--- title: "Choose the right document opening and loading setup" canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/open-a-document/choose-the-right-document-opening-and-loading-setup/" md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/open-a-document/choose-the-right-document-opening-and-loading-setup.md" last_updated: "2026-06-16T17:10:34.882Z" description: "Compare Web SDK with a license key, Web SDK with Document Engine, and DWS Viewer API document-loading workflows so you can choose the right setup." --- # Choose the right document opening and loading setup Opening or loading a document follows the same high-level workflow across Nutrient Web SDK, Document Engine, and DWS Viewer API: 1. Make the document available to the product you’re using. 2. Get the identifier or credential the client needs. 3. Load the document with the correct Web SDK configuration. ## The same workflow in each setup | Setup | What the client loads with | What happens before loading | | ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Web SDK with a license key | `document` + `licenseKey` | Your app provides the document directly to Web SDK from a URL, path, Blob, ArrayBuffer, Base64 data, or another supported source. | | Web SDK + Document Engine | `documentId` + `authPayload.jwt` | Your backend creates or references a document in Document Engine and generates a JWT for the client. | | DWS Viewer API with DWS-managed documents | `session` | Your backend uploads or references a DWS-managed document and creates a document-bound session token. | | DWS Viewer API with app-provided documents | `session` + `document` | Your backend creates a DWS Viewer API browser session, and your frontend passes the document directly to Web SDK. | ## Minimal loading examples For each setup, the client-side loading code is similar, but the parameters passed to `NutrientViewer.load()` differ based on the workflow. ### Web SDK with a license key ```js NutrientViewer.load({ container: "#nutrient", document: "/path/to/document.pdf", licenseKey: "", }); ``` ### Web SDK + Document Engine ```js NutrientViewer.load({ container: "#nutrient", documentId: "", authPayload: { jwt: "" }, instant: true, }); ``` ### DWS Viewer API with DWS-managed documents ```js NutrientViewer.load({ container: "#nutrient", session: "", }); ``` ### DWS Viewer API with app-provided documents ```js NutrientViewer.load({ container: "#nutrient", session: "", document: "/path/to/document.pdf", }); ``` ## How to choose the right flow Use **Web SDK with a license key** when your app already controls document delivery and authorization and the browser can open the document directly. Use **Web SDK + Document Engine** when you want your own self-hosted backend for document storage, streaming, permissions, synchronization, or collaboration. Use **DWS Viewer API with DWS-managed documents** when you want Nutrient’s hosted service to store, stream, and manage documents for Web SDK. Use **DWS Viewer API with app-provided documents** when your app or browser already has the document, but you want DWS Viewer API to authorize and meter the viewer session. ## Common points of confusion - `document` is the Web SDK option for documents provided by your app or browser. - `licenseKey` is used for licensed Web SDK deployments, but it’s omitted when a DWS Viewer API session authorizes the load. - `documentId` + `authPayload.jwt` is the standard Document Engine-backed loading option. - `session` is the DWS Viewer API loading option for DWS-managed documents. - `session` + `document` is the DWS Viewer API loading option for app-provided documents. - Uploading, creating, or referencing a server-managed document is a backend step; calling `NutrientViewer.load()` is the client step. ## Equivalent guides by product - **Web SDK** - [Open documents overview](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/open-a-document.md) - [Open documents from Document Engine](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/open-a-document/from-document-engine.md) - [Open PDFs using DWS Viewer API](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/open-a-document/from-dws-viewer-api.md) - **Document Engine** - [Create a document from an upload](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/file-management/create-a-document-from-upload.md) - [Generate a JWT](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/viewer/client-authentication/generate-a-jwt.md) - **DWS Viewer API** - [Upload documents](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/dws-viewer/developer-guides/upload-documents.md) - [Generate a session token](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/dws-viewer/developer-guides/generate-a-session-token.md) - [Open DWS-managed documents in Web SDK](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/dws-viewer/developer-guides/open-a-document-in-web.md) - [Open app-provided documents in Web SDK](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/dws-viewer/developer-guides/open-client-provided-documents.md) --- ## Related pages - [Open PDFs from an ArrayBuffer using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/from-arraybuffer.md) - [Open and display PDFs from a Blob using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/from-blob.md) - [Open PDFs from Base64 in the browser using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/from-base64-data.md) - [Open documents from Document Engine](/guides/web/open-a-document/from-document-engine.md) - [Open local PDF files using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/from-local-storage.md) - [Open PDFs using DWS Viewer API](/guides/web/open-a-document/from-dws-viewer-api.md) - [Open and display PDF files from a remote URL using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/from-remote-url.md) - [Open Base64 image files using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/image-from-base64-data.md) - [Open image files from a Blob using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/image-from-blob.md) - [Open image files from an array buffer using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/image-from-arraybuffer.md) - [Open local image files using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/image-from-local-storage.md) - [Open image files from a URL using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/image-from-remote-url.md) - [Open and display PDFs in the browser using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document.md) - [Open Base64 MS Office files using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/office-from-base64-data.md) - [Open MS Office files from a Blob using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/office-from-blob.md) - [Open MS Office files from an ArrayBuffer using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/office-from-arraybuffer.md) - [Open local MS Office files using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/office-from-local-storage.md) - [Temporary storage for PDF downloads](/guides/web/open-a-document/temp-storage.md) - [Open MS Office files from a URL using JavaScript](/guides/web/open-a-document/office-from-remote-url.md) - [Opening specific pages in PDFs using JavaScript](/guides/web/features/open-parameters.md)