> ## 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.

# Quickstart

> Parse your first document in under 5 minutes.

## Prerequisites

1. An Aifano account — sign up at [studio.aifano.com](https://studio.aifano.com)
2. An API key (starts with `ak_live_`)

## Step 1: Get Your API Key

Navigate to **Settings → API Keys** in the [Aifano Studio](https://studio.aifano.com) and create a new API key. Store it securely — you won't be able to see it again.

```bash theme={null}
export AIFANO_API_KEY="ak_live_your_key_here"
```

## Step 2: Parse a Document

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

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

  response = requests.post(
      "https://platform.aifano.com/parse",
      headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {AIFANO_API_KEY}"},
      json={"input": "https://example.com/sample.pdf"}
  )

  result = response.json()
  print(f"Pages: {result['usage']['num_pages']}")
  print(f"Chunks: {len(result['result']['chunks'])}")
  ```

  ```javascript Node.js theme={null}
  const response = await fetch("https://platform.aifano.com/parse", {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "Authorization": `Bearer ${AIFANO_API_KEY}`,
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      input: "https://example.com/sample.pdf",
    }),
  });

  const result = await response.json();
  console.log(`Pages: ${result.usage.num_pages}`);
  console.log(`Chunks: ${result.result.chunks.length}`);
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Step 3: Upload and Parse a Local File

If your document isn't publicly accessible, upload it first:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  # Upload the file
  curl -X POST "https://platform.aifano.com/upload" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $AIFANO_API_KEY" \
    -F "file=@/path/to/document.pdf"

  # Parse using the returned file reference
  curl -X POST "https://platform.aifano.com/parse" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $AIFANO_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"input": "aifano://abc123def456.pdf"}'
  ```

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

  # Upload
  with open("document.pdf", "rb") as f:
      upload = requests.post(
          "https://platform.aifano.com/upload",
          headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {AIFANO_API_KEY}"},
          files={"file": f}
      )

  file_id = upload.json()["file_id"]

  # Parse
  result = requests.post(
      "https://platform.aifano.com/parse",
      headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {AIFANO_API_KEY}"},
      json={"input": file_id}
  ).json()
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Understanding the Response

```json theme={null}
{
  "job_id": "job_abc123",
  "duration": 2.34,
  "usage": {
    "num_pages": 5,
    "credits": 5
  },
  "result": {
    "type": "full",
    "chunks": [
      {
        "content": "# Introduction\n\nThis document covers...",
        "embed": "Introduction. This document covers...",
        "blocks": [
          {
            "type": "Title",
            "content": "Introduction",
            "bbox": { "left": 0.1, "top": 0.05, "width": 0.8, "height": 0.04, "page": 1 }
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

Key fields:

* **`chunks`** — Document content split into logical sections
* **`blocks`** — Individual elements (text, tables, figures) with bounding boxes
* **`usage`** — Pages processed and credits consumed

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Extract Data" icon="database" href="/documentation/extract">
    Extract structured data using JSON schemas.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Async Processing" icon="clock" href="/documentation/async-processing">
    Process large documents asynchronously.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cookbooks" icon="book" href="/cookbooks/overview">
    See real-world examples.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="/api-reference/introduction">
    Full API documentation.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>