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AI powered API documentation scraper and converter

Project description

APIAS - AI Powered API Documentation Scraper

Python 3.10+ PyPI version License: MIT

APIAS (AI Powered API Documentation Scraper) is a powerful tool that helps you extract and convert API documentation from various sources into structured formats.

Features

  • Scrape API documentation from web pages
  • Support for multiple documentation formats
  • AI-powered content extraction and structuring
  • Command-line interface for easy use
  • Multiple output formats (Markdown, JSON, YAML)
  • Batch processing mode with interactive TUI

Requirements

  • Python 3.10 or higher (Python 3.9 is not supported)
  • OpenAI API key (for AI-powered extraction)

Installation

Using uv (Recommended)

The fastest way to install APIAS is using uv:

# Install as a tool (recommended for CLI usage)
uv tool install apias --python=3.10

# Or install in a project
uv add apias

Using pip

pip install apias

Verify Python Version

python --version  # Should be 3.10 or higher

Quick Start

from apias import apias

# Basic usage
doc = apias.scrape_url("https://api.example.com/docs")
print(doc.to_markdown())

# With custom configuration
config = {
    "format": "markdown",
    "output": "api_docs.md"
}
apias.scrape_and_save("https://api.example.com/docs", config)

Command Line Usage

# Scrape a single page
apias --url https://api.example.com/docs

# Scrape multiple pages from a website (batch mode)
apias --url https://example.com --mode batch

# Limit how many pages to scrape
apias --url https://example.com --mode batch --limit 50

# Use a configuration file
apias --url https://example.com --config apias_config.yaml

Configuration Guide

Think of APIAS like a team of workers in a factory!

APIAS can be configured using a YAML file. Generate an example with:

apias --generate-config

This creates apias_config.yaml that you can edit.

Understanding the Settings (Explained Simply)

num_threads - How Many Workers?

num_threads: 5   # Default: 5 workers

Imagine you have a big pile of web pages to process. num_threads is like choosing how many workers to hire:

                    +---> Worker 1 ---> processes page A
                    |
Your Pages -------->+---> Worker 2 ---> processes page B
(waiting)           |
                    +---> Worker 3 ---> processes page C
                    |
                    +---> Worker 4 ---> processes page D
                    |
                    +---> Worker 5 ---> processes page E
  • num_threads: 1 = One worker, processes pages one by one (slow but gentle on the website)
  • num_threads: 5 = Five workers processing 5 pages at the same time (faster!)
  • num_threads: 10 = Ten workers (even faster, but uses more computer power)

Warning: Don't use more than 10-15 threads! Too many workers might:

  • Overwhelm the website you're scraping (they might block you!)
  • Hit OpenAI rate limits (the AI can only handle so many requests)
  • Use too much memory on your computer

Recommendation: Start with 5. Increase to 10 if everything works smoothly.


max_retries - How Many Times to Try Again?

max_retries: 3   # Default: 3 attempts

Sometimes things fail (network hiccups, server busy, etc.). max_retries is how many times APIAS will try again before giving up:

Attempt 1: "Hey server, give me this page!"
           Server: "Sorry, I'm busy!" (FAIL)

Attempt 2: *waits 1 second* "Okay, how about now?"
           Server: "Still busy!" (FAIL)

Attempt 3: *waits 2 seconds* "Please?"
           Server: "Here you go!" (SUCCESS!)
  • max_retries: 0 = Never retry (give up immediately on any error)
  • max_retries: 3 = Try up to 3 times before giving up
  • max_retries: 5 = Very persistent, keeps trying longer

chunk_size - How Big Are the Pieces?

chunk_size: 50000   # Default: 50,000 characters

Web pages can be HUGE. We can't send a giant page to the AI all at once (it would choke!). So we cut it into smaller pieces called "chunks":

   Giant Web Page (200,000 characters)
   ====================================

   Gets cut into pieces:

   [  Chunk 1  ]  [  Chunk 2  ]  [  Chunk 3  ]  [  Chunk 4  ]
    (50,000)       (50,000)       (50,000)       (50,000)
       |              |              |              |
       v              v              v              v
      AI            AI             AI             AI
       |              |              |              |
       v              v              v              v
   [Result 1]    [Result 2]     [Result 3]    [Result 4]

   Then all results get merged back together!
  • chunk_size: 30000 = Smaller pieces (more API calls, but safer for complex pages)
  • chunk_size: 50000 = Default balance
  • chunk_size: 100000 = Bigger pieces (fewer API calls, but might hit token limits)

model - Which AI Brain to Use?

model: gpt-4o-mini   # Default: the smart but affordable one

Different AI models have different abilities and costs:

Model Speed Quality Cost Best For
gpt-4o-mini Fast Good Low Most scraping tasks (recommended)
gpt-4o Fast Excellent Medium Complex documentation
gpt-4-turbo Medium Excellent High When quality matters most
gpt-3.5-turbo Very Fast Okay Very Low Simple pages, budget mode

limit - Maximum Pages to Scrape

limit: 50   # Only scrape up to 50 pages (null = no limit)

In batch mode, a website might have thousands of pages. Use limit to control how many:

# Command line:
apias --url https://example.com --mode batch --limit 100

# Or in config file:
limit: 100

Quick Reference: Common Configurations

For Small Websites (< 50 pages)

num_threads: 3
max_retries: 3
chunk_size: 50000
model: gpt-4o-mini
limit: null

For Large Websites (100+ pages)

num_threads: 8
max_retries: 5
chunk_size: 40000
model: gpt-4o-mini
limit: 500

For Slow/Unstable Connections

num_threads: 2
max_retries: 5
retry_delay: 2.0
chunk_size: 30000
model: gpt-4o-mini

For CI/CD (Headless, No User Interaction)

num_threads: 5
no_tui: true
quiet: true
auto_resume: true

Environment Variables

You can also use environment variables:

# Required: Your OpenAI API key
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-your-key-here"

# Then run APIAS
apias --url https://example.com

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Security

For security issues, please see our Security Policy.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a list of changes.

Support

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