Feedback: api-reference-transcripts-get-sentences

Documentation Feedback

Original URL: https://www.assemblyai.com/docs/api-reference/transcripts/get-sentences
Category: api-reference
Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:31:00 pm

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Claude Sonnet 4 Feedback

Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:30:59 pm

Technical Documentation Analysis & Improvement Recommendations

Critical Issues Identified

1. Missing Response Schema ⚠️ HIGH PRIORITY

Problem: No documentation of what the API actually returns in the response body.

Solution: Add a complete response schema with example JSON:

{
  "sentences": [
    {
      "text": "This is the first sentence from the transcript.",
      "start": 0,
      "end": 3240,
      "confidence": 0.95,
      "words": [
        {
          "text": "This",
          "start": 0,
          "end": 240,
          "confidence": 0.98
        }
        // ... more words
      ]
    }
    // ... more sentences
  ],
  "id": "transcript_12345",
  "confidence": 0.92
}

2. Redundant Examples ⚠️ MEDIUM PRIORITY

Problem: 8 identical curl examples that provide no additional value.

Solution: Replace with diverse, meaningful examples:

• Basic curl request
• Python SDK example
• JavaScript/Node.js example
• Example with query parameters (if applicable)
• Complete request/response flow

3. Incomplete Error Documentation ⚠️ MEDIUM PRIORITY

Problem: HTTP status codes listed without context or resolution guidance.

Solution: Expand error documentation:

## Error Responses

| Status Code | Description | Common Causes | Resolution |
|-------------|-------------|---------------|------------|
| 400 | Bad request | Invalid transcript_id format | Verify transcript_id is valid UUID |
| 401 | Unauthorized | Invalid or missing API key | Check Authorization header format |
| 404 | Transcript not found | Transcript doesn't exist or still processing | Verify transcript exists and is completed |
| 429 | Rate limit exceeded | Too many requests | Implement exponential backoff |

Structure & Organization Issues

4. Inconsistent Parameter Formatting

Current: Mixed use of transcript_id and :transcript_id Fix: Standardize on one format throughout

5. Missing Prerequisites Section

Add:

## Prerequisites
- Valid AssemblyAI API key
- Completed transcript (status: "completed")
- Transcript must have been processed successfully

Missing Information

6. No Authentication Details

Add:

## Authentication
Include your API key in the Authorization header:

Authorization: YOUR_API_KEY

7. Missing Query Parameters

Investigate and document:

• Pagination parameters
• Filtering options
• Format options

8. No Performance Information

Add:

• Typical response times
• Rate limits
• Best practices for large transcripts

User Experience Improvements

9. Add Quick Start Section

## Quick Start
1. Ensure your transcript is completed: `GET /v2/transcript/{transcript_id}`
2. Retrieve sentences: `GET /v2/transcript/{transcript_id}/sentences`
3. Process the returned sentence array

10. Common Use Cases

## Common Use Cases
- **Content Analysis**: Extract sentences for sentiment analysis
- **Subtitle Generation**: Use sentence boundaries for subtitle timing
- **Text Processing**: Break down long transcripts into manageable chunks

11. Related Endpoints Section

Link to related functionality:

• Get paragraphs
• Get full transcript
• Get word-level timestamps

Recommended Complete Structure

# Get Sentences in Transcript

Brief description of endpoint purpose and functionality.

## Prerequisites
[Authentication and transcript requirements]

## Request
### Endpoint
### Path Parameters
### Query Parameters (if any)
### Headers

## Response
### Success Response Schema
### Example Response

## Error Handling
[Detailed error table with solutions]

## Examples
### Basic Request
### SDK Examples (Python, JavaScript, etc.)
### Complete Request/Response Flow

## Common Use Cases
## Performance Notes
## Related Endpoints

Immediate Action Items

1. Add response schema - Users cannot use the API without knowing what it returns
2. Remove duplicate examples - Replace with meaningful variety
3. Fix parameter inconsistencies - Choose one format and stick to it
4. Add authentication section - Critical for API usage
5. Expand error documentation - Help users troubleshoot issues

These improvements will transform this from a basic reference into comprehensive, user-friendly documentation that reduces support requests and improves developer experience.

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