> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gc.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# List a Vault's Columns

> List every column in a vault's table, in the order the table shows them.

The list covers both kinds of column. Built-in columns, such as Document Type and Effective Date, come from GC AI and appear in every vault; they report `id: null` and `kind: built_in`, and no endpoint changes them. The rest belong to this vault and carry an ID. Of those, `kind: custom` columns are yours to change, and `kind: system` columns (Document Name, Document Status, Document Title) are managed by GC AI and reject every change.

Columns a member has hidden in the app are listed too: hiding is a display preference, and a hidden column still holds its values and still counts toward the vault's 500 column limit.

Requires a user-scoped API key (`u:gcai_...`). A vault is shared with named people, so an organization-scoped key has no identity to resolve vault access with.



## OpenAPI

````yaml GET /vaults/{id}/columns
openapi: 3.0.3
info:
  title: GC AI External API
  version: 1.0.0
  description: >-
    The GC AI External API allows programmatic access to GC AI's chat
    capabilities. It's designed for integration with workflow automation tools
    like Zapier, Make, n8n, or custom applications.


    ## Authentication


    All API requests must include an API key in the `Authorization` header:


    ```

    Authorization: gcai_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    ```


    API keys can be created in the GC AI app under **Settings → API**.


    ## Multi-turn Conversations


    Conversations can span multiple turns: pass the `chat_id` returned by a
    completion back on your next request to continue the same chat. See
    [Multi-turn Conversations](/api-reference/concepts/multi-turn).


    ## Current Limitations


    The following is not yet available via API:


    - **Interactive clarification**: the model cannot pause to ask the caller a
    follow-up question; the `askUserQuestions` tool is disabled on the API
    surface


    ## Usage


    Usage is tracked and viewable in the GC AI app under **Settings → API → View
    Usage**.


    ## Support


    For API support, contact [support@gc.ai](mailto:support@gc.ai) or reach out
    to your account representative.
  contact:
    email: support@gc.ai
servers:
  - url: https://app.gc.ai/api/external/v1
    description: Production server
security: []
tags:
  - name: Async Jobs
    description: Poll the status and result of asynchronous API jobs
  - name: Chat
    description: AI chat completion endpoints
  - name: Chats
    description: Chat management, message history, and sharing endpoints
  - name: Contract Intelligence
    description: Vault discovery and document ingestion endpoints for Contract Intelligence
  - name: Files
    description: File upload and management endpoints
  - name: Folders
    description: Folder management endpoints
  - name: Playbooks
    description: Playbook review endpoints
  - name: Profiles
    description: Personal and company profile endpoints
  - name: Projects
    description: Project management endpoints
  - name: Skills
    description: Skill library management endpoints
  - name: Utility
    description: Health check and connectivity endpoints
  - name: Usage
    description: Usage and credit/billing reporting endpoints
paths:
  /vaults/{id}/columns:
    get:
      tags:
        - Contract Intelligence
      summary: List a vault's columns
      description: >-
        List every column in a vault's table, in the order the table shows them.


        The list covers both kinds of column. Built-in columns, such as Document
        Type and Effective Date, come from GC AI and appear in every vault; they
        report `id: null` and `kind: built_in`, and no endpoint changes them.
        The rest belong to this vault and carry an ID. Of those, `kind: custom`
        columns are yours to change, and `kind: system` columns (Document Name,
        Document Status, Document Title) are managed by GC AI and reject every
        change.


        Columns a member has hidden in the app are listed too: hiding is a
        display preference, and a hidden column still holds its values and still
        counts toward the vault's 500 column limit.


        Requires a user-scoped API key (`u:gcai_...`). A vault is shared with
        named people, so an organization-scoped key has no identity to resolve
        vault access with.
      operationId: listVaultColumns
      parameters:
        - schema:
            type: string
            format: uuid
            description: The vault ID
          required: true
          description: The vault ID
          name: id
          in: path
      responses:
        '200':
          description: The vault's columns
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/VaultColumnListResponse'
        '401':
          description: Missing or malformed API key
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '403':
          description: >-
            Contract Intelligence is not enabled for this account. Contact
            support to request access.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '404':
          description: Vault not found, archived, or access denied
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '422':
          description: >-
            Vault access is per-user and requires a user-scoped API key
            (u:gcai_...).
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '429':
          description: >-
            Rate limit exceeded. See [Rate
            Limits](/api-reference/concepts/rate-limits) for the tiers, limits,
            and how to back off.
          headers:
            Retry-After:
              schema:
                type: string
                description: Seconds to wait before retrying after a rate-limit block.
                example: '60'
              required: true
              description: Seconds to wait before retrying after a rate-limit block.
            RateLimit-Limit:
              schema:
                type: string
                description: Request quota for the applicable window.
                example: '3'
              required: true
              description: Request quota for the applicable window.
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              schema:
                type: string
                description: Requests remaining in the current window.
                example: '0'
              required: true
              description: Requests remaining in the current window.
            RateLimit-Reset:
              schema:
                type: string
                description: Seconds until the quota resets.
                example: '60'
              required: true
              description: Seconds until the quota resets.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '500':
          description: Internal server error
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '503':
          description: Service temporarily unavailable
          headers:
            Retry-After:
