Introduction

In this quickstart, use an example SenseML configuration and example document to get a quick "hello world" API response.

To get started with extracting from your custom documents, see Getting Started.

Extract example document data

To run an API call and return extracted, structured data from a downloaded example document:

Get an account at sensible.so.

NOTE In the Sensible app, don't rename the example doc type (layout_basics) or delete the 1_extract_your_first_data config, or this example fails.
Copy your API key from your account page.
Copy the following code example into a plain-text application and replace *YOUR_API_KEY* with your API key:

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sensible-hq/sensible-docs/v0/assets/pdfs/1_extract_your_first_data.pdf --output 1_extract_your_first_data.pdf && curl --request POST --url "https://api.sensible.so/v0/extract/layout_basics" --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" --header "Content-Type: application/pdf" --data-binary "@1_extract_your_first_data.pdf"

Run the code sample in a command prompt. The code downloads an example document (1_extract_your_first_data.pdf ) and runs it against an example document type (layout_basics). The following excerpt of the API response shows the extracted document text in the parsed_document object:

{
       "id": "ef23d619-9955-473e-b00f-df18377c222b",
       "created": "2026-08-17T22:38:37.862Z",
       "completed": "2026-08-17T22:38:38.055Z",
       "status": "COMPLETE",
       "type": "layout_basics",
       "configuration": "hello_world",
       "configuration_version": "ErBhdAGhknW_EBuOa1j0ZaxTpgyK_rfw",
       "environment": "production",
       "page_count": 1,
       "parsed_document": {
         "your_first_extracted_field": {
           "type": "string",
           "value": "Welcome to your first document"
         }
       },
       "validations": [],
       "validation_summary": {
         "fields": 1,
         "fields_present": 1,
         "errors": 0,
         "warnings": 0,
         "skipped": 0
       },
       "classification_summary": [
         {
           "configuration": "hello_world",
           "score": {
             "value": 1,
             "fields_present": 1,
             "penalties": 0
           }
         }
       ],
       "errors": [],
       "content_type": "application/pdf",
       "file_metadata": {
         "info": {}
       },
       "coverage": 1,
       "charged": 1,
       "actor": "api_key: in ubuntu, probook 645",
       "version_id": "haTpXTezsD4Fh7zY.WtZPfjP33T8KydB"
     }

(Optional) See how it works in the Sensible app

To see this example in the Sensible app:

Log into the Sensible app.
Navigate to the first tutorial config.
Visually examine the example document (middle pane), config (left pane), and extracted data (right pane) to better understand the API call you just ran:

See the API reference and example code
If you're new to APIs, see API tutorials
To get started with authoring extraction configurations, or configs, for your custom documents, see Getting Started.

API quickstart

Introduction

Extract example document data

(Optional) See how it works in the Sensible app

Next