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

# Load Documents & PODs

> How Owlery collects every load document from your carriers, then stores, organizes, and makes them searchable.

A POD is your evidence the freight arrived — it's what backs up a dispute, clears a chargeback, and satisfies compliance paperwork on regulated freight. Owlery collects PODs and every other load document from your carriers automatically, then stores, organizes, and makes them searchable, so you're never digging through email for one when you need it.

## Where documents land: the load

Every document Owlery collects for a shipment is stored on its load. Open the load, click the **Documents** tab, and you'll find the POD alongside the BOL, rate confirmation, lumper receipts, and anything else tied to that shipment. See [Loads](/shippers/loads#inside-the-load-drawer) for the rest of the load drawer.

Carriers add these documents themselves, through the Owlery Portal or over SFTP — see [Upload Proof of Delivery](/carriers/upload-proof-of-delivery) for what that looks like on their end.

<Note>
  A missing POD isn't just a filing gap — it can hold up invoice payment. Freight Audit and Pay rules can require POD before an invoice auto-approves, and dashboards track missing-POD counts separately so you can see how much of your freight is left uncovered. See [Freight Audit and Pay Settings](/shippers/freight-audit-and-pay#what-each-rule-can-check) and [Dashboard Basics](/shippers/dashboard-basics).
</Note>

## Search every load at once: the Document Library

You don't need to open a load to find its documents. Click the folder icon in the top navigation bar to open the **Document Library**, where you can search across every load's documents at once — useful when you know a PO number, order number, or carrier name but not which load it's on.

## Chase missing PODs automatically

Owlery can reach out to carriers on your behalf, on a weekly cadence, for any load that's still missing its POD — so your team isn't the one sending those emails.

<Tip>
  This is opt-in and depends on your subscription. Email [support@owlery.ai](mailto:support@owlery.ai) to have it turned on.
</Tip>

## Ask Hootie for a document on demand

If you just need one document right now, ask [Hootie](/shippers/hootie):

`@hootie get me the POD for PO 867-5309`

Hootie pulls it from the load and replies in the same Slack, Teams, or email thread — no need to open Owlery.

## Pull documents programmatically

If your team handles retailer disputes or chargebacks, or you need a copy of every load document in your own system, the **Shipper Documents** API can search and download documents instead of someone doing it by hand.

| Endpoint                                  | What it does                                                                          |
| ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `GET /api/ext/v1/documents/search`        | Search documents by keyword (2+ characters) — returns document IDs, names, and sizes. |
| `GET /api/ext/v1/documents/{id}/download` | Download a single document by ID.                                                     |

Requests go to `https://api.owlery.ai`, authenticated with an API key passed as a Bearer token. Email [support@owlery.ai](mailto:support@owlery.ai) to get a key.

See the full [Shipper Documents API reference](https://owlery.ai/open/api#tag/shipper-documents) for request and response schemas.