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Use readAFP without uploading your files

Many organizations block uploading internal documents to outside websites — that's data-loss prevention (DLP), and it's the right call: your AFP files often hold customer data (statements, invoices, letters). So if readafp.com won't let you upload a file at work, that's your company's policy, not a bug.

The fix is to run readAFP where your files already live — on your own machine or inside your network — so nothing is ever sent out. Every option below keeps your AFP files local. Good news: most companies allow access to GitHub, so you can get the code even when uploads are blocked.

Option	Best for	Your files	Setup
Run from source	Anyone who can install Python	Stay on your PC	3 commands
Self-host with Docker	Teams / IT (shared internal URL)	Stay in your network	2 commands
Standalone app (.exe)	No-Python Windows PCs	Stay on your PC	1 download
In-browser, no upload	Zero install, locked-down PCs	Never leave the page	in progress

1. Run it from the source

readAFP is open source (MIT). Clone or download it from GitHub and run it locally — it serves only to 127.0.0.1 on your machine, so files never leave your PC. You'll need Python 3.

git clone https://github.com/bone1966/readAFP
cd readAFP
pip install -r requirements.txt
python run.py

Then open http://127.0.0.1:8770 in your browser. (No git? Use GitHub's Code → Download ZIP button and unzip it instead.)

2. Self-host with Docker

If your team has Docker, run readAFP as a container — on your own machine or an internal server everyone can reach at a private URL. Files stay inside your network.

docker build -t readafp .
docker run -p 8770:8770 readafp

Then open http://localhost:8770 (or share the host's internal address with your team).

3. Standalone Windows app (.exe)

No Python, no setup — download readAFP.exe from GitHub Releases, double-click it, and readAFP opens in your browser. Your files stay on your PC.

Because the app is free and unsigned, Windows SmartScreen may warn "Windows protected your PC" the first time — click More info → Run anyway. (Some locked-down corporate PCs block unsigned apps entirely; if so, use the source or Docker option above.)

Coming: in your browser, with no upload

A version that parses the file right in your browser (via WebAssembly), so it never leaves the page — zero install, nothing to run. In progress.

Need help getting set up, or want the in-browser version sooner? The project is on GitHub — open an issue.

Files not sensitive? Just use it here →