Reducto CLI

The Reducto CLI gives you direct terminal access to Reducto’s document capabilities: parse, extract, split, classify, and edit. Use it for batch processing, scripting, CI/CD pipelines, and quick operations without writing application code.

Fast path for coding agents

Use the CLI when the document is already on disk or when an agent needs a terminal-first workflow. It avoids writing upload code and produces Markdown files that agents can read directly.

pip install reducto-cli
reducto login
curl -L -o fidelity-example.pdf https://cdn.reducto.ai/samples/fidelity-example.pdf
reducto parse ./fidelity-example.pdf

For a local file:

reducto parse ./document.pdf

For a directory:

reducto parse ./documents

The CLI writes <filename>.parse.md next to each input file. For agent tool calling instead of terminal commands, use the MCP server.

Installation

Install the Reducto CLI using pip:

pip install reducto-cli

Authentication

Before using the CLI, authenticate by running:

reducto login

This command opens Reducto Studio in your browser, where you can securely authenticate your CLI session.

Quick Examples

# Parse a single file
reducto parse path/to/document.pdf

# Parse an entire folder
reducto parse ./docs

# Extract with a schema (path or inline JSON)
reducto extract ./docs/invoice.pdf -s schemas/invoice.json

# Edit a single file
reducto edit path/to/document.pdf --instructions "Your editing instructions here"

Parsed outputs are written as <filename>.parse.md. Extraction reuses existing parses when possible and saves <filename>.extract.json containing only the payload.

Supported File Types

The CLI supports the same file types as the Reducto API:

Format	Extensions
PDF	`.pdf`
Images	`.png`, `.jpg`, `.jpeg`
Office documents	`.doc`, `.docx`, `.ppt`, `.pptx`
Spreadsheets	`.xls`, `.xlsx`

Commands accept either a file or a directory. Directories are scanned recursively, and only supported file types are processed.

Parse Command

The parse command converts documents into structured markdown output.

Flags

Flag	Description
`--agentic`	Enables all agentic options for tables, text, and figures. Increases accuracy but also increases latency. Use when document quality or complex layouts require enhanced processing.
`--change-tracking`	Enables change tracking during parsing. Returns `<s>` tags around strikethrough text, `<u>` tags around underlined text, and `<change>` tags around colored adjacent strikethrough and underlined text. Useful for documents with revision history.
`--highlights`	Include highlighted text in the parsed output.
`--hyperlinks`	Include embedded hyperlinks in the parsed output.
`--comments`	Include document comments in the parsed output.

Examples

# Basic parse
reducto parse document.pdf

# Parse with maximum accuracy (slower)
reducto parse document.pdf --agentic

# Parse a contract with change tracking
reducto parse contract.pdf --change-tracking

# Parse with all metadata
reducto parse document.pdf --hyperlinks --comments --highlights

# Combine flags as needed
reducto parse legal_doc.pdf --agentic --change-tracking --comments

Extract Command

The extract command pulls structured data from documents according to a JSON Schema you provide. It automates information extraction by mapping complex or unstructured documents into machine-readable JSON.

Common Use Cases

Extracting line items, totals, vendor/customer info from invoices and receipts
Pulling key fields, tables, or sections from contracts or legal documents
Capturing form field values from scanned forms or applications
Summarizing structured results from reports, statements, or medical records

Schema Guidelines

Schemas must be valid JSON Schema documents
The top-level schema must be an object ({"type": "object", ...}) — inline strings or arrays are not permitted
Provide explicit property definitions so the extractor can map fields deterministically
Schemas may be supplied as file paths or inline JSON strings

Example Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "items": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
          "article_number": {"type": "string"},
          "description": {"type": "string"},
          "quantity": {"type": "number"},
          "unit_price": {"type": "number"},
          "total_price": {"type": "number"}
        },
        "required": [
          "article_number",
          "description",
          "quantity",
          "unit_price",
          "total_price"
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "required": ["items"]
}

You can reuse parses across multiple extractions: the CLI automatically detects existing .parse.md files, rehydrates the recorded job ID, and uses jobid://<id> references to accelerate extraction jobs.

Edit Command

The edit command modifies documents using natural language instructions. It uploads the document, applies the specified edits, and downloads the resulting file.

Usage

reducto edit path/to/document.pdf --instructions "Your editing instructions here"
reducto edit path/to/document.pdf -i "Your editing instructions here"

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
`path`	Yes	Path to a file or directory. Directories are scanned recursively for supported file types.
`--instructions`, `-i`	Yes	Natural language instructions describing the edits to apply.

Output

Edited files are saved alongside the original with the naming pattern <filename>.edited.<extension>. For example:

invoice.pdf becomes invoice.edited.pdf
report.docx becomes report.edited.docx

Examples

reducto edit contract.pdf -i "Fill in the client name as 'Acme Corporation' and set the contract date to January 15, 2024"

reducto edit document.pdf -i "Fill out the form with: Name: John Doe, Email: john@example.com, Select 'Yes' for newsletter subscription"

Tips for Effective Instructions

For best results with the --instructions flag:

Be specific about what content to modify and how
Reference specific elements (headers, footers, tables, specific text)
Describe the desired outcome clearly
For bulk operations on directories, ensure instructions apply uniformly to all file types

Next Steps

API Quickstart

Learn to use the Reducto API directly for more advanced integrations.

Parse Options

Explore all available parsing configurations.

Extract Overview

Deep dive into structured data extraction.

Edit Overview

Learn more about document editing capabilities.

Get Started

Developer Tools

Core Functions

Workflows and Pipelines

Configurations

Reference

Components

Enterprise Resources

Security and privacy

On-premise Resources

Fast path for coding agents

Installation

Authentication

Quick Examples

Supported File Types

Parse Command

Flags

Examples

Extract Command

Common Use Cases

Schema Guidelines

Example Schema

Edit Command

Usage

Parameters

Output

Examples

Tips for Effective Instructions

Next Steps

API Quickstart

Parse Options

Extract Overview

Edit Overview

​Fast path for coding agents

​Installation

​Authentication

​Quick Examples

​Supported File Types

​Parse Command

​Flags

​Examples

​Extract Command

​Common Use Cases

​Schema Guidelines

​Example Schema

​Edit Command

​Usage

​Parameters

​Output

​Examples

​Tips for Effective Instructions

​Next Steps

API Quickstart

Parse Options

Extract Overview

Edit Overview

Fast path for coding agents

Installation

Authentication

Quick Examples

Supported File Types

Parse Command

Flags

Examples

Extract Command

Common Use Cases

Schema Guidelines

Example Schema

Edit Command

Usage

Parameters

Output

Examples

Tips for Effective Instructions

Next Steps