2. Document Management
Document Management Overview
Document management is the core functionality of the Circularo platform, enabling organizations to create, store, organize, and process documents throughout their lifecycle. This section provides comprehensive guidance on all aspects of document and folder operations.
Document Management Components
Circularo's document management system consists of two primary components:
Document Operations: Create, retrieve, modify, sign, and process individual documents
Folder Management: Organize documents in hierarchical structures for improved findability and access control
Document Lifecycle
Documents in Circularo follow a complete lifecycle:
Creation: Upload external files or generate documents from templates
Organization: Place documents in appropriate folders with consistent metadata
Processing: Annotate, sign, seal, or certify documents
Retrieval: Search for and access documents when needed
Archival or Deletion: Store for long-term retention or remove when no longer needed
Key Document Concepts
Metadata Definitions: Templates that define the structure and fields of documents
Workflow Definitions: Processes that define the lifecycle and states of documents
Document Templates: Reusable configurations for creating similar documents
Folder Hierarchy: Organizational structure for categorizing and managing documents
Access Control: Permissions that determine who can view or modify documents and folders
Digital Signatures: Cryptographic protection for document authenticity and integrity
Document Operations
The Document Operations section covers all aspects of working with individual documents:
Document Creation: Upload files and create documents with metadata
Document Retrieval: Fetch documents by ID or search criteria
Document Search: Find documents using powerful query capabilities
Document Processing: Sign, seal, annotate, or modify documents
Document Templates: Create and use reusable document configurations
Document Deletion: Remove documents when no longer needed
Folder Management
The Folder Management section covers all aspects of organizing documents in hierarchical structures:
Folder Creation: Establish organizational containers for documents
Nested Folders: Create hierarchical structures with parent-child relationships
Document Organization: Move documents into appropriate folders
Folder Navigation: Traverse folder structures to locate documents
Folder Export: Download entire folder contents as a zip file
Folder Deletion: Remove folders and their contents when no longer needed
Best Practices
Use appropriate metadata definitions for different document types
Implement consistent naming conventions for documents and folders
Design folder structures that reflect your organizational needs
Leverage document templates for frequently created document types
Use document search and folder navigation for efficient document retrieval
Apply proper access controls to sensitive documents and folders
Document and folder operations may require specific permissions. Ensure your authentication token has the necessary rights to perform the desired operations.
All document and folder operations require a valid authentication token. See the Authentication & Security section for details on obtaining and managing tokens.
Getting Started
Explore the subsections below to learn about specific document management capabilities:
Start with Document Operations to understand how to work with individual documents
Proceed to Folder Management to learn how to organize documents in hierarchical structures
Combine these capabilities to implement a complete document management solution