Beginning Your Development

This guide will help you set up your first API call to Docling for IBM watsonx and convert your first document.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

1. A Docling for IBM watsonx account
2. Your Service URL and API Key
3. A container environment (such as Podman), or Python (version 3.10+)

Obtaining Your Credentials

1. Sign up at ibm.com/products/docling
2. Complete the onboarding process
3. Receive and store the following from the Docling for IBM watsonx client:
   • Service URL - Your unique instance endpoint
   • API Key - Your authentication token

Using the Python SDK

For a more convenient experience, use the official Docling Python SDK. To install:

pip install "docling-serve[ui]"

To start your server:

docling-serve run --enable-ui

The Python SDK handles the async workflow automatically, polling for completion and returning the final result.

Your First Conversion

Docling for IBM watsonx uses an asynchronous workflow for converting documents:

1. Submit a document for conversion
2. Poll the status endpoint to check progress
3. Retrieve the converted result

Start at the Basic Conversion guide for a simple example on using the API endpoints and the Python SDK.

Troubleshooting Common Errors

Invalid API Key

• Verify your API Key is correct
• Check that you're using the X-Api-Key header

Task Not Found

• Ensure you're using the correct task_id
• Tasks may expire after a certain period

Conversion Failed

• Check the error message in the status response
• Verify your document format is supported
• Ensure the document is not corrupted

Next Steps

Visit these pages to continue exploring how to use Docling for IBM watsonx.