| name | pdf-extractor |
| description | Extract and analyze content from PDF files using vision AI. Supports single or multiple PDFs (batch), full text extraction, structured data extraction with Pydantic schemas, Markdown/HTML conversion, worksheet-clean modes, user-content extraction, and custom prompt extraction. Use when you need to extract, summarize, or analyze content from one or more PDF documents. |
PDF Extractor Skill
Image-first PDF extraction and analysis using vision AI models