Node schemas

This page is transcribed from the API’s request schema. It lists the fields a public caller may set on each node of a workflow, with their type, whether they are required, and their default. The machine-readable form is the OpenAPI document at https://api.anyformat.ai/schema/. Each node’s guide page explains what the fields do and when to use them. A workflow body is { name, description, nodes, edges }. Every node carries an id (unique within the graph) and a type (the discriminator). The API rejects unknown keys on any node with 400 VALIDATION_ERROR, so a field that is not on this page is not accepted, even if the app shows it. Write only the fields you want to set. A GET echoes every node with every default filled in (for example "cache": true on a Parse node you created with only id and type), and every edge with "branch": null where you set none. That echoed shape is what PATCH accepts back.

parse

Reads the document and turns it into text, tables and layout. Every workflow has exactly one. Guide: Parse.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`id`	string	yes		Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"parse"`	yes
`mode`	`standard` \| `agentic` \| `lite` \| `flash`	no	`standard`	The parse tier. `lite` is shown as Fast in the app.
`prompt_hint`	string \| null	no	`null`	Free-form hint that biases the parse output. Standard, agentic and flash only; ignored in lite.
`figure_enhancement`	boolean	no	`false`	Standard mode: extract structured data from charts and images. Extra processing per figure. Ignored in agentic and lite.
`cache`	boolean	no	`true`	Reuse the parsed output when the same file was already parsed with the same mode and settings. A hit skips the whole parse. Set `false` to force a fresh parse.
`effort`	`low` \| `mid` \| `accurate`	no	`mid`	Agentic mode only: quality and cost preset.
`scanned_pages`	`ocr` \| `skip` \| `fail`	no	`ocr`	Flash mode only: what to do with a page whose text layer produced no words. `ocr` parses it like any other page, `skip` serves it blank and flags it, `fail` raises and names the page numbers.

A field that belongs to another tier is accepted and ignored. A GET also echoes "ocr_effort": "high": a retired lite-tier knob, accepted and ignored, kept on the wire for compatibility. Do not set it.

{ "id": "parse_1", "type": "parse", "mode": "agentic", "effort": "accurate" }

Echoed by GET:

{ "id": "parse_1", "type": "parse", "mode": "agentic", "prompt_hint": null, "figure_enhancement": false, "cache": true, "effort": "accurate", "ocr_effort": "high", "scanned_pages": "ocr" }

extract

Pulls the fields of a schema out of the parsed document, each with a value, a confidence and evidence. Guide: Extract.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`id`	string	yes		Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"extract"`	yes
`mode`	`standard` \| `agentic` \| `lite`	no	`standard`	The extraction tier. `lite` is shown as Fast in the app.
`extraction_schema`	ExtractionSchema	yes		The fields this node extracts. At least one.
`lookup_files`	string[]	no	`[]`	URIs of the Smart Lookup reference files stored on the node. Read it back from `GET`; write `lookup_file_uploads` to add files.
`lookup_suggestion`	string \| null	no	`null`	Free-form hint shown to the smart-lookup matcher.
`lookup_reasoning_effort`	`minimal` \| `low` \| `medium` \| `high` \| null	no	`null`	Reasoning effort for the smart-lookup matcher. `null` is the model default. Higher effort improves match reliability on noisy join keys at higher latency and cost.
`lookup_file_uploads`	LookupFileUpload[]	no	`[]`	Inline reference-file content. Each entry is uploaded and its URI is appended to `lookup_files`. Create-input only: the API does not store it on the node.
`use_images`	boolean	no	`false`	Standard and lite modes: send each PDF page’s rendered image alongside its parsed text, so the model can read layout the text missed. Adds vision cost on every page.

{
  "id": "extract_1",
  "type": "extract",
  "extraction_schema": {
    "fields": [
      { "name": "invoice_number", "description": "The unique invoice identifier", "data_type": "string" },
      { "name": "total_amount",   "description": "Total invoice amount",          "data_type": "float" }
    ]
  }
}

Echoed by GET. Every field carries the server-assigned persistent_id and its source; echo both back on PATCH:

{
  "id": "extract_1",
  "type": "extract",
  "mode": "standard",
  "extraction_schema": {
    "fields": [
      { "persistent_id": "0686bb97-8c30-70f0-8000-97669e00aaaa", "name": "invoice_number", "description": "The unique invoice identifier", "source": "extraction", "data_type": "string" },
      { "persistent_id": "0686bb97-8c30-70f0-8000-97669e00aaab", "name": "total_amount",   "description": "Total invoice amount",          "source": "extraction", "data_type": "float" }
    ]
  },
  "lookup_files": [],
  "lookup_suggestion": null,
  "lookup_reasoning_effort": null,
  "lookup_file_uploads": [],
  "use_images": false
}

classify

Labels the document as one of your categories and routes it down that category’s branch. Guide: Classify.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`id`	string	yes		Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"classify"`	yes
`user_prompt`	string \| null	no	`null`	Extra instructions inserted between the classifier’s system prompt and the document text.
`categories`	ClassifyCategory[]	yes		At least one. Category ids and names must each be unique within the node.

