloud has built-in 2FA support, including TOTP (Google Authenticator, Authy, or similar) and WebAuthn/hardware security keys. Since your Nextcloud instance may contain sensitive files, we strongly recommend enabling it.

1. Click your profile icon (top right) → Settings
2. Go to the Security section
3. Under Two-Factor Authentication, choose your preferred method (TOTP app or security key)
4. Scan the QR code with your authenticator app, or register your security key
5. Enter the verification code to confirm

Step 3 — Connect Desktop and Mobile Apps

You can access your files from your computer or phone using the same URL, username, and password:

• Desktop: Download the Nextcloud desktop client for Windows, macOS, or Linux and sign in with your server URL
• Mobile: Download the Nextcloud app from the App Store or Google Play and sign in with your server URL

3. Understanding the Interface

Main Menu

The top navigation bar gives you access to your installed apps. Your available apps depend on your subscription tier:

Settings

Access Settings from your profile icon to configure your personal preferences, security options, and connected devices. Administrators can also manage users and apps from the Administration settings.

4. Files and Sharing

Uploading and Organizing Files

1. Go to Files from the main menu
2. Click New to upload files or folders, or drag and drop directly into the browser
3. Use folders to organize files by project, client, or department
4. Use the star icon to mark favorites for quick access

Sharing Files and Folders

1. Right-click (or click the three-dot menu on) any file or folder
2. Click Share
3. Share directly with another user on your instance, or create a public link
4. For public links, you can set a password, expiration date, and whether the recipient can edit or only view

Antivirus Protection on Uploads

Every file uploaded to your Nextcloud instance is automatically scanned for malware before it is stored. If a virus is detected, the file is removed and does not remain accessible.

5. Nextcloud Office — Document Editing (Business and Pro tiers)

Creating Documents

1. Go to Files and click New
2. Choose New document, New spreadsheet, or New presentation
3. The document opens directly in your browser for editing — no software installation needed
4. Changes save automatically as you type

Collaborative Editing

Multiple people can edit the same document at the same time. Share the document with colleagues (see Section 4) and anyone with edit access can join the editing session simultaneously, with live cursors showing who is editing what.

6. Calendar, Contacts, Mail, and Deck (Pro tier)

Calendar

• Go to Calendar from the main menu to create events, set reminders, and invite other users
• Sync your calendar to your phone or desktop using CalDAV — go to Settings → Calendar for connection details
• Share calendars with colleagues to coordinate schedules

Contacts

• Go to Contacts to manage your address book
• Sync to your phone or desktop using CardDAV — go to Settings → Contacts for connection details
• Organize contacts into groups for easier management

Mail

The Mail app is a webmail client built into Nextcloud — it does not include its own mailbox. To use it, connect it to your existing email account:

1. Go to Mail from the main menu
2. Click Add Mail Account
3. Enter your existing email address and password (or app password, depending on your provider)
4. Nextcloud will attempt to auto-detect your mail server settings

Deck

• Go to Deck from the main menu to create Kanban-style boards
• Create boards for projects, add lists (e.g. To Do, In Progress, Done), and add cards for individual tasks
• Assign cards to team members and set due dates

7. Managing Users (Administrators)

Creating Users

1. Go to Settings → Administration → Users
2. Click New user
3. Enter a username, display name, and email address
4. Set an initial password, or leave blank to email the user a setup link
5. Assign the user to a group if you use groups to organize permissions

Storage Quotas

You can set a storage quota per user from the Users administration page — useful for managing space across a team.

8. Security and Best Practices

Your Server Security

Your Cloud Acropolis Nextcloud instance is protected by:

• Dedicated VM — your instance is not shared with other customers
• Firewall (UFW) — only necessary ports are open
• Network perimeter security — all traffic to your server passes through Cloud Acropolis's network security, which performs real-time antivirus inspection, providing an additional layer of protection beyond the file-upload scanning described above
• ClamAV antivirus — every file you upload is scanned automatically
• Checkmk monitoring — 24/7 infrastructure monitoring by Cloud Acropolis
• Automated health checks — automated verification that Nextcloud and its database are running
• Nightly backups — your data is backed up every night

Best Practices

• Enable 2FA for your account, and ask your team to do the same
• Use password-protected, expiring links when sharing files publicly
• Set storage quotas per user to manage space
• Regularly review shared links under Settings → Sharing and remove ones you no longer need
• Keep your desktop and mobile apps updated to the latest version

9. Getting Support

Cloud Acropolis Support

For infrastructure issues — server not responding, performance problems, feature upgrade requests:

• Email: support@cloudacropolis.lt
• Support ticket: my.cloudacropolis.lt

Nextcloud Documentation and Community

For app usage, configuration, and general questions:

• Official documentation: docs.nextcloud.com
• Community forum: help.nextcloud.com