PDF Processing Tool

The PDF Processing tool provides fast and efficient text and image extraction from PDF files, converting them to structured Markdown with embedded image references.

Overview

A lightweight, fast alternative to the full Document Processing tool specifically optimised for PDF files. Perfect when you need quick text extraction without the overhead of advanced analysis features.

Features

Fast Extraction: Optimised for speed and efficiency
Text and Images: Extract both text content and embedded images
Page Ranges: Process specific pages or page ranges
Markdown Output: Clean, structured markdown format
Image Links: Properly linked images in markdown
No Dependencies: Self-contained, no external requirements
Cross-Platform: Works on macOS and Linux

When to Use PDF vs Document Processing

Use PDF Processing When:

✅ Working with PDF files only
✅ Need fast extraction speed
✅ Want simple, lightweight processing
✅ Don't need OCR or diagram analysis
✅ Processing digital (non-scanned) PDFs

Use Document Processing When:

📄 Working with multiple document formats (DOCX, XLSX, etc.)
🔍 Need OCR for scanned documents
🎨 Want diagram analysis and Mermaid generation
⚙️ Need advanced processing profiles
🧠 Require AI-powered content analysis

Usage Examples

While intended to be activated via a prompt to an agent, below are some example JSON tool calls.

Basic Usage

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/absolute/path/to/document.pdf"
  }
}

Extract All Content

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/path/to/document.pdf",
    "extract_images": true,
    "output_dir": "/path/to/output"
  }
}

Process Specific Pages

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/path/to/large-document.pdf",
    "pages": "1-5",
    "extract_images": true
  }
}

Page Range Examples

// First 10 pages
{"pages": "1-10"}

// Specific pages
{"pages": "1,3,5,10"}

// Mixed ranges and pages
{"pages": "1-3,7,10-12"}

// All pages (default)
{"pages": "all"}

Parameters Reference

Required Parameters

Parameter	Description	Example
`file_path`	Absolute path to PDF file	`"/Users/john/documents/report.pdf"`

Optional Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`output_dir`	string	Same as PDF	Output directory for markdown and images
`extract_images`	boolean	`true`	Whether to extract embedded images
`pages`	string	`"all"`	Page range to process

Page Range Formats

All pages: "all" (default)
Range: "1-5" (pages 1 through 5)
Specific pages: "1,3,5" (pages 1, 3, and 5)
Mixed: "1-3,7,10-12" (pages 1-3, 7, and 10-12)

Output Structure

Generated Files

/path/to/document.pdf
├── document.md          # Extracted markdown content
└── images/              # Extracted images directory
    ├── image_001.png
    ├── image_002.jpg
    └── ...

Markdown Format

# Document Title

## Page 1

Document content from first page...

![Image 1](images/image_001.png)

More content...

## Page 2

Content from second page...

Response Format

Successful Processing

{
  "success": true,
  "message": "PDF processed successfully",
  "markdown_file": "/path/to/document.md",
  "images_extracted": 5,
  "images_directory": "/path/to/document/images",
  "pages_processed": 10,
  "processing_time": 2.3,
  "file_size": 1024000
}

Error Response

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "File not found: /invalid/path/document.pdf",
  "file_path": "/invalid/path/document.pdf"
}

Common Use Cases

Quick Document Review

Extract text for quick review or analysis:

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/downloads/research-paper.pdf",
    "extract_images": false
  }
}

Documentation Conversion

Convert PDF documentation to markdown:

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/docs/api-reference.pdf",
    "extract_images": true,
    "output_dir": "/project/docs"
  }
}

Large Document Processing

Process specific sections of large documents:

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/reports/annual-report-2024.pdf",
    "pages": "5-15",
    "extract_images": true
  }
}

Batch Processing Preparation

Extract specific pages for further processing:

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/contracts/agreement.pdf",
    "pages": "1,5,10-12",
    "extract_images": false
  }
}

Performance Characteristics

Processing Speed

Small PDFs (< 10 pages): 1-3 seconds
Medium PDFs (10-50 pages): 3-15 seconds
Large PDFs (50+ pages): 15+ seconds

Factors Affecting Speed

Page count: Linear relationship with processing time
Image content: Images slow down processing
Text complexity: Tables and complex layouts take longer
File size: Large embedded images impact speed

Memory Usage

Text processing: Low memory usage
Image extraction: Moderate memory for large images
Large documents: Memory usage scales with content

Comparison with Document Processing

Feature	PDF Processing	Document Processing
Speed	⚡ Fast (1-15 seconds)	🐌 Slower (10-60+ seconds)
File Types	PDF only	PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, HTML, CSV, images
Dependencies	None	Python 3.10+, Docling
OCR Support	❌ No	✅ Yes
Diagram Analysis	❌ No	✅ Yes with AI models
Setup Complexity	✅ Simple	⚙️ Complex
Resource Usage	🟢 Low	🟡 Moderate to High

Integration Examples

Research Workflow

# 1. Quick PDF extraction
pdf_extract="/path/to/research.pdf"

# 2. Process with think tool
think "I've extracted the research paper content. Let me analyse the key findings and methodology before proceeding with implementation."

# 3. Store key insights
memory create_entities --data '{"entities": [{"name": "Research_Paper_2024", "type": "document", "observations": ["Novel approach to distributed consensus", "Improves performance by 40%"]}]}'

Documentation Workflow

# 1. Extract PDF documentation
pdf_extract="/technical-specs/api-guide.pdf" --pages="1-20"

# 2. Search for additional information
internet_search "REST API best practices 2024"

# 3. Combine insights for implementation
think "The PDF provides specific implementation details, while the search results show current best practices. I'll combine both for the recommended approach."

Content Analysis Workflow

# 1. Extract content from multiple PDFs
pdf_extract="/reports/q1-report.pdf" --pages="1-5"
pdf_extract="/reports/q2-report.pdf" --pages="1-5"

# 2. Store extracted insights
memory create_entities --namespace="quarterly_reports" --data='{...}'

# 3. Analyse trends
think "Comparing Q1 and Q2 reports, I can see a clear trend in customer acquisition costs and revenue growth patterns."

Error Handling

Common Errors

File not found: Invalid file path
Permission denied: Insufficient file access rights
Corrupted PDF: Damaged or invalid PDF file
Unsupported PDF: Encrypted or password-protected PDFs
Disk space: Insufficient space for output files

Error Prevention

Use absolute paths: Avoid relative path issues
Check file existence: Verify file exists before processing
Verify permissions: Ensure read access to PDF and write access to output directory
Test with small files: Validate setup with simple PDFs first

Advanced Usage

Custom Output Organisation

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/source/document.pdf",
    "output_dir": "/organised/content/document-name",
    "extract_images": true,
    "pages": "1-10"
  }
}

Selective Processing for Large Documents

// Process table of contents and summary
{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/reports/annual-report.pdf",
    "pages": "1-3,50-55",
    "extract_images": false
  }
}

Image-Only Extraction

{
  "name": "pdf",
  "arguments": {
    "file_path": "/presentations/slides.pdf",
    "extract_images": true,
    "pages": "10-20"
  }
}

For technical implementation details, see the PDF Processing source documentation.

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