> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developers.laws.africa/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developers.laws.africa/content-api/reference/works-and-expressions/publication-document.md).

# Publication document

Fetch the details of the original publication document for a work.

The original publication document is available for most works. This is the primary source document for the work, such as the official government gazette. It is always a PDF.

{% hint style="info" %}
The original publication document is different to the PDF version of a work expression.

* The **PDF version** is a PDF version of the XML content of the document that is generated automatically.
* The **publication document PDF** is a copy of the original publication document, which may be a scanned PDF. It is usually only the original version of the document and does not contain amendment information.
  {% endhint %}

## Download the publication document for a work

The full URL to download the publication document is part of the `publication_document` field in the details of the work.

{% openapi src="/files/4kNXPoVcclCo2986qOST" path="/v3/{frbr\_uri}/media/publication/{filename}" method="get" %}
[Laws.Africa Content API 2024-04-23.yaml](https://4163728571-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LrrJ5L0RJ3goKWzqKVC%2Fuploads%2FYkGoMScj3txq3sbsbbwo%2FLaws.Africa%20Content%20API%20\(v3\)%20\(2\).yaml?alt=media\&token=7476d4cb-8aff-4c63-8ec8-44782e977024)
{% endopenapi %}


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://developers.laws.africa/content-api/reference/works-and-expressions/publication-document.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.