Extend's Parse 2.0 Shifts Document Parsing to Layout-First for AI

Extend shipped Parse 2.0 in May 2026, a document parsing tool that preserves the physical structure of files—columns, tables, hierarchy—before converting them to text. Traditional approaches flatten layouts, losing information. Language models reasoning over documents perform better when spatial structure stays intact. Competitors have moved similarly, but Extend's AI-focused API, real-world testing, and open components form a complete offering.