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

# Introduction

> Turn unstructured documents into structured, queryable data with AiQL

AiQL is an API for turning unstructured documents into structured data you can query. Point it at a source document, run it through the pipeline, and get back clean records you can search with natural-language queries.

## How it works

AiQL processes documents through four steps. Run them individually as tools, or run the whole sequence as a single managed ingestion.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Convert">
    Normalize a source document into clean, machine-readable text.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Split">
    Break the converted text into smaller chunks.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Shape">
    Infer the schema of the data from the chunks.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Extract">
    Pull out the specific fields and values you need.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Once data is ingested into a workspace, you query it with `POST /queries` using natural language.

## Core concepts

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Workspaces" icon="folder">
    Containers that hold your ingested data. Every ingestion and query operates on a single workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Ingestions" icon="arrow-down-to-line">
    Managed jobs that run the full `convert → split → shape → extract` pipeline and load the result into a workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Queries" icon="magnifying-glass">
    Natural-language requests that run over the data you have already ingested.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tools" icon="wrench">
    The individual pipeline steps, available on demand when you need a single operation.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Get started

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Go from an API key to your first query in a few minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/authentication">
    Authenticate requests with a Bearer token and workspace header.
  </Card>

  <Card title="SDKs" icon="code" href="/sdks/overview">
    Use the typed Python and TypeScript clients instead of raw HTTP.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pricing" icon="credit-card" href="/pricing">
    Understand how credits are billed across tools, ingestions, and queries.
  </Card>
</Columns>

<Tip>
  Need help? Reach out at [support@aiql.io](mailto:support@aiql.io).
</Tip>