Practical overview
When it fits
Use Docling Java when a Java application needs Docling document types or needs to communicate with a Docling Serve backend for document conversion.
Who it is for
- Java developers integrating Docling into application code.
- Teams building Java document-ingestion or RAG pipelines that need a Docling integration point.
Documented uses
- Use Docling document-representation data types in Java.
- Send a document source to Docling Serve for conversion and handle the returned response.
- Use the provided utilities and Testcontainers module for Docling integration testing.
Requirements & limits
The public repository identifies the project license as MIT.
- The documented conversion example requires both docling-serve-api and docling-serve-client on the classpath.
- The serve client is a reference implementation based on Java HttpClient and Jackson.
- The Java project supplies integration interfaces and artifacts; conversion requests in the example target a Docling Serve backend.
- Docling's broader processing features belong to the Docling project, not solely to this Java integration layer.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Submit an HTTP document source through Docling Serve
Use the documented Java client example to request conversion of an HTTP document source and read Markdown from an in-body response.
Before you start
- Add both docling-serve-api and docling-serve-client to the Java classpath.
- Have the location of a Docling Serve instance.
- Use an HTTP document URL as the source.
Steps
Build a DoclingServeApi instance with the Docling Serve base URL.
Create a ConvertDocumentRequest with an HttpSource containing the document URL.
Call convertSource() with the request.
For an in-body response, read the document's Markdown content.
Expected outcome
The example obtains a conversion response and prints Markdown content from an InBodyConvertDocumentResponse.
Guide limitations
- The example assumes an in-body response; the API also identifies ZIP archive and pre-signed URL response types.
- The guide describes the repository example and is not a verification of execution.
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 12 October 2026
- Original website title
- docling-project/docling-java · Official homepage title · retained in its source language