              schema:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Seconds to wait before retrying after a transient service
                  outage.
                example: '5'
              required: true
              description: >-
                Seconds to wait before retrying after a transient service
                outage.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
      security:
        - ApiKeyAuth: []
components:
  schemas:
    VaultColumnListResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        columns:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/VaultColumnResponse'
      required:
        - columns
    Error:
      type: object
      properties:
        error:
          type: string
          description: Error message
        code:
          type: string
          description: >-
            Machine-readable error code present on some errors (e.g.
            `RATE_LIMITED`, `INSUFFICIENT_CREDITS`, `TRIAL_NOT_STARTED`,
            `BILLING_NOT_CONFIGURED`). Branch on this rather than the
            human-readable `error` string.
        message:
          type: string
          description: Additional error details
        details:
          type: object
          additionalProperties:
            nullable: true
          description: Validation error details (for 400 errors)
      required:
        - error
    VaultColumnResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
          nullable: true
          format: uuid
          description: >-
            Unique column identifier, or null for a built-in column. A built-in
            column has no row of its own in this vault, so it has no ID and
            cannot be changed or deleted.
        field_key:
          type: string
          description: >-
            The stable key extracted values are stored under. It is set once,
            when the column is created, and never changes, so renaming the
            column keeps every value already extracted for it.
          example: renewalNotice
        label:
          type: string
          description: The column heading shown in the vault table
          example: Renewal notice
        instructions:
          type: string
          description: >-
            For an `ai` column, the prompt extraction reads each document with.
            For a `manual` or `import` column, a note to whoever reads the
            column.
        field_type:
          type: string
          enum:
            - text
            - date
            - date_range
            - enum
            - multi_enum
            - boolean
            - number
            - currency
            - percentage
            - duration
            - email
            - url
            - list
            - rich_text
            - party_list
            - related_agreement_list
          description: >-
            The shape of the values in this column. Built-in columns can report
            `party_list` and `related_agreement_list`, which you cannot set
            yourself.
        field_meta:
          oneOf:
            - type: object
              properties:
                type:
                  type: string
                  enum:
                    - enum
                options:
                  type: array
                  items:
                    type: string
                    minLength: 1
                    maxLength: 200
                  description: The values extraction can assign to this column.
                legacy_options:
                  type: array
                  items:
                    type: string
                    minLength: 1
                    maxLength: 200
                  description: >-
                    Values that documents extracted under an older version of
                    this option list still hold. They stay readable and
                    filterable, and extraction never assigns them again.
              required:
                - type
                - options
            - type: object
              properties:
                type:
                  type: string
                  enum:
                    - multi_enum
                options:
                  type: array
                  items:
                    type: string
                    minLength: 1
                    maxLength: 200
                  description: The values extraction can assign to this column.
              required:
                - type
                - options
            - nullable: true
          description: >-
            The option list for an `enum` or `multi_enum` column. Null for every
            other type.
        extraction_mode:
          type: string
          enum:
            - ai
            - manual
            - import
          description: >-
            How the column gets filled. `ai`: extraction reads it out of each
            document. `manual`: a person types it and no scan ever touches it.
            `import`: values come from a connected spreadsheet, which owns the
            column. You can create `ai` and `manual` columns; an `import` column
            is created by connecting a spreadsheet in the app.
        kind:
          type: string
          enum:
            - built_in
            - system
            - custom
          description: >-
            What this column is. `built_in`: merged into every vault by GC AI,
            with no ID and no way to change it. `system`: owned by this vault
            but managed by GC AI (Document Name, Document Status, Document
            Title), so it has an ID but rejects every change and every delete.
            `custom`: yours, and the only kind `PATCH` and `DELETE` accept.
        editable:
          type: boolean
          description: >-
            True when this column can be changed with `PATCH
            /vaults/{id}/columns/{columnId}`. Built-in and system columns report
            `false`: GC AI owns their name, type, options, and prompt. One
            exception, on both surfaces: `sort_order` is list position rather
            than identity, so it can be set on any column that has an ID.
        sort_order:
          type: number
          nullable: true
          description: >-
            Placement weight for this column, or null for a built-in one. The
            table orders columns by `sort_order` first and creation time second.
        created_at:
          type: string
          nullable: true
          description: ISO 8601 creation timestamp, or null for a built-in column
        updated_at:
          type: string
          nullable: true
          description: ISO 8601 last-update timestamp, or null for a built-in column
      required:
        - id
        - field_key
        - label
        - instructions
        - field_type
        - field_meta
        - extraction_mode
        - kind
        - editable
        - sort_order
        - created_at
        - updated_at
  securitySchemes:
    ApiKeyAuth:
      type: apiKey
      in: header
      name: Authorization
      description: |-
        API key for authentication. Format: `gcai_xxxxxxxxx`

        Create API keys in the GC AI app under Settings → API.

````