Update Documents

Applies to: Repository API v2 Cloud.

A Laserfiche document has three independent components: an optional electronic document (the original source file, e.g. PDF), image pages, and text pages. This guide covers creating documents from nothing, updating their electronic document, updating their metadata, and managing their template assignment. For per-page image and text operations see the Manipulate Document Pages guide.

All updates in this guide are additive by default: supplied metadata is merged with existing metadata, supplied image files are appended as new image pages, and the electronic document is replaced only when a new one is supplied.

Create an Empty Document

Create a document entry with no electronic document and no pages. Use this when you intend to add pages or an electronic document later.

POST https://api.laserfiche.com/repository/v2/Repositories/{repositoryId}/Entries/{parentEntryId}/Folder/Import

The request is multipart/form-data. Omit the file part entirely (or supply a zero-length file). The request JSON part carries the new document’s name and any initial metadata:

{
  "name": "Empty document",
  "autoRename": true,
  "metadata": {
    "templateName": "Email"
  }
}

The server creates a document entry with pageCount: 0, no electronic document, and no extension or MIME type constraints. Pages and an electronic document can be added later via the guides linked at the bottom of this page.

Import a Document with Image Pages

The Import endpoint accepts an optional imageFiles multipart parameter — up to 10 images (TIFF, JPG, PNG), 100 MB aggregate — that become image pages on the newly created document after import completes. Independent of any electronic document uploaded via the file part.

POST https://api.laserfiche.com/repository/v2/Repositories/{repositoryId}/Entries/{parentEntryId}/Folder/Import

Example request body:

{
  "name": "Email with scanned attachments",
  "autoRename": true,
  "generateImagePagesText": true,
  "metadata": {
    "templateName": "Email"
  }
}

generateImagePagesText (optional, default true): runs OCR on the imageFiles-added pages after import. This is independent of pdfOptions.generateText which controls text extraction during PDF → image conversion.

Combining file and imageFiles: allowed when the file itself would not be converted to image pages. A PDF or Word file plus imageFiles is fine — the file becomes the electronic document and imageFiles become pages. Supplying an image-extension file (TIFF, PNG, JPG) with importAsElectronicDocument=false and imageFiles is rejected with 400 because both inputs would produce pages.

Update a Document — Electronic Document, Metadata, and Image Pages

The unified update endpoint touches all three document components in one additive request.

PATCH https://api.laserfiche.com/repository/v2/Repositories/{repositoryId}/Entries/{entryId}/Document

The file part (optional) replaces the electronic document. A non-empty file replaces; omitting leaves the edoc unchanged. A zero-length file is rejected with 400 — remove the electronic document via DELETE .../Document/Edoc instead (see below).
The imageFiles part (optional, up to 10 files, 100 MB aggregate) appends as image pages. Use the PUT .../Document/Pages endpoint from the page manipulation guide if you need a full page replacement rather than an append.
The metadata block inside the request JSON is additive — only supplied fields, tags, links, and template assignments are touched. Existing values not in the request are preserved.

At least one of file, imageFiles, or metadata must be provided.

Example request body:

{
  "importAsElectronicDocument": true,
  "generateImagePagesText": true,
  "pdfOptions": {
    "generateText": true,
    "generatePages": true,
    "generatePagesImageType": "StandardColor"
  },
  "metadata": {
    "templateName": "Email",
    "fields": [
      { "name": "Sender", "values": ["sender@laserfiche.com"] }
    ],
    "tags": ["Reviewed"]
  }
}

Metadata-only updates. When no file or imageFiles are supplied, PATCH /Document applies metadata additively to the existing document without needing to re-submit the full field set. This replaces the older fetch-then-replace pattern required by PUT /Entries/{entryId}/Fields.

Interaction with version control. If the document is under version control and already checked out by the caller, the update writes into the working copy and is committed atomically when the caller calls CheckIn. If the document is under version control and not checked out by the caller, the server transparently wraps the update in CheckOut → write → CheckIn, creating a single new version. See the Document Lifecycle guide for explicit check-in / check-out flows.

Update Document — client libraries

.NET

await client.EntriesClient.UpdateDocumentAsync(new UpdateDocumentParameters
{
    RepositoryId = repositoryId,
    EntryId = entryId,
    File = new FileParameter(pdfStream, "replacement.pdf", "application/pdf"),
    ImageFiles = new List<FileParameter>
    {
        new FileParameter(pngStream, "attachment.png", "image/png"),
    },
    Request = new UpdateDocumentRequest
    {
        GenerateImagePagesText = true,
        Metadata = new Metadata
        {
            Fields = new List<FieldValue>
            {
                new FieldValue { Name = "Reviewer", Values = new List<JToken> { JToken.FromObject("alice") } },
            },
        },
    },
});

Update a Document Asynchronously (Large Files)

Files that exceed the synchronous upload size limit are uploaded in chunks via the existing CreateMultipartUploadUrls endpoint (see the Import Documents guide for the upload URL and chunk-writing steps), then assembled onto an existing document via UpdateUploadedParts.

POST https://api.laserfiche.com/repository/v2/Repositories/{repositoryId}/Entries/{entryId}/Document/UpdateUploadedParts

{
  "uploadId": "YjBjMDBhZTUtNjMxMC00M2U0LThhZmMt==",
  "partETags": ["etag1", "etag2", "..."],
  "importAsElectronicDocument": true,
  "metadata": {
    "tags": ["Processed"]
  }
}

Returns a 202 Accepted with a task ID — poll /Tasks?taskIds={taskId} for completion. The async path is caller-managed for version control: pre-CheckOut the document if you need a single-version outcome. The connector does not auto-wrap async updates in CheckOut/CheckIn.

Delete the Electronic Document

Remove the electronic document without affecting image pages, text pages, or metadata. Useful when the electronic document is no longer canonical but the image pages remain the authoritative representation.

DELETE https://api.laserfiche.com/repository/v2/Repositories/{repositoryId}/Entries/{entryId}/Document/Edoc

Returns 204 No Content.

Manage Template Assignment

Template assignment and removal are full-replacement operations that apply to any entry type (documents, folders, shortcuts).

PUT https://api.laserfiche.com/repository/v2/Repositories/{repositoryId}/Entries({entryId})/Template

{
  "templateName": "Invoice",
  "fieldValues": [
    { "name": "InvoiceNumber", "values": ["INV-2026-0042"] }
  ]
}

Full-replacement: existing field values for the previous template are discarded; only the fields supplied in fieldValues are applied for the new template. Use PATCH /Document for additive metadata updates on documents.

DELETE https://api.laserfiche.com/repository/v2/Repositories/{repositoryId}/Entries({entryId})/Template

Removes the template assignment.