# Key concepts
Source: https://docs.file.ai/concepts

> The products, objects and terms you meet across the fileAI app, API and MCP server.

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# Key concepts

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The products, objects and terms you meet across the fileAI app, API and MCP server.

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The same few ideas appear on every page of these docs. Read this once and the rest reads faster.

## 

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](#how-your-data-is-organized)

How your data is organized

Object

What it is

In the API

**Workspace**

Your team, members, billing and projects.

`workspaceId`

**Project**

Holds files, AI Schemas and processing defaults. API keys and most settings belong to a project.

Project id, sent as `x-project-id` with personal keys

**Folder**

Groups files. A folder holds references, so one file can sit in several folders. See [Files and folders](/ingest/folders).

Directory (`directoryId`)

**File**

What you upload.

Upload (`uploadId`)

**Document**

One logical document inside a file. A file that holds several documents is **split** into several documents.

`fileId`: the API’s file endpoints address documents

## 

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](#products-and-ways-to-use-them)

Products and ways to use them

Product

What it does

Overview

**fileScout**

Reads a file, splits and classifies the documents in it, and extracts the fields you define.

[fileScout](/scout/overview)

**fileForensics**

Checks the original file for editing, AI generation, reuse and hidden content.

[fileForensics](/forensics/overview)

You can use both in three ways, against the same workspace and data:

*   **API**: REST calls with an API key. Start with the [API quickstart](/quickstart/api).
*   **MCP and agents**: connect Claude, Cursor or another MCP client, or ask **Minto**, the fileAI agent, in [agent sessions](/ask/agent-sessions). See [MCP server](/mcp/overview).
*   **App**: upload, review and export at [orion.file.ai](https://orion.file.ai). See the [app quickstart](/quickstart/app).

## 

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](#file-type-mime-type-and-ai-schema)

File type, MIME type and AI Schema

*   A **file type** is the kind of document, such as Invoice or Bank statement. fileAI classifies each document into a file type. The API calls it a blueprint (`blueprintId`, `/v1/file-type`).
*   A **MIME type** is the format of the uploaded bytes, such as `application/pdf`. You send it as the `fileType` field on upload. See [Supported file types](/ingest/supported-files).
*   An **AI Schema** is the list of fields fileAI extracts for a file type. See [AI Schemas](/extract/ai-schemas).

### 

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](#approve-and-verify)

Approve and Verify

fileAI proposes a new file type and schema when a document matches none you have. You confirm it with **approve** in the API (`PATCH /v1/file-type/approve`), which is the same action as **Verify** in the app. Approved schemas apply to documents you process next.

## 

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](#api-keys)

API keys

Key

Reaches

How you pick the project

**Project key**

One project

The key’s own project

**Personal key**

Several projects

Send `x-project-id` on each request

Keys work only on the region that issued them. See [Authentication and regions](/authentication#key-types).

## 

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](#what-is-metered)

What is metered

Product

Unit

fileScout

**Pages**, counted once processing completes (for example, each PDF page, one per image, one per Excel worksheet)

fileForensics

**Completed runs** started at upload; runs that end in error are not charged

See [Billing and credits](/account/billing#what-is-metered) for the full rules.

## 

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](#related)

Related

## API quickstart

Upload a file and read its values from code.

## Authentication and regions

Keys, hosts and request conventions.

## AI Schemas

Define and read the fields you extract.

## Async jobs

Poll or receive callbacks for long-running work.

[Previous](/)[

Quickstart

Upload a file and read its structured values in about 5 minutes.

Next

](/quickstart/api)

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## On this page

*   [How your data is organized](#how-your-data-is-organized)
*   [Products and ways to use them](#products-and-ways-to-use-them)
*   [File type, MIME type and AI Schema](#file-type-mime-type-and-ai-schema)
    *   [Approve and Verify](#approve-and-verify)
*   [API keys](#api-keys)
*   [What is metered](#what-is-metered)
*   [Related](#related)