Extract Data from Document
talonic_extractExtract structured data from any document (PDF, image, scan) using a schema. Returns validated JSON with per-field confidence scores and document metadata.
Instructions
STATUS: stable. Production-safe when called with a schema. Schema-less extraction is disabled at the MCP layer.
Extract structured, schema-validated data from a document using Talonic. Returns clean JSON matching the schema, with per-field confidence scores and metadata about the document (detected type, language, page count).
USE WHEN:
The user has a document (PDF, image, scan, DOCX, etc.) and wants specific fields pulled out.
You need structured data (vendor name, total amount, dates, parties, terms) rather than free text.
The user uploads or references any invoice, contract, certificate, statement, or form.
You want validated JSON instead of trying to OCR + parse with raw LLM calls.
DO NOT USE WHEN:
The user just wants the full text content (use talonic_to_markdown after extracting once).
The user wants to find documents matching a query (use talonic_search or talonic_filter).
FILE SOURCES (provide exactly EXACTLY ONE; never combine, e.g. do NOT pass both file_data and file_path):
file_data + filename: base64-encoded file bytes plus the original filename (with extension). RECOMMENDED for local-stdio installs (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, Continue, Cowork). WARNING for hosted-MCP via Claude.ai connectors: Claude.ai imposes a hard size limit on tool-call arguments (effectively under ~1KB), so file_data CANNOT carry a real PDF through Claude.ai's pipeline. The bytes get truncated before reaching the MCP server. For files larger than a trivial test, use file_url or document_id instead when running through Claude.ai. Local stdio installs do NOT have this limit.
file_path: a local path to the document. Only works if the MCP server process can read that path on its own filesystem. Chat clients (Claude Desktop, Claude.ai, Cowork) store user uploads in a sandbox the MCP server cannot access, so file_path is only useful when the agent explicitly knows a path on the same machine as the MCP server.
file_url: a URL the Talonic API will fetch directly. Use for documents already on the public web. Best path for Claude.ai users dealing with files larger than the parameter cap.
document_id: re-extract a document already in the workspace. Cheapest option when the document is already uploaded via app.talonic.com or a previous extract call.
SCHEMA (REQUIRED, provide exactly one of schema or schema_id):
JSON Schema (RECOMMENDED): { type: "object", properties: { vendor_name: { type: "string" } } }.
Flat key-type map: { vendor_name: "string", invoice_total: "number" }. Accepted, but if you get a "no fields" error, fall back to JSON Schema.
schema_id: id of a saved schema from talonic_list_schemas. Accepts UUID or SCH-XXXXXXXX short id.
Calls without schema or schema_id are rejected with a validation error before they hit the API,
to prevent unreliable schema-free extractions reaching production.
RESPONSE SHAPE (key fields):
data: the structured extracted JSON, shaped by your schema.
confidence.overall: 0..1 confidence for the extraction as a whole.
confidence.fields: per-field confidence map. Treat fields below ~0.7 as needing human review.
document.id, document.filename, document.pages, document.type_detected, document.language_detected.
extraction_id, request_id: stable identifiers for support and re-fetch.
processing.duration_ms, processing.region: useful for debugging and capacity planning.
markdown: present only when
include_markdown: true.provenance: present only when
include_provenance: true. Per-field source evidence: { field_name: { source_text, section, page } }. Useful for audit trails and citations. Cost, EUR price, and remaining credit balance are not surfaced in v0.1 and may appear in a later version.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| file_data | No | Base64-encoded file bytes. Recommended path when the agent already has the file in memory (e.g., the user attached a PDF to the conversation). Pair with `filename` so MIME type can be inferred. Works regardless of where the file lives on disk. | |
| filename | No | Original filename including extension, e.g. 'invoice.pdf'. Used to infer MIME type when uploading via `file_data`. Required when `file_data` is provided. | |
| file_path | No | Local path to a document file. Only works if the MCP server has read access to that path. In sandboxed chat clients (Claude Desktop, Cowork) where uploads land in a host-owned directory, use `file_data` instead. | |
| file_url | No | URL to a document file. The Talonic API fetches it server-side. Use this for documents already on the public web. | |
| document_id | No | ID of a document already in the workspace, to re-extract with a new schema. | |
| schema | No | Inline schema definition. REQUIRED unless `schema_id` is provided. Recommended: full JSON Schema {type:'object', properties:{...}}. Also accepted: flat key-type map {field_name:'string', amount:'number'}. Mutually exclusive with `schema_id`. | |
| schema_id | No | ID of a saved schema. REQUIRED unless `schema` is provided. Accepts UUID or SCH-XXXXXXXX short id from talonic_list_schemas. Mutually exclusive with `schema`. | |
| instructions | No | Natural-language guidance for the extractor, e.g. 'Focus on the billing section. Amounts are in EUR.' | |
| include_markdown | No | Include OCR-converted markdown in the response alongside structured data. | |
| include_provenance | No | Include per-field provenance (source_text, section, page) showing where each value was found in the document. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| extraction_id | Yes | Stable identifier for this extraction. | |
| request_id | No | Server-assigned request ID for support and debugging. | |
| status | Yes | Extraction status (e.g. 'complete'). | |
| document | Yes | Metadata about the ingested document. | |
| data | Yes | The extracted structured data, shape determined by the schema. | |
| schema | No | Schema metadata: which schema was used and how it can be saved. | |
| confidence | No | Extraction confidence. Treat fields below ~0.7 as needing human review. | |
| provenance | No | Per-field source evidence (source_text, section, page). Present only when `include_provenance: true`. | |
| processing | No | Processing metadata: duration, pages processed, region. | |
| links | No | URLs for self, document, and human-readable dashboard view. | |
| markdown | No | OCR-converted markdown. Present only when `include_markdown: true`. | |
| cost | No | Per-call cost and post-call balance, parsed from the X-Talonic-* response headers. `null` for non-extract calls; not always present on legacy clients. |