# Introduction to Upstage API

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/5TWWcSzNyHQ>" %}

## 1. Getting Started: **How to Issue Your API Key**

You must first obtain your personal API Key to use the Upstage API. Before proceeding, please ensure you’ve signed up for an account on the **Upstage Console**.

### Step-by-step Instructions

1. 🔗 **Visit the Upstage Console**

   Go to [console.upstage.ai](http://console.upstage.ai/) in your browser.
2. ✍️ **Sign Up**

   Click the **Login** button at the top right and follow the sign-up process.

   You can sign up quickly with your Google account.

{% hint style="success" %}
If you are a member of the **AI ​​Initiative program**, you can use the Solar Pro and DP models for free(\~March 31st, 2026). To join the Initiative program, please refer to the following page! :point\_right: [**LINK**](https://www.upstage.ai/events/ai-initiative-2025-en)
{% endhint %}

***

### 1. What is an API (Application Programming Interface)?

Before diving into the API itself, let’s first understand JSON, as most APIs—including Upstage’s—use this format to exchange information.

#### 1️⃣ What is JSON?

<figure><img src="https://3125209651-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0AHWR242P4nbzOKCgBYv%2Fuploads%2F2MJ2kfDQnYxpopUZGycm%2F%EC%8A%A4%ED%81%AC%EB%A6%B0%EC%83%B7%202025-04-02%20132111.png?alt=media&#x26;token=099a50a2-f64c-4c44-811b-53c6678e8a13" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a structured format for organizing data.

For example, instead of saying:

> “Apple, Banana, Orange” (which a person has to read and interpret),

You can format it like this in JSON:

```json
{ "fruits": ["apple", "banana", "orange"] }
```

This makes it much easier for computers to process and extract information.

📚 Think of JSON as a **well-organized library**, while plain text is like a **bag of mixed items**.

#### 2️⃣ What is an API?

<figure><img src="https://3125209651-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0AHWR242P4nbzOKCgBYv%2Fuploads%2FxxVJwqiNore7fhmljwJy%2F%EC%8A%A4%ED%81%AC%EB%A6%B0%EC%83%B7%202025-04-02%20132225.png?alt=media&#x26;token=eef533b0-492e-4ffa-b6b6-d21d9464b506" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

An API is like a **menu of pre-built functions** that a program can call to perform specific tasks, similar to how you order food from a restaurant menu.

🍔 Example API requests:

* “Extract text from this scanned document.”
* “Summarize this report using Solar LLM.”

These requests are sent via the API, and the response is returned in JSON format.

{% hint style="success" %}
In short:

**API = the way you request a function**

**JSON = the way the result is delivered**
{% endhint %}

#### 3️⃣ Why Use APIs?

✅ **Automate Workflows**

APIs can automate repetitive tasks.

For example, the Document Parse API can process 100 documents simultaneously instead of manually uploading them one by one.

✅ **Scheduled Data Updates**

Set APIs to run at scheduled times and keep data updated automatically.

For example, automatically summarize and translate news articles daily using Solar LLM.

✅ **Combine Multiple Functions**

Use different APIs together—like document parsing → translation → summarization—in one streamlined flow.

### 2. How to Issue Your Upstage API Key

Your API Key is a unique identifier that authorizes your access to Upstage services.

Follow the steps below to generate and store your key safely:

**🔗 Access Upstage Console**

* Go to [console.upstage.ai](http://console.upstage.ai/)

🔍 **Click on ‘API Keys’**

* On the dashboard, select the **API Keys** menu.

➕ **Click ‘Create New Key’**

* Click the **Create New Key** button to generate a new key.

📋 **Copy & Store Your API Key**

* Copy the generated key and store it in a safe place. Do not share it with others.

### **⚠️ API Key Usage Notes**

{% hint style="danger" %}
API Keys are private and unique to you. **If it is leaked, others can misuse your account.**
{% endhint %}

* 💾 Always store your key in a **secure and private location**.
* 🚫 If you suspect your key was exposed, **regenerate it immediately**.

