M-Files API
M-Files is document and information management software used by law firms to organize matter files, contracts, pleadings, and research with metadata-driven classification, version control, granular permissions, and workflow automation. It helps firms work in a matter-centric way, keep
What is M-Files?
M-Files is an intelligent, metadata-driven document management system (DMS) and content services platform. Rather than relying on folder paths, M-Files organizes information by what it is—matter, contract, client, or project—with properties that drive classification, permissions, workflows, search, and compliance.
Core product areas include:
- Metadata-Driven Document Management (classes, object types, properties)
- Workflow & Approvals (states, transitions, assignments, routing)
- Permissions & Compliance (ACLs, policies, audit trails)
- Integrations & Federated Search (Microsoft 365/SharePoint, network folders, Salesforce, iManage coexistence)
- Records Management & Retention (legal holds, disposition schedules)
- Versioning & Collaboration (check-out/check-in, version history)
Common data entities:
- Vaults (logical repositories with configurations and permissions)
- Object Types (Documents, Matters/Files, Clients, Projects, Contracts)
- Classes & Metadata Properties (e.g., Practice Area, Matter Number, Document Type, Author)
- Documents & Versions (content stream, version numbers, check-out state)
- Workflows & States (approval/routing, rules and transitions)
- Users/Groups & Permissions (ACLs, roles, access policies)
- Views & Search (saved filters and virtual views)
- Audit Events (who changed what, when; before/after values)
- External Repositories (network shares, SharePoint, email archives)
The M-Files Integration Challenge
Law firms depend on M-Files to keep work product organized and compliant, but turning portal-centric operations into API-driven automation can be challenging:
- Metadata-first modeling: Classes and properties differ across vaults and must be mapped to your platform’s schemas
- Multi-vault and entitlements: Each vault has unique configurations, permissions, and object types to respect
- Check-out/check-in semantics: Versioning, locks, and concurrent edits require careful orchestration
- Large file handling: PDFs and productions can be big and need resumable uploads and integrity checks
- Asynchronous indexing: OCR, property-based indexing, and view refreshes can take time and need polling or webhooks
- Authentication complexity: AD/SSO, MFA, and session lifecycles complicate headless automation
- Granular ACLs: Item-level permissions must be enforced when listing or modifying content
- iManage coexistence: Mapping iManage workspace/matter structures to M-Files object types requires consistent alignment
How Supergood Creates M-Files APIs
Supergood reverse-engineers authenticated browser flows and network interactions to deliver a resilient API endpoint layer for your M-Files tenant.
- Handles username/password, SSO/OAuth, and MFA (SMS, email, TOTP) securely
- Maintains session continuity with automated refresh and change detection
- Normalizes document, object, workflow, and ACL schemas so you can integrate once
- Respects vault-specific configurations and role-based permissions for compliant access
- Supports check-out/check-in and version creation with resumable uploads
- Scales high-volume operations (bulk document ingest, metadata updates) with polling or webhooks for long-running jobs
Getting Started
- Schedule Integration Assessment
Book a 30-minute session to confirm your vaults, classes, workflows, and authentication model.
- Supergood Builds and Validates Your API
We deliver a hardened M-Files adapter tailored to your schemas, ACLs, and workflows—including optional iManage coexistence mapping.
- Deploy with Monitoring
Go live with continuous monitoring and automatic adjustments as M-Files evolves.
Use Cases
Matter-Centric Sync With iManage
- Map iManage workspace/matter fields to M-Files matter objects and properties - Sync new/updated documents and versions bi-directionally, preserving authorship and timestamps - Maintain consistent ACLs and ethical walls across both systems
Automated Filing & Metadata Enrichment
- Ingest documents from your platform and file them into the right matter/class - Apply AI-assisted classification to populate properties like Document Type, Practice Area, and Parties - Trigger routing and approvals via M-Files workflows
Workflow Orchestration for Legal Review & Signature
- Advance documents through review states (Draft → Partner Review → Client Approval) - Assign reviewers, capture comments, and store e-signature artifacts as related objects - Enforce check-in/check-out and versioning policies
Records Management & Legal Holds
- Apply legal holds to matters and related documents programmatically - Set retention schedules and capture immutable audit events - Synchronize hold statuses with iManage so both systems reflect current constraints
Technical Specifications
Authentication
Username/password with MFA (SMS, email, TOTP) and SSO/OAuth where enabled; supports service accounts or customer-managed credentials
Response format
JSON with consistent resource schemas and pagination across modules
Rate limits
Tuned for enterprise throughput while honoring customer entitlements and usage controls
Session management
Automatic reauth and cookie/session rotation with health checks
Data freshness
Near real-time retrieval of documents, objects, workflows, and ACL updates
Security
Encrypted transport, scoped tokens, and audit logging; respects M-Files vault-level and item-level permissions
Webhooks
Optional asynchronous delivery for long-running workflows (e.g., indexing completion, workflow transitions)
Latency
Sub-second responses for list/detail queries under normal load; indexing and workflow transitions reflect underlying platform behavior
Throughput
Designed for high-volume document ingest and matter sync operations
Reliability
Retry logic, backoff, and idempotency keys minimize duplicates and support at-least-once processing
Adaptation
Continuous monitoring for UI/API changes with rapid adapter updates
Frequently asked questions
Yes. We map iManage matter/workspace attributes to M-Files matter objects and properties, synchronize documents and versions, and align ACLs and ethical walls. We scope field mappings and conflict resolution during integration assessment.
We expose explicit operations for check-out, check-in, and version creation. Our adapter enforces locks, captures version comments, and preserves authorship and timestamps while ensuring idempotency for repeated updates.
Yes. We use signed, resumable uploads with content hashing. For post-upload OCR and indexing, we provide polling endpoints and optional webhooks to notify when items become searchable.
We respect vault-level and item-level ACLs. Listings and actions are scoped to the caller’s entitlements and M-Files permissions, with audit logging for every operation.
Yes. We can programmatically apply legal holds to matters and documents, update retention properties, and emit immutable audit events. Holds can be synchronized with iManage to keep both systems in lockstep.