> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nected.ai/nected-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nected.ai/nected-docs/workflow/add-node/action-nodes/ai-agent-node/document-classifier.md).
# Document Classifier
The **Document Classifier Node** enables your workflows to intelligently read, categorize, and extract information from documents such as PDFs, Word files, or text-based reports.\
This node allows you to automate document understanding at scale — whether it’s sorting invoices by type, detecting content sensitivity, or pulling attributes like customer names or transaction values.
Before using this node, ensure that your workspace is connected with a valid **AI Provider** (e.g., OpenAI, GoogleAI, Anthropic, or Vertex AI).\
[Learn how to integrate AI Providers →](https://docs.nected.ai/nected-docs/integrations/ai-providers)
How It Works
When you upload or link a document to this node, Nected sends it to the selected AI provider for processing. The model classifies or extracts relevant information based on the chosen **Classification Type**, then returns structured JSON results that you can pass on to other workflow nodes.
This eliminates the need for manual document parsing — the AI can directly recognize document type, detect sensitive content, or even extract predefined attributes.
### **Configuration Tabs**
#### **1. Input Params**
**Connector**
Select the connected AI provider you want to use (e.g., *Financial Advisor asst*).\
This determines which model or assistant will handle the document classification task.
**Assistant ID/Model name**
You can use a normal model or any of your AI assistants for this task. If you’re using a custom AI assistant from your provider (like OpenAI’s Assistant API), you can select its **Assistant ID**. This helps reuse a pre-configured assistant for specific tasks, instructions, or datasets. Or, you can use a normal AI model. In that case, you only need to add the model name.
**Document URL**
Provide the direct URL of the document you want to analyze.\
You can also pass a **token-based dynamic link** generated from previous nodes (e.g., a document uploaded through an API or fetched from storage).
**OR → OpenAI File ID**
If you’re using OpenAI’s file-based API, you can enter the **File ID** here instead of a URL.\
This is ideal when you’ve pre-uploaded files directly into your OpenAI workspace.
#### **Classification Type**
This determines the type of analysis or classification that will be performed on your document. Each option enables a distinct document intelligence capability:
| **Classification Type** | **What It Does** | **Example Use Cases** |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Document Type** | Automatically identifies what type of document it is (invoice, report, contract, ID proof, etc.). | Sorting uploaded documents, detecting invalid uploads |
| **Content Category** | Analyzes the topic or subject of the document’s content. | Categorizing reports into “Financial”, “Legal”, “Marketing”, etc. |
| **Sensitivity Analysis** | Detects whether the document contains sensitive information (like PII, financial details, or restricted data). | Flagging confidential documents for restricted access |
| **Language Detection** | Identifies the language(s) present in the document. | Sorting multilingual submissions, routing translation tasks |
| **Quality Assessment** | Evaluates whether the document meets quality criteria such as clarity, completeness, or correctness. | Validating OCR scans, checking data completeness |
| **Custom Categories** | Lets you define your own custom document classes via prompts or assistant instructions. | Categorizing documents into internal business-specific labels (e.g., “KYC Docs”, “Tax Filings”, “Client Agreements”) |
| **Attributes Extraction** | Extracts structured data points from the document like name, ID, amount, or date. | Pulling invoice totals, contract dates, or policy numbers |
#### **Additional Options**
**Image/PDF Pre-LLM OCR**
Enable this option if your document is an image or a scanned PDF.\
When turned on, Nected will first apply **Optical Character Recognition (OCR)** to convert the visual content into text before sending it to the AI model.\
Use this for:
* Scanned documents
* Image-based reports or receipts
* Handwritten or camera-captured forms
**PDF Pre-LLM Text Extraction**
Enable this to extract embedded text from a PDF *before* it reaches the AI model.\
This ensures better accuracy and faster classification for machine-readable PDFs.
#### **Add Variable**
You can add optional variables to customize further how the document is processed.
* **Instructions**\
Add specific guidance for the AI model — for instance:
> “Extract only the sender’s name, invoice date, and total amount.”\
> “Classify based on business department, not document format.”
This variable helps fine-tune how the model interprets the document.
* **Thread ID**\
Assign a Thread ID if you’re processing related documents (e.g., a batch of forms for the same client).\
The model can maintain continuity across multiple documents and reuse context for consistent results.
#### **2. Test Results**
Once the inputs are configured, click **Test Node** to preview the output.\
Results are displayed in structured **JSON format**, including:
* Document classification results (type, category, sensitivity, etc.)
* Extracted attributes or entities
* Confidence scores
* Reference IDs and processing time
For example:
```json
{
"type": "document_type",
"label": "Invoice",
"confidence": 0.96,
"extracted_fields": {
"Invoice No": "INV-2045",
"Amount": "₹12,500",
"Date": "2024-06-12"
}
}
```
You can switch between **Raw**, **Pretty**, or **Table** views to inspect the result.
#### **3. Settings**
This tab controls the behavior and performance of your classification request.
* **Timeout for API (s):** Time limit for the document classification request.
* **Timeout for Webhook/Cron (s):** Time limit for scheduled or webhook-triggered tasks.
* **Continue on Error:** Allow the workflow to move forward even if the classification fails.
* **Max Tokens:** Limits the length of AI responses.
* **Temperature:** Controls creativity — lower for predictable results, higher for open-ended classification.
* **Max Retries:** Sets how many times Nected retries a failed request.
* **Metadata Required:** Enable to include metadata like file name, type, or page count in the response.
* **Cache & Expiry:** Cache processed document results to optimize repeated classification or re-runs.
### **Practical Examples**
1. **Automated Document Sorting**\
Upload mixed files (invoices, ID proofs, contracts) and let Nected auto-categorize them using the *Document Type* classifier before saving them to their respective folders.
2. **Sensitive Content Filtering**\
Scan large batches of uploaded PDFs using *Sensitivity Analysis* to automatically detect and flag confidential or PII-containing files.
3. **Attribute Extraction for Operations**\
Use *Attributes Extraction* to pull structured data from bills or forms — e.g., vendor name, invoice total, and payment date — and forward that data to your ERP or CRM.
4. **Custom Business Classifications**\
Configure *Custom Categories* to align AI classification with your internal labels, such as “Compliance Docs”, “Customer KYC”, or “Audit Reports”.