## 2. Upstage API Product Overview

The Upstage Console provides various powerful APIs that can be tested and applied to real-world tasks.\
All products are designed to be accessed through a single API key. Therefore, you do not need to obtain a separate key to use each product.

#### 💬 1. \[Model] Chat

<figure><img src="https://3125209651-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0AHWR242P4nbzOKCgBYv%2Fuploads%2FgUPvv3ncq115O7o3kIYZ%2F%EC%8A%A4%ED%81%AC%EB%A6%B0%EC%83%B7%202025-04-02%20132654.png?alt=media&#x26;token=54b4b864-e763-46fe-8574-1fdb587e6516" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Use Upstage’s Solar LLM series to build interactive chatbot interfaces. Ideal for text generation, summarization, and context understanding—suitable for customer support, content creation, etc.

#### 📄 2. \[Model] Document Digitization

<figure><img src="https://3125209651-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0AHWR242P4nbzOKCgBYv%2Fuploads%2FhQ5x7jkjU0aOVBuvIDet%2Fdocument%20digitization.gif?alt=media&#x26;token=bd7b04b1-85d0-4ef3-9438-1624bb214456" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Includes tools to automate document-based tasks:

#### &#x20; 📊 2.1. Document Parsing

&#x20; Converts complex documents into structured formats (HTML, Markdown).\
&#x20; Helps LLMs understand document flow for tasks like document Q\&A or summarization.

#### 🧾 2.2. Document OCR

&#x20; Extracts text from scanned or image-based documents.\
&#x20; Accurate across languages and resolutions—ideal for automating scanned data processing.

#### 📚 3. \[Model] Information Extraction

<figure><img src="https://3125209651-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0AHWR242P4nbzOKCgBYv%2Fuploads%2FEKHHfn2j6B49OSxpBCnQ%2Finformation%20extraction.gif?alt=media&#x26;token=04bc5a3f-ef71-4ad4-95ba-65af21fc13d9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Extracts key information (dates, names, amounts) from documents in **structured JSON format**.

#### &#x20; 🌐 3.1. Universal Information Extraction

&#x20; Flexible model that works on any document type—even if the structure isn’t predefined.

#### &#x20; 🧠 3.2. Prebuilt Information Extraction

&#x20; Trained on common document types like invoices and contracts.\
&#x20; Best for automating repeated extraction tasks from standardized forms.

#### 🔧 4. \[Feature] Structured Outputs

It allows LLM responses to follow a predefined JSON schema, making integrating into your system or generating structured reports easy.

#### 🔗 5. \[Feature] Function Calling

Enables LLMs to interact with **external tools like APIs or databases** in real time. Use cases include fetching live weather or currency rates, generating automated responses, and more.

#### 👁️‍🗨️ 6. \[Model] Embeddings

<figure><img src="https://3125209651-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0AHWR242P4nbzOKCgBYv%2Fuploads%2F0bJKqHiPPQjyWOT4jEnG%2F%EC%8A%A4%ED%81%AC%EB%A6%B0%EC%83%B7%202025-04-02%20134823.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c698655f-89bf-46f3-ba52-6e4e31e7987c" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Converts text into vectors for meaning-based search or similarity comparison. Useful for clustering, semantic search, and classification tasks.

***

### Wrap Up

In this section, we’ve covered the **essential first steps** to start using Upstage APIs:

🔹 **What are API & JSON?**

APIs provide a set of functions, and JSON formats the results for easy handling.

🔹 **Why use APIs?**

They help automate tasks, process real-time data, and combine functions efficiently.

🔹 **How to get started:**

Just sign up and generate your API Key. Be sure to keep it secure.

🔹 **Upstage Product Overview:**

Explore practical tools like Chat, Document Parsing, OCR, Information Extraction, and more—ready to integrate into real-world application.

**YoungHoon Jeon** | **AI Edu** | **Upstage**