{
  "id": "classify_1",
  "type": "classify",
  "categories": [
    { "id": "INVOICE", "name": "Invoice", "description": "A vendor invoice." },
    { "id": "RECEIPT", "name": "Receipt", "description": "A point-of-sale receipt." }
  ]
}

splitter

Breaks one file that holds several documents into pieces, one rule per piece, and routes each rule down its own branch. The wire type is splitter; the app calls it Split. Guide: Split.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`id`	string	yes	Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"splitter"`	yes
`rules`	SplitterRule[]	yes	At least one. Rule ids and names must each be unique within the node.

{
  "id": "split_1",
  "type": "splitter",
  "rules": [
    { "id": "STATEMENT", "name": "Statement", "description": "A bank account statement.", "partition_key": "account_number" },
    { "id": "CHECK",     "name": "Check",     "description": "A scanned check." }
  ]
}

validate

Checks the values an Extract node produced against your rules and records a verdict per rule. Guide: Validate.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`id`	string	yes	Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"validate"`	yes
`rules`	ValidationRule[]	yes	At least one.

{
  "id": "validate_1",
  "type": "validate",
  "rules": [
    { "id": "vendor-legit", "description": "The vendor is a real, named company." },
    {
      "id": "totals-add-up",
      "kind": "deterministic",
      "check": { "type": "arithmetic", "operands": ["<subtotal persistent_id>", "<tax persistent_id>"], "equals": "<total persistent_id>", "tolerance": 0.01 }
    }
  ]
}

if_else

Evaluates one check against the upstream extraction and routes the run down a true or a false branch. Guide: If/Else.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`id`	string	yes	Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"if_else"`	yes
`condition`	Check	yes	The check to evaluate. A `validation` check routes on the outcome of an upstream Validate rule.

The outgoing edges carry "branch": "true" and "branch": "false". The true edge is required; the false edge may be left unwired.

{
  "id": "if_else_1",
  "type": "if_else",
  "condition": { "type": "validation", "rule_id": "totals-add-up", "status": "fail" }
}

slack_alert

Posts a rendered message to a Slack channel at the end of a branch. It emits nothing downstream. Guide: Slack alert.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`id`	string	yes		Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"slack_alert"`	yes
`channel_id`	string	yes		Canonical Slack channel id, for example `C0123ABC`. Stable across renames.
`channel_name`	string	yes		The channel’s display name at save time, for example `#finance`. Shown in logs and Studio; not re-resolved on every send.
`message_template`	string	yes		Message body. `${field.<persistent_id>}` inserts an extracted value. With an upstream Validate node, `${validation.<rule_id>.status}`, `.detail` and `.severity` insert a rule’s outcome. A missing field or unknown rule id renders as `<missing: ...>`.
`severity`	`info` \| `warning` \| `critical`	no	`info`	Colour of the message’s attachment bar. Presentational only.

{
  "id": "slack_alert_1",
  "type": "slack_alert",
  "channel_id": "C0123ABC",
  "channel_name": "#finance",
  "message_template": "Totals do not reconcile on ${field.0686bb97-8c30-70f0-8000-97669e00aaaa}: ${validation.totals-add-up.detail}",
  "severity": "warning"
}

edit

Detects the fillable fields on the parsed PDF, fills them, and returns the filled PDF. Terminal: nothing accepts an edge from it. Guide: Edit.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`id`	string	yes		Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"edit"`	yes
`instructions`	string \| null	no	`null`	Free-text values to write into the detected fields, for example `Name: ACME SL; Date: 2026-01-01; I accept the terms: yes`. Wins over a reference document where both address the same field.
`reference_document_ids`	string[]	no	`[]`	Ids of reference documents uploaded to this workflow. Every id must belong to this workflow and be fully resolved, or the run is refused.
`font`	`sans` \| `serif` \| `mono`	no	`sans`	Typeface the filled values are written in.
`output_mode`	`flattened` \| `editable`	no	`flattened`	`flattened` paints the values on and the PDF is final. `editable` leaves each value in a live form field.

{
  "id": "edit_1",
  "type": "edit",
  "instructions": "Name: ACME SL; Date: 2026-01-01; I accept the terms: yes",
  "reference_document_ids": ["069dcc2c-e14c-7606-8000-2ee4fb17b4e2"]
}

knowledge

Indexes every document the workflow parses into a per-workflow knowledge base. Its presence is the switch; it has no options. At most one per workflow. Guide: Knowledge.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`id`	string	yes		Stable identifier for this node within the graph.
`type`	`"knowledge"`	yes

{ "id": "knowledge_1", "type": "knowledge" }

Shared types

ExtractionSchema and fields

extraction_schema is { "fields": [ ... ] } with at least one field. Every field carries these keys, plus the ones its data_type adds. See Field types for what each type extracts.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`data_type`	`string` \| `integer` \| `float` \| `boolean` \| `date` \| `datetime` \| `enum` \| `multi_select` \| `object`	yes		The discriminator.
`name`	string	yes		Field name. Used as the key in the extraction results.
`description`	string	no	`""`	Free-form description shown to the extraction model. An empty description is accepted but degrades quality.
`source`	`extraction` \| `smart_lookup` \| `lookup_if_missing`	no	`extraction`	Where the value comes from: the document, the lookup file (always overwrites), or the document first and the lookup file where extraction left no value.
`persistent_id`	string (UUID) \| null	no	`null`	Server-assigned stable identity, returned by `GET`. Echo it on updates, including across renames. Omit for new fields. Sending one on create is rejected with `400`.
`enum_options`	EnumOption[]	`enum`, `multi_select` only		At least one option.
`nested_fields`	field[]	`object` only		At least one child field. Only one level of nesting: a child cannot be an `object`.

EnumOption

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`name`	string	yes		The option value.
`description`	string	yes		Free-form description shown to the model.

ClassifyCategory

Field	Type	Required	Description
`id`	string	yes	Stable category id. The `branch` value on the edge that leaves the Classify node for this category.
`name`	string	yes	Display name shown to the model. Must be unique across the node’s categories.
`description`	string	yes	Free-form description shown to the model.

SplitterRule

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`id`	string	yes		Stable rule id. The `branch` value on the edge that leaves the Split node for this rule.
`name`	string	yes		Display name shown to the model. Must be unique across the node’s rules.
`description`	string	yes		Free-form description shown to the model.
`partition_key`	string	no	`""`	Field that further partitions this rule into separate sub-documents, for example `invoice_number`. Each distinct value becomes its own split. Empty means the whole rule flows on as one document.

ValidationRule

A rule is either AI-evaluated (kind: "ai", a natural-language description) or deterministic (kind: "deterministic", a structured check). An ai rule must not carry a check; a deterministic rule must carry one.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`id`	string	yes		Stable rule id. Round-trips through the validation results, and is what `if_else` and `slack_alert` reference.
`name`	string \| null	no	`null`	Human-readable rule name.
`kind`	`ai` \| `deterministic`	no	`ai`	How the rule is evaluated.
`description`	string \| null	no	`null`	Natural-language rule sent to the model. Required when `kind` is `ai`.
`check`	Check \| null	no	`null`	Structured check run in code. Required when `kind` is `deterministic`. Must not contain a `validation` check.
`severity`	`error` \| `warning`	no	`error`	How a failed rule is labelled in results. Never blocks the run.
`source_fields`	string[]	no	`[]`	Persistent ids of the fields this rule references.

Check

A check is a JSON object discriminated on type. Field operands are persistent_ids, except in expression, which addresses fields by name. Combinators nest.

`type`	Fields	Description
`range`	`field` (string, required), `min` (number \| null), `max` (number \| null)	The numeric field lies within the inclusive bounds.
`date`	`field` (string, required), `earliest` (string \| null), `latest` (string \| null)	The date field lies within the inclusive bounds. Each bound is an ISO date `YYYY-MM-DD` or the literal `today`.
`arithmetic`	`operands` (string[], at least one, required), `operator` (`sum` \| `subtract` \| `product`, default `sum`), `equals` (string, required), `tolerance` (number, default `0`)	Combining the operands with the operator equals the `equals` field, within `tolerance`.
`comparison`	`left` (string, required), `op` (`==` \| `!=` \| `>` \| `>=` \| `<` \| `<=`, required), `right` (required)	Compares the `left` field against `right`, which is `{ "source": "field", "field": "<persistent_id>" }` or `{ "source": "literal", "value": <number \| string \| boolean> }`.
`one_of`	`field` (string, required), `allowed` (string[], at least one, required), `case_sensitive` (boolean, default `false`)	The value is one of `allowed`.
`regex`	`field` (string, required), `pattern` (string, required)	The value matches the pattern. Evaluated with RE2 (linear time).
`required`	`field` (string, required)	The field has a value.
`confidence`	`field` (string, required), `op` (`<` \| `<=` \| `>` \| `>=` \| `==` \| `!=`, required), `threshold` (integer 0 to 100, required)	Compares the field’s extraction confidence against `threshold`. `field` is a `persistent_id` or the field’s name.
`expression`	`expression` (string, 1 to 1000 characters, required)	A CEL expression over the root variable `data`, for example `data.total == data.subtotal + data.tax`. Fields are addressed by name.
`validation`	`rule_id` (string, required), `status` (`fail` \| `pass` \| `inconclusive`, default `fail`)	True when the named upstream Validate rule ended with `status`. Only valid on an `if_else` condition.
`all_of`	`checks` (Check[], 1 to 32, required)	Passes when every child passes.
`any_of`	`checks` (Check[], 1 to 32, required)	Passes when any child passes.

LookupFileUpload

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`filename`	string	yes		The file’s name, for example `suppliers.csv`.
`content`	string	yes		The file’s bytes, base64-encoded.

Edges

edges is a list of directed connections between node ids. A workflow with only a Parse node needs no edges.

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`source`	string	yes		The `id` of the node the edge leaves.
`target`	string	yes		The `id` of the node the edge enters.
`branch`	string \| null	no	`null`	The source port. Required on every edge that leaves a `classify`, `splitter` or `if_else` node; forbidden on every other edge.

branch must equal a category id on a Classify node, a rule id on a Split node, or "true" / "false" on an If/Else node. It is the id, not the name. A GET echoes an edge you wrote as { "source", "target" } as { "source": "parse_1", "target": "extract_1", "branch": null }.

"edges": [
  { "source": "parse_1",    "target": "classify_1" },
  { "source": "classify_1", "target": "extract_invoice", "branch": "INVOICE" },
  { "source": "classify_1", "target": "extract_receipt", "branch": "RECEIPT" }
]

Topology rules

The API validates the whole graph on create and on update. A graph that breaks a rule is rejected with 400 and error_code: "TOPOLOGY_INVALID"; detail.violations[] names every rule broken and the node ids involved, so one round trip shows every problem. Which node may feed which:

Node	Accepts an edge from
`parse`	nothing. Parse is always first.
`classify`	`parse`
`splitter`	`parse`, `classify`
`extract`	`parse`, `classify`, `splitter`
`validate`	`extract`
`if_else`	`extract`, `validate`
`slack_alert`	`extract`, `validate`, `if_else`
`knowledge`	`parse`, `classify`, `extract`, `validate`
`edit`	`parse`

The graph-level rules:

Exactly one parse node.
Node ids are unique. Every edge names existing nodes. Every node except parse has an inbound edge. No cycles.
Only classify, splitter and if_else fan out. Every other node has at most one outgoing edge.
validate, if_else and slack_alert read one upstream extraction, so each accepts exactly one incoming edge. extract may receive several branches of one Classify node.
Each Split rule routes to its own target node. Two rules cannot share a target.
Within one node, category or rule ids are unique and names are unique. Two edges leaving the same node cannot carry the same branch.
Every if_else has a true outgoing edge.
An extract cannot sit downstream of an if_else today. That fan-out shape is not yet supported.
Every extract has at least one field.
At most one knowledge node.
Every rule_id in an if_else condition, and every ${validation.<rule_id>...} token in a slack_alert template, names a rule on a Validate node reachable upstream of that node.
edit is terminal: no node accepts an edge from it.

Overview

Workflows

Upload

Document packets

Runs

Parse

Knowledge

Evals

SDKs and tools

API v2 (deprecated)

parse

extract

classify

splitter

validate

if_else

slack_alert

edit

knowledge

Shared types

ExtractionSchema and fields

EnumOption

ClassifyCategory

SplitterRule

ValidationRule

Check

LookupFileUpload

Edges

Topology rules

​parse

​extract

​classify

​splitter

​validate

​if_else

​slack_alert

​edit

​knowledge

​Shared types

​ExtractionSchema and fields

​EnumOption

​ClassifyCategory

​SplitterRule

​ValidationRule

​Check

​LookupFileUpload

​Edges

​Topology rules

parse

extract

classify

splitter

validate

if_else

slack_alert

edit

knowledge

Shared types

ExtractionSchema and fields

EnumOption

ClassifyCategory

SplitterRule

ValidationRule

Check

LookupFileUpload

Edges

Topology rules