Best Practices
Follow these best practices to ensure optimal performance and reliability when using the DocumentFlow API.
1. Use Webhooks for Asynchronous Processing
Instead of polling the API for document processing status, set up webhooks to receive real-time updates. This reduces unnecessary API calls and improves the responsiveness of your application.
2. Implement Proper Error Handling
Always implement proper error handling in your code. Check for error responses from the API and handle them gracefully. This will improve the reliability and user experience of your application.
3. Use Compression
When sending large payloads to the API, use compression (gzip) to reduce the amount of data transferred. This can significantly improve performance, especially for users with slower internet connections.
4. Implement Retry Logic with Exponential Backoff
For important API calls, implement retry logic with exponential backoff. This helps handle temporary network issues or API unavailability without overwhelming the server with repeated requests.
5. Use SDK for Your Programming Language
Whenever possible, use the official DocumentFlow SDK for your programming language. SDKs handle many low-level details and often provide better performance and reliability than custom implementations.
6. Keep Your API Key Secure
Never expose your API key in client-side code or public repositories. Always keep it secure and use environment variables to manage it in your application.
7. Optimize Document Quality
When submitting documents for processing, ensure they are of good quality. Clear, high-resolution documents lead to better extraction results and faster processing times.
8. Monitor API Usage
Regularly monitor your API usage to ensure you're within your plan limits and to identify any unexpected spikes in usage. This can help prevent service interruptions and unexpected costs.