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

# Quickstart

> Submit your first document and retrieve a structured result in under five minutes.

This guide walks through the complete request cycle using `curl`. By the end you'll have uploaded a document, waited for processing, and fetched a structured JSON result.

<Note>
  All examples use `sk_test_…` sandbox keys. Swap in a `sk_live_…` key when you're ready for production.
</Note>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get an API key">
    API keys are issued per organisation in the Folio dashboard. Each key is prefixed with `sk_test_` (sandbox) or `sk_live_` (production).

    Set it as an environment variable so you don't have to paste it into every command:

    ```bash theme={null}
    export FOLIO_API_KEY="sk_test_..."
    ```

    See [Authentication](/authentication) for key types, rotation, and security guidance.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit a document">
    Send the file as **multipart/form-data**. The only required field is `file`; `document_type` is recommended when you know it.

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -X POST https://api.glialhealth.com/v1/documents \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_test_..." \
      -F file=@report.pdf \
      -F document_type=lab_report
    ```

    <Tip>
      Folio accepts multipart only — there is no base64 or JSON body option for file uploads.
    </Tip>

    You'll receive a `202 Accepted` with a document object:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "id": "doc_01j9xkqz3b0000000000000000",
      "object": "document",
      "status": "queued",
      "document_type": "lab_report",
      "created_at": "2025-10-14T18:23:00Z",
      "result_url": "/v1/documents/doc_01j9xkqz3b0000000000000000/result"
    }
    ```

    Save the `id` — you'll use it in the next steps.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for processing">
    Poll with the `?wait=<seconds>` long-poll parameter. The server holds the connection open until the document moves out of `queued`/`processing`, or the timeout expires.

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl "https://api.glialhealth.com/v1/documents/doc_01j9xkqz3b0000000000000000?wait=30" \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_test_..."
    ```

    When the response comes back with `"status": "completed"` you're ready to fetch the full result. If it returns `"status": "processing"` before the timeout, wait a moment and poll again.

    See [Async model](/guides/async-model) for a deeper look at the lifecycle and webhook alternatives.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fetch the result">
    ```bash theme={null}
    curl https://api.glialhealth.com/v1/documents/doc_01j9xkqz3b0000000000000000/result \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_test_..."
    ```

    A `409` means the document isn't ready yet. A `200` returns the full extraction result:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "id": "doc_01j9xkqz3b0000000000000000",
      "status": "completed",
      "document_type": "lab_report",
      "document_type_confidence": 0.97,
      "language": "en",
      "extract": {
        "patient_name": {
          "value": "Jane Doe",
          "confidence": 0.99,
          "found": true,
          "page": 1,
          "bbox": {"x": 0.05, "y": 0.12, "width": 0.15, "height": 0.02}
        },
        "test_date": {
          "value": "2025-10-10",
          "confidence": 0.95,
          "found": true,
          "page": 1,
          "bbox": {"x": 0.05, "y": 0.15, "width": 0.11, "height": 0.02}
        },
        "hemoglobin": {
          "value": "13.8 g/dL",
          "confidence": 0.91,
          "found": true,
          "page": 2,
          "bbox": {"x": 0.05, "y": 0.38, "width": 0.12, "height": 0.02}
        }
      },
      "tables": [],
      "review_status": "auto",
      "flags": [],
      "deidentified": false,
      "processing_time_ms": 3420
    }
    ```

    Each field in `extract` carries a `confidence` score (0–1), a `found` boolean, the page number, and a bounding-box for UI overlays. `review_status: "auto"` means the result passed confidence thresholds without needing human review.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Async model" icon="clock" href="/guides/async-model">
    Webhooks, long-polling, and the full document lifecycle.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom schemas" icon="table" href="/guides/custom-schemas">
    Define exactly which fields Folio should extract from any document type.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Confidence & HITL" icon="user-check" href="/guides/confidence-and-hitl">
    Set thresholds that trigger human review for low-confidence extractions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="De-identification" icon="shield" href="/guides/deidentification">
    Strip PHI before results leave the pipeline.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>