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The upload method uploads files to Reducto’s servers and returns a file reference that you can use with other endpoints.

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Basic Usage

from pathlib import Path
from reducto import Reducto

client = Reducto()

# Upload a file
upload = client.upload(file=Path("document.pdf"))

# Use the file_id in other operations
print(upload.file_id)  # "reducto://abc123def456.pdf"

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Method Signature

def upload(
    file: Path | bytes | tuple[str, bytes, str] | BinaryIO,
    extension: str | None = None
) -> Upload

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Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
filePath | bytes | tuple | BinaryIOYesThe file to upload. Can be a Path object, file-like object, bytes, or a tuple of (filename, contents, media_type).
extensionstr | NoneNoOverride the file extension (e.g., ".pdf"). Useful when uploading bytes without filename context.

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Returns

Upload with the following fields:
  • file_id (str): The file reference to use with other endpoints (format: reducto://...)
  • presigned_url (str | None): A presigned URL for the uploaded file (if applicable)

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Upload Options

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From File Path

The most common way to upload. Use pathlib.Path: 
from pathlib import Path

upload = client.upload(file=Path("invoice.pdf"))

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From File Object

with open("document.pdf", "rb") as f:
    upload = client.upload(file=f)

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From Bytes

When uploading raw bytes, use a tuple to provide filename and content type: 
with open("document.pdf", "rb") as f:
    file_bytes = f.read()

upload = client.upload(
    file=("document.pdf", file_bytes, "application/pdf")
)

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With Extension Override

Use extension when the file type cannot be inferred: 
upload = client.upload(
    file=Path("data_file"),
    extension=".pdf"
)

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From URL (Presigned URLs)

For large files, you can generate a presigned URL and pass it directly to parse/extract endpoints without uploading: 
# For files > 100MB, use presigned URLs
# See: /upload/large-files for details

# You can pass presigned URLs directly to parse/extract
result = client.parse.run(input="https://bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/doc.pdf?X-Amz-...")

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Async Upload

The async client uses the same interface: 
import asyncio
from reducto import AsyncReducto

async def main():
    client = AsyncReducto()
    
    # If you pass a PathLike instance, the file contents will be read asynchronously automatically
    upload = await client.upload(file=Path("document.pdf"))
    return upload

result = asyncio.run(main())

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File Size Limits

  • Direct upload: Up to 100MB
  • Presigned URLs: Up to 5GB
For files larger than 100MB, use presigned URLs instead of the upload endpoint.

Large File Upload Guide

Complete guide to uploading large files using presigned URLs.

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Supported File Types

The SDK accepts any file type that Reducto supports. Common formats include:
  • Documents: PDF, DOCX, DOC, RTF
  • Images: PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP
  • Spreadsheets: XLSX, XLS, CSV
  • Presentations: PPTX, PPT

Supported File Formats

Complete list of supported file formats.

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Error Handling

from reducto import Reducto
import reducto

try:
    upload = client.upload(file=Path("document.pdf"))
except reducto.APIConnectionError as e:
    print(f"Connection failed: {e}")
except reducto.APIStatusError as e:
    print(f"Upload failed: {e.status_code} - {e.response}")
Common errors:
  • File not found: The file path doesn’t exist
  • File too large: File exceeds 100MB limit (use presigned URLs)
  • Invalid file type: File format not supported
  • Network error: Connection issues during upload

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Examples

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Upload and Parse

from pathlib import Path
from reducto import Reducto

client = Reducto()

# Upload
upload = client.upload(file=Path("invoice.pdf"))

# Parse immediately
result = client.parse.run(input=upload.file_id)

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Batch Upload

from pathlib import Path
from reducto import Reducto

client = Reducto()
files = ["doc1.pdf", "doc2.pdf", "doc3.pdf"]

uploads = []
for file_path in files:
    upload = client.upload(file=Path(file_path))
    uploads.append(upload)
    print(f"Uploaded {file_path}: {upload.file_id}")

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Upload with Extension Override

from pathlib import Path
from reducto import Reducto

client = Reducto()

# Upload with explicit extension
upload = client.upload(
    file=Path("document_without_extension"),
    extension=".pdf"
)

print(upload.file_id)  # "reducto://..."

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Best Practices

Use Path Objects

Prefer pathlib.Path over string paths for better cross-platform compatibility.

Handle Large Files

For files > 100MB, use presigned URLs instead of direct upload.

Reuse File IDs

File IDs can be reused across multiple operations without re-uploading.

Error Handling

Always wrap uploads in try/except blocks for production code.

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Next Steps