> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aifano.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pipelines

> Combine parsing, extraction, splitting, and editing into reusable, single-call workflows.

## Overview

Pipelines let you chain multiple Aifano operations into a single API call. Instead of calling `/parse`, then `/extract` separately, define a pipeline once and run it with one request.

## How Pipelines Work

A pipeline is a sequence of processors that execute in order:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Define Processors">
    Choose which operations to include: Parse, Extract, Split, or Edit. Each processor has its own configuration.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload Documents">
    Add documents to the pipeline via the Studio UI or the API.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Execute">
    Call `/pipeline` (sync) or `/pipeline_async` (async) to run all processors in sequence on your document.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get Results">
    Receive combined results from all processors in a single response.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Pipeline Types

Pipelines are defined by the combination of processors they include:

| Type                  | Processors              | Description                          |
| --------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| `parse`               | Parse                   | Parse documents into structured JSON |
| `extract`             | Parse → Extract         | Parse and extract structured data    |
| `split`               | Split                   | Split documents into sections        |
| `parse_extract`       | Parse → Extract         | Full parsing with data extraction    |
| `parse_split`         | Parse → Split           | Parse and split into sections        |
| `split_extract`       | Split → Extract         | Split sections and extract data      |
| `parse_split_extract` | Parse → Split → Extract | Full pipeline with all operations    |

## Basic Usage

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -X POST "https://platform.aifano.com/pipeline" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $AIFANO_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{
      "input": "aifano://invoice-bundle.pdf",
      "pipeline_id": "pipe_abc123"
    }'
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  result = requests.post(
      "https://platform.aifano.com/pipeline",
      headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {AIFANO_API_KEY}"},
      json={
          "input": "aifano://invoice-bundle.pdf",
          "pipeline_id": "pipe_abc123"
      }
  ).json()

  print(f"Pipeline completed in {result['duration']}s")
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const response = await fetch("https://platform.aifano.com/pipeline", {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "Authorization": `Bearer ${AIFANO_API_KEY}`,
      "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      input: "aifano://invoice-bundle.pdf",
      pipeline_id: "pipe_abc123"
    })
  });

  const result = await response.json();
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Creating Pipelines in Studio

The easiest way to create and manage pipelines is through the [Aifano Studio](https://studio.aifano.com):

1. Navigate to **Pipelines** in the sidebar
2. Click **Create Pipeline**
3. Choose a name, description, and pipeline type
4. Configure each processor's settings
5. Upload documents and run the pipeline

## Processor Configuration

Each processor in a pipeline can be individually configured:

### Parse Processor

Controls how documents are parsed into structured content.

```json theme={null}
{
  "parser_provider": "reducto",
  "enhance": {
    "agentic": [{ "scope": "table" }],
    "summarize_figures": true
  },
  "settings": {
    "ocr_system": "standard",
    "extraction_mode": "hybrid"
  }
}
```

### Extract Processor

Defines the schema for structured data extraction.

```json theme={null}
{
  "schema": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "invoice_number": { "type": "string" },
      "total": { "type": "number" }
    }
  },
  "system_prompt": "Extract all monetary values in EUR."
}
```

### Split Processor

Configures how documents are divided into sections.

```json theme={null}
{
  "split_description": [
    { "title": "Invoice", "description": "The main invoice document" },
    { "title": "Receipt", "description": "Payment receipt or confirmation" }
  ]
}
```

## Async Pipelines

For large documents or batch processing, use the async variant:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "https://platform.aifano.com/pipeline_async" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AIFANO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "input": "aifano://large-document.pdf",
    "pipeline_id": "pipe_abc123"
  }'
```

See [Async Processing](/documentation/async-processing) for details on polling and webhooks.

## Common Use Cases

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Invoice Processing" icon="file-invoice-dollar">
    Parse invoices, extract line items and totals, and split bundled documents — all in one call.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Contract Review" icon="file-contract">
    Split contract packages into sections, parse each section, and extract key terms and dates.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Claims Processing" icon="shield-check">
    Split claim packages, extract policyholder data, and route sections to the right department.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Document Intake" icon="inbox">
    Automatically classify, split, and extract data from mixed document uploads.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>