iterationlayer Convert Document for RAG Ingestion
AI teams building retrieval-augmented generation pipelines use this recipe to convert source documents into clean markdown that chunks well and produces high-quality embeddings.
APIs Used
Document to Markdown (1 credit per page)
Prerequisites
You need an Iteration Layer API key. Get one at platform.iterationlayer.com during the 7-day trial.
For full integration guidance (SDKs, auth, MCP, error handling), see the Iteration Layer Integration Guide.
Implementation
curl -X POST https://api.iterationlayer.com/document-to-markdown/v1/convert \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"file": {
"type": "url",
"name": "product-manual.pdf",
"url": "https://example.com/docs/product-manual-v3.pdf"
}
}'
import { IterationLayer } from "iterationlayer";
const client = new IterationLayer({ apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY" });
const result = await client.convertDocumentToMarkdown({
file: {
type: "url",
name: "product-manual.pdf",
url: "https://example.com/docs/product-manual-v3.pdf",
},
});
// Split markdown into chunks at heading boundaries
const chunks = result.markdown.split(/(?=^## )/m);
import re
from iterationlayer import IterationLayer
client = IterationLayer(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
result = client.convert_document_to_markdown(
file={
"type": "url",
"name": "product-manual.pdf",
"url": "https://example.com/docs/product-manual-v3.pdf",
}
)
# Split markdown into chunks at heading boundaries
chunks = re.split(r"(?=^## )", result["markdown"], flags=re.MULTILINE)
import (
"strings"
il "github.com/iterationlayer/sdk-go"
)
client := il.NewClient("YOUR_API_KEY")
result, err := client.ConvertDocumentToMarkdown(il.ConvertDocumentToMarkdownRequest{
File: il.FileInput{Type: "url", Name: "product-manual.pdf", Url: "https://example.com/docs/product-manual-v3.pdf"},
})
// Split markdown into chunks at heading boundaries
chunks := strings.Split(result.Markdown, "\n## ")
{
"name": "Convert Document for RAG Ingestion",
"nodes": [
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## Convert Document for RAG Ingestion
AI teams building retrieval-augmented generation pipelines use this recipe to convert source documents into clean markdown that chunks well and produces high-quality embeddings.
**Note:** This workflow uses the Iteration Layer community node (`n8n-nodes-iterationlayer`). Install it via Settings > Community Nodes on self-hosted n8n, or add it directly on n8n Cloud with Verified Community Nodes enabled.",
"height": 280,
"width": 500,
"color": 2
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
200,
40
],
"id": "4dce764c-c876-46e6-b345-073db354eff4",
"name": "Overview"
},
{
"parameters": {
"content": "### Step 1: Convert Document to Markdown
Resource: **Document to Markdown**
Configure the Document to Markdown parameters below, then connect your credentials.",
"height": 160,
"width": 300,
"color": 6
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
475,
100
],
"id": "b8aee214-9501-4c49-b56a-5f00a2bb2f41",
"name": "Step 1 Note"
},
{
"parameters": {},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
250,
300
],
"id": "641f3a90-4201-4e73-8faa-526100f62954",
"name": "Manual Trigger"
},
{
"parameters": {
"resource": "documentToMarkdown",
"fileInputMode": "url",
"fileName": "product-manual.pdf",
"fileUrl": "https://example.com/docs/product-manual-v3.pdf"
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-iterationlayer.iterationLayer",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
500,
300
],
"id": "2da87e7d-179a-453c-b7ab-2175662c07b6",
"name": "Convert Document to Markdown",
"credentials": {
"iterationLayerApi": {
"id": "1",
"name": "Iteration Layer API"
}
}
}
],
"connections": {
"Manual Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Convert Document to Markdown",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
},
"settings": {
"executionOrder": "v1"
}
}
Convert the document at [file URL] to markdown for RAG ingestion. Use the convert_document_to_markdown tool with the file URL.
Response
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"name": "product-manual.pdf",
"mime_type": "application/pdf",
"markdown": "# Product Manual v3\n\n## Installation\n\nDownload the latest release from the releases page. Unpack the archive and run the installer.\n\n### System Requirements\n\n| Component | Minimum | Recommended |\n|---|---|---|\n| CPU | 2 cores | 4 cores |\n| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |\n| Disk | 2 GB | 10 GB |\n\n## Configuration\n\nThe configuration file is located at `/etc/app/config.yaml`. The following options are available:\n\n- **port** — HTTP server port (default: 8080)\n- **log_level** — Logging verbosity: debug, info, warn, error\n- **max_connections** — Maximum concurrent connections (default: 100)\n\n## API Reference\n\n### Authentication\n\nAll API calls require a Bearer token in the Authorization header.\n\n### Endpoints\n\n| Method | Path | Description |\n|---|---|---|\n| GET | /health | Health check |\n| POST | /process | Submit a processing job |\n| GET | /jobs/:id | Get job status |"
}
}