datalab-api

name	datalab_api
description	Extract structured data from documents via the hosted Datalab API - for harder documents, when no GPU/server is available, or when results need verification with confidence scores.

Datalab API extraction

Instructions

The Datalab API (https://www.datalab.to) runs document extraction as a managed service with more powerful models than local lift. Use it instead of the lift_extraction skill when:

• No lift server or GPU is available locally
• The document is hard (degraded scans, complex layouts, handwriting) or local extraction gave wrong/hallucinated values
• The user needs verified results — balanced mode runs per-field verification and returns a confidence score

Requires a DATALAB_API_KEY environment variable. If it's not set, ask the user — keys come from https://www.datalab.to (free tier available).

Extracting

Use the helper script in this skill:

python .claude/skills/datalab_api/scripts/datalab_extract.py document.pdf \
    --schema schema.json > extraction.json

• --schema accepts a .json file path or an inline JSON string (standard JSON Schema with a properties key — same authoring guidelines as the lift_extraction skill).
• --mode picks the speed/accuracy tradeoff:

mode	what it does	when
turbo	fastest, cheapest	low-latency, less accuracy sensitive
fast	full parse + extraction, low latency	general use
balanced	multi-pass with per-field verification (default)	hard docs, when correctness matters

• --page-range 0,2-4,10 limits pages; --timeout defaults to 600s (long docs in balanced mode take minutes).
• The extraction JSON goes to stdout; the request id and the confidence score (extraction_score_average, 1-5) go to stderr. Treat a score under ~4 as "review the output against the document".

Alternatives

• Python SDK: pip install datalab-python-sdk (from datalab_sdk import ...), CLI datalab.
• Interactive: the Datalab playground — try schemas against documents in the browser, no code.
• API reference: https://www.datalab.to (docs linked from the site; OpenAPI at /openapi.json).

Troubleshooting

• 401: bad/missing API key. 429: rate limited — wait and retry.
• Timeout on long docs: raise --timeout, or reduce scope with --page-range.
• Schema rejected (400): ensure it's a JSON object with properties; avoid $ref and exotic constructs.