diff --git a/DocumentOperator.API/Controllers/ZugferdController.cs b/DocumentOperator.API/Controllers/ZugferdController.cs
index a5761a3..bcaabb6 100644
--- a/DocumentOperator.API/Controllers/ZugferdController.cs
+++ b/DocumentOperator.API/Controllers/ZugferdController.cs
@@ -89,8 +89,9 @@ public class ZugferdController(IMediator mediator) : ControllerBase
     /// Supports multipart/form-data file upload.
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="file">The PDF file to extract ZUGFeRD from</param>
+    /// <param name="asFile">if true, 'file' (returns XML file directly); otherwise output format: 'json' (default, returns metadata + XML content)</param>
     /// <param name="cancellationToken">Cancellation token</param>
-    /// <returns>ZUGFeRD XML content and metadata</returns>
+    /// <returns>ZUGFeRD XML content and metadata (JSON) or XML file (application/xml)</returns>
     /// <response code="200">ZUGFeRD XML extracted successfully</response>
     /// <response code="400">Invalid input (file missing, not a PDF, or corrupted)</response>
     /// <response code="404">PDF contains no ZUGFeRD XML</response>
@@ -98,12 +99,14 @@ public class ZugferdController(IMediator mediator) : ControllerBase
     [HttpPost("extract")]
     [Consumes("multipart/form-data")]
     [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ZugferdExtractionResult), StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
+    [ProducesResponseType(typeof(FileContentResult), StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
     [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ProblemDetails), StatusCodes.Status400BadRequest)]
     [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ProblemDetails), StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
     [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ProblemDetails), StatusCodes.Status500InternalServerError)]
     public async Task<IActionResult> ExtractZugferdFromFile(
         IFormFile file,
-        CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        [FromQuery] bool asFile = true,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
         // Use IFormFile stream directly (no intermediate byte[] conversion)
         using var pdfStream = file.OpenReadStream();
@@ -112,6 +115,13 @@ public class ZugferdController(IMediator mediator) : ControllerBase
         var command = new ExtractZugferdCommand { PdfStream = pdfStream };
         var result = await mediator.Send(command, cancellationToken);
 
+        // Return as file or JSON based on format parameter
+        if (asFile)
+        {
+            byte[] xmlBytes = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(result.XmlContent);
+            return File(xmlBytes, "application/xml", result.FileName);
+        }
+
         return Ok(result);
     }
 
@@ -120,8 +130,9 @@ public class ZugferdController(IMediator mediator) : ControllerBase
     /// Supports Base64-encoded PDF via JSON payload.
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="request">Request containing Base64-encoded PDF</param>
+    /// <param name="format">Output format: 'json' (default, returns metadata + XML content) or 'file' (returns XML file directly)</param>
     /// <param name="cancellationToken">Cancellation token</param>
-    /// <returns>ZUGFeRD XML content and metadata</returns>
+    /// <returns>ZUGFeRD XML content and metadata (JSON) or XML file (application/xml)</returns>
     /// <response code="200">ZUGFeRD XML extracted successfully</response>
     /// <response code="400">Invalid input (Base64 format error, not a PDF, or corrupted)</response>
     /// <response code="404">PDF contains no ZUGFeRD XML</response>
@@ -129,12 +140,14 @@ public class ZugferdController(IMediator mediator) : ControllerBase
     [HttpPost("extract")]
     [Consumes("application/json")]
     [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ZugferdExtractionResult), StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
+    [ProducesResponseType(typeof(FileContentResult), StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
     [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ProblemDetails), StatusCodes.Status400BadRequest)]
     [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ProblemDetails), StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
     [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ProblemDetails), StatusCodes.Status500InternalServerError)]
     public async Task<IActionResult> ExtractZugferdFromBase64(
         [FromBody] ExtractZugferdRequest request,
-        CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        [FromQuery] string format = "json",
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
         // Convert Base64 to stream (wrap in try-catch to throw BadRequestException)
         byte[] pdfBytes;
@@ -153,6 +166,13 @@ public class ZugferdController(IMediator mediator) : ControllerBase
         var command = new ExtractZugferdCommand { PdfStream = pdfStream };
         var result = await mediator.Send(command, cancellationToken);
 
+        // Return as file or JSON based on format parameter
+        if (format.Equals("file", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            byte[] xmlBytes = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(result.XmlContent);
+            return File(xmlBytes, "application/xml", result.FileName);
+        }
+
         return Ok(result);
     }
 }