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

# Unified Documents API

> Unified Documents API for file and knowledge management across platforms, with consistent data models for drives, folders, and documents.

## What is a Unified API?

A **unified API** provides a single, standardized interface to interact with multiple third-party providers. Instead of learning each provider's unique API format, authentication scheme, and data model, you write code once, and StackOne handles the differences.

**What StackOne normalizes:**

* **Data models** – Consistent field names and structures across providers (e.g., `files` in Google Drive, SharePoint, and Dropbox all return the same schema; `users` in Google Workspace, Okta, and 1Password all return the same schema)
* **Authentication** – OAuth, API keys, and tokens are managed per-provider; you just pass an `x-account-id` header
* **Pagination** – Cursor-based pagination works the same regardless of whether the provider uses offsets, pages, or cursors
* **Error formats** – Standardized error responses with provider-specific details when available

<Tip>
  **Building AI agents?** Use the [MCP Server](/mcp/quickstart), an [AI Toolset SDK](/agents/typescript/introduction), or the [Actions API (RPC)](/platform/api-reference/actions/make-an-rpc-call-to-an-action) instead — same data, optimized for LLM tool calling.
</Tip>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/stackone-60/PGu5A7PkNiRCE4_9/images/stackone-documents-api.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=PGu5A7PkNiRCE4_9&q=85&s=d16a2dae13c9e18e3f7e4de1d2adb07a" alt="StackOne Documents API Interface" width="2400" height="1042" data-path="images/stackone-documents-api.png" />
</Frame>

## Benefits of the Documents API

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Real-Time File & Folder Sync">
    Built for easily syncing files, in real-time from multiple providers. Use the api to access nested folders & files data in a simple and unified way, regardless of the underlying provider.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Unified File Picker">
    One File Picker SDK that lets your users pick files from multiple providers, with a single call to the SDK and get back picked files & folders the same way regardless of the provider.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Real-Time Data Synchronization">
    StackOne's APIs support real-time synchronization, ensuring that content changes are reflected immediately across connected platforms.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Privacy-First Design Ensuring Compliance">
    With a [focus on security](https://www.stackone.com/blog/why-your-choice-of-unified-api-could-make-or-break-compliance), StackOne ensures secure content storage and maintains compliance with data protection regulations.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Synthetic and Native Webhooks for Updates">
    The platform provides both [synthetic and native webhooks](/guides/webhooks), delivering real-time notifications for changes in drives, folders, and files.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Comprehensive File Management and Knowledge Base Integration Coverage">
    StackOne offers [pre-built connectors](https://www.stackone.com/integrations) with leading File Management platforms, simplifying the integration process.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## StackOne SDKs & OpenAPI Specification

<p class="sdk-text">Use our official SDKs for faster integration. Build with language-native libraries. Full list [here](/guides/stackone-api-sdks).</p>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="OpenAPI Specification" icon="link" href="https://api.eu1.stackone.com/oas/documents.json" arrow="true" cta="Click here" />

  <Card title="Popular SDKs" icon="download" class="sdk-card">
    [Node.js](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stackone/stackone-client-ts)
    [Java (JVM)](https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.stackone/stackone-client-java)
    [PHP](https://packagist.org/packages/stackone/client-sdk)
    [Ruby](https://rubygems.org/gems/stackone_client)
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Entity Model

The Documents API is built around three entities: drives, folders, and files.

```mermaid theme={null}
erDiagram
    Drive ||--o{ Folder : "contains"
    Drive ||--o{ File : "contains"
    Folder ||--o{ File : "contains"
    Folder ||--o{ Folder : "contains"

    Drive {
        string id
        string remote_id
        string name
        string description
        string url
        datetime created_at
        datetime updated_at
    }

    Folder {
        string id
        string remote_id
        string name
        string description
        string url
        string path
        string owner_id
        string parent_folder_id
        string drive_id
        datetime created_at
        datetime updated_at
    }

    File {
        string id
        string remote_id
        string name
        string description
        string url
        string file_format
        string path
        string owner_id
        string folder_id
        string drive_id
        number size
        array export_formats
        string default_download_format
        datetime created_at
        datetime updated_at
    }
```

| Entity     | Description                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Drive**  | The top-level container — a storage volume, shared drive, or knowledge base space. Each drive can contain folders and files directly.                                                               |
| **Folder** | A named container within a drive. Folders can nest inside other folders and track their parent (`parent_folder_id`) and owning drive (`drive_id`).                                                  |
| **File**   | A document or content item. Files carry metadata about format (`file_format`), available export types (`export_formats`), and the default format used when downloading (`default_download_format`). |

<Note>
  Field availability varies by integration provider. Optional fields may be `null` if the provider's API does not expose them. See your connector's integration guide for coverage details.
</Note>

### File formats

The `file_format` field uses a normalized enum across providers. Common values include `pdf`, `docx`, `xlsx`, `pptx`, `html`, `csv`, `png`, `jpg`, and `unknown`. The `export_formats` array lists the MIME types available when downloading a file, and `default_download_format` is the format used when no export format is specified.