| name | pdf-to-markdown |
| description | Convert local PDF files into Markdown. Use when the user asks to convert a PDF into Markdown. |
PDF To Markdown
Use this skill to convert a local PDF file into reusable Markdown in any workspace.
Default behavior:
- Use the PDF converter runtime provided by this skill.
- Accept only PDF input files.
- Write the final Markdown next to the source file unless the user provides a destination.
- Keep the generated Markdown as close as possible to the raw conversion.
Workflow
- Verify the source file exists, is local, and has a
.pdf extension.
- Run
bash scripts/run_pdf_to_markdown.sh "<source-path>" from this skill directory.
- Inspect conversion output before writing anything. If conversion fails, is empty, or is clearly unusable, stop and report failure.
- Default output path to a sibling Markdown file with the same basename as the source PDF.
- If that sibling Markdown file already exists, write to a deterministic non-destructive fallback path by appending
.converted before .md.
- If the user provides an output file or folder, honor it instead of the default sibling path.
- Do not write a partial output file when conversion fails.
Output Rules
- Keep output generic and portable; do not assume Obsidian-specific structure.
- Preserve headings, lists, ordering, and wording from conversion output as much as possible.
- Do not summarize or rewrite by default.
Command
bash scripts/run_pdf_to_markdown.sh "/absolute/path/to/source.pdf"
Optional output override:
bash scripts/run_pdf_to_markdown.sh "/absolute/path/to/source.pdf" --output "/absolute/path/to/output.md"
Notes
- The helper script bootstraps an isolated Python environment and does not assume a global converter install.
- Java must be available on the system path for the converter runtime.
