opendataloader-pdf Skill
PDF parsing tool for AI/RAG scenarios. Converts PDF to Markdown, JSON, HTML with layout preservation.
Installation
pipx install opendataloader-pdf
Requires Java runtime (bundled JAR is included).
Quick Usage
# PDF to Markdown (most common)
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output_dir -f markdown
# PDF to JSON (with bounding boxes)
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output_dir -f json
# Multiple formats at once
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output_dir -f json,markdown,html
# Extract specific pages
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output_dir -f markdown --pages "1,3,5-10"
# Extract images
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output_dir -f markdown --image-dir images/
# Use PDF structure tree (for tagged PDFs)
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output_dir -f markdown --use-struct-tree
# Output to stdout
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -f markdown --to-stdout
Output Formats
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
json | Structured JSON with bounding boxes, fonts, reading order |
markdown | Markdown text with images as references |
html | HTML with styling |
text | Plain text |
pdf | Rebuilt PDF |
markdown-with-html | Markdown with HTML for complex elements |
markdown-with-images | Markdown with embedded base64 images |
Key Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--pages | Page range, e.g., "1,3,5-10" |
--image-dir | Directory for extracted images |
--use-struct-tree | Use PDF structure tree for reading order |
--table-method | Table detection: default (border-based) or cluster |
--reading-order | Algorithm: off or xycut (default) |
--hybrid | Hybrid AI mode: docling-fast for complex tables |
--sanitize | Remove sensitive data (emails, phones, etc.) |
--include-header-footer | Include page headers/footers |
Examples
Basic Conversion
# Convert to markdown
opendataloader-pdf document.pdf -o ./output -f markdown
# Convert to JSON with structure
opendataloader-pdf document.pdf -o ./output -f json --use-struct-tree
Batch Processing
# Multiple files
opendataloader-pdf "file1.pdf" "file2.pdf" "folder/" -o output/
# All PDFs in directory
opendataloader-pdf ./pdfs/ -o ./output/ -f markdown
Advanced Options
# Use AI hybrid mode for complex tables
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output/ -f markdown --hybrid docling-fast
# Extract only pages 1-5
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output/ -f markdown --pages "1-5"
# Sanitize sensitive data
opendataloader-pdf input.pdf -o output/ -f json --sanitize
Performance Notes
- Each
convert()call spawns a JVM process - For batch processing, pass multiple files in one call
- ~6 seconds for typical 300-page PDF
- Images extracted to
{output_name}_images/directory
Troubleshooting
Java not found
Ensure Java runtime is installed. The tool bundles its own PDFBox JAR.
Font warnings
Warnings about missing fonts are normal and don't affect output quality.
Slow performance
Use batch mode (multiple files in one call) instead of calling repeatedly.