API Reference

The Docling for IBM watsonx API provides a RESTful interface for converting documents into AI-ready formats.

Every HTTP request you make to the API endpoints require a Service URL and an API key. Access these by following the Quick Start guide.

The Service URL will look similar to:

https://api.example.dcls.saas.ibm.com/your-instance-id

Use this complete URL as your base URL for all API requests.

To use the API key, pass it in the X-Api-Key header of all API requests:

curl -H "X-Api-Key: your-api-key" \
  {SERVICE_URL}/v1/...

See the Basic Conversion examples for more guidance on how to use the Service URL and the API key.

API Workflow

Docling uses an asynchronous workflow for document conversion:

1. Submit - Upload or specify document source
2. Poll - Check conversion status
3. Retrieve - Get the converted result

Endpoints

Conversion

• POST /v1/convert/file/async - Convert uploaded files
• POST /v1/convert/source/async - Convert from URLs or S3

Status & Results

• GET /v1/status/poll/{task_id} - Check conversion status
• GET /v1/result/{task_id} - Retrieve converted document(s)

Rate Limits

Rate limits vary by plan. Contact your account manager for details about your specific limits.

Error Handling

To be added.

Supported Formats

Input Formats

• PDF documents
• Images (PNG, JPEG, TIFF)
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• And more...

Output Formats

• Markdown - Human-readable text
• JSON - Structured data
• HTML - Web-ready format

Next Steps