Feedback: integrations-postman

Documentation Feedback

Original URL: https://www.assemblyai.com/docs/integrations/postman
Category: integrations
Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:27:54 pm

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Claude Sonnet 4 Feedback

Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:27:53 pm

Technical Documentation Analysis: AssemblyAI Postman Collection

Overall Assessment

This documentation provides a functional walkthrough but has several areas for improvement in clarity, completeness, and user experience. Below is detailed, actionable feedback.

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Critical Issues

1. Missing Prerequisites Section

Problem: Users jump straight into forking without understanding requirements.

Solution: Add a prerequisites section before Quickstart:

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
- A Postman account (free tier works)
- An AssemblyAI account with API access
- Your AssemblyAI API key ([get it here](https://www.assemblyai.com/app/api-keys))
- An audio file for testing (supported formats: MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, etc.)

2. Incomplete Error Handling

Problem: Step 5 mentions error status but provides no troubleshooting guidance.

Solution: Add comprehensive error handling:

### Common Issues and Solutions

**API Key Issues:**
- Error 401: Verify your API key is correctly set in Variables tab
- Error 403: Check if your API key has necessary permissions

**File Upload Issues:**
- Error 400: Ensure file format is supported (MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A)
- Error 413: File too large (max 2.2GB)

**Transcription Issues:**
- Status "error": Check the `error` field in response for specific details
- Timeout: Large files may take 15+ minutes to process

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Structure and Navigation Issues

3. Poor Information Hierarchy

Problem: Key information is buried in steps rather than highlighted upfront.

Solution: Restructure with clear sections:

# The Postman collection for the AssemblyAI API

## Overview
Brief description of what users will accomplish

## Prerequisites
[As shown above]

## Setup (Steps 1-2)
## Upload Audio (Step 3)
## Transcribe Audio (Step 4-5)
## Advanced Features (Step 6)
## Troubleshooting
## Next Steps

4. Missing Quick Reference

Solution: Add a reference section:

## Quick Reference

**Key Variables:**
- `apiKey`: Your AssemblyAI API key
- `transcript_id`: ID returned from transcription request

**Important Endpoints:**
- `POST /upload` - Upload audio files
- `POST /transcript` - Start transcription
- `GET /transcript/{id}` - Check status/get results

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Content Clarity Issues

5. Vague Instructions in Step 4

Problem: “Remove all the other properties” is unclear and potentially confusing.

Solution: Provide specific, clear instructions:

4. Update the request body to only include:
   ```json
   {
     "audio_url": "your_upload_url_here"
   }

Remove other properties like language_detection, speaker_labels, etc., or keep them if you want to use those features.

### 6. **Missing Expected Timeframes**
**Solution**: Add realistic expectations:
```markdown
⏱️ **Processing Times:**
- Files under 1 minute: ~30 seconds
- Files 1-10 minutes: 1-5 minutes
- Files over 10 minutes: 5-15+ minutes

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User Experience Improvements

7. No Success Indicators

Solution: Add clear success markers:

✅ **Success Indicators:**
- Upload successful: Response contains `upload_url`
- Transcription started: Response contains `id` and `status: "queued"`
- Transcription complete: `status: "completed"` and `text` field populated

8. Missing Sample Responses

Solution: Include abbreviated sample responses:

**Expected Response (Upload):**
```json
{
  "upload_url": "https://cdn.assemblyai.com/upload/abc123..."
}

Expected Response (Transcription Complete):

{
  "id": "transcript_123",
  "status": "completed",
  "text": "This is the transcribed text...",
  "confidence": 0.95
}

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## **Missing Information**

### 9. **No Collection Contents Overview**
**Solution**: Add a section describing what's included:
```markdown
## What's in the Collection

The collection includes requests for:

**Core Transcription:**
- Upload audio files
- Create transcriptions
- Retrieve results

**Advanced Features:**
- Real-time transcription
- Speaker diarization
- Content moderation
- Custom vocabulary

**LeMUR (AI Analysis):**
- Summarization
- Q&A
- Action item extraction
- Custom prompts

10. Missing Next Steps

Solution: Add guidance for continued learning:

## Next Steps

Now that you've successfully used the Postman collection:

1. **Explore Advanced Features**: Try speaker diarization, sentiment analysis
2. **Integrate into Your App**: Check our [SDK documentation](link)
3. **Production Setup**: Review [authentication best practices](link)
4. **Join Community**: Get help in our [Discord](link)

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Technical Accuracy Issues

11. Inconsistent Naming

Problem: “AssemblYAI” appears in image alt text instead of “AssemblyAI”

Solution: Standardize all references to “AssemblyAI”

12. Missing Rate Limits Information

Solution: Add important API constraints:

📋 **API Limits:**
- Rate limit: 10 requests per second
- Max file size: 2.2GB
- Supported formats: MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, MP4, WebM

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Priority Implementation Order

1. High Priority: Add Prerequisites section and error handling
2. Medium Priority: Restructure content hierarchy and add success indicators
3. Low Priority: Add reference sections and next steps

This documentation has good foundational content but needs significant improvements in structure, error handling, and user guidance to provide an excellent developer experience.

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