A few months ago, I released Scan Documents, a web application that allows users to convert images of documents into beautiful and readable PDFs.
Many features were implemented since then, but there was one frequent request that I kept receiving: the ability to integrate the Scan Documents functionality into other applications via an API.
Today, I am excited to announce the release of the Scan Documents API, which allows you to integrate the document scanning and PDF generation capabilities into your own applications. In fact, most of the online features of Scan Documents will consume this API directly, being the first customer of the API itself.
Why is an API Useful?
The Scan Documents API is a powerful tool that allows developers to integrate document scanning and PDF generation capabilities into their own applications. Here are some of the key benefits:
- Build Awesome Tools: You can create software that helps businesses manage all these newly scanned documents. Think smart search functions, automatic organization, or tools that pull important info from the documents.
- Integrate Scanning into Apps: What if your app could let users scan documents directly into it? That’s super handy! This is where something like the Scan Documents API comes in. It gives you, the developer, the power to add document scanning features to your own projects easily. You don't have to build the scanning tech from scratch.
- Automate Boring Stuff: You can write code that "reads" scanned documents and automatically enters data into systems, saving people tons of time.
- Unlock New Ideas: Once documents are digital, you can analyze the data in them in new ways. This could lead to cool new insights or services.
What Features Does the API Offer?
The Scan Documents API provides a range of features that allow you to interact with the document scanning and PDF generation functionalities. Here are some of the key features:
File Storage
Upload and store files securely in the cloud
Document Detection
Get the bounding box and coordinates of the edges of documents in images
Rasterize PDFs
Convert PDF files to images for easier processing and analysis
Merge into PDF
Combine multiple images and PDFs into a single PDF document
Warp Images
Warp images to correct perspective distortions
Extract Text
Extract text from images in Markdown, Plain Text, HTML, and JSON formats
Extract Pages
Create a new PDF document by extracting specific pages from an existing PDF
Split PDF
Separate a PDF document into individual pages
Image Conversion
Convert images to WebP, PNG, JPEG, and PDF formats
Apply Effects
Apply various filters to images for enhanced visual effects
How to Get Started
To get started with the Scan Documents API, you can visit the API documentation to explore the available endpoints and learn how to use them. The documentation provides detailed information on how to authenticate, make requests, and handle responses.
You can also find code examples in various programming languages to help you integrate the API into your applications quickly, and there is a Postman collection available for testing the API endpoints.
If you want to integrate with agents there is available an MCP Server that allows you to connect to the API using the MCP protocol.
Finally, there is a TypeScript SDK available to make it easier to work with the API in TypeScript projects.
Do you Like What You See?
If you like what you see Create an Account and start using the Scan Documents API today! Your first 25 operations are free, and you can increase your limits by subscribing to the monthly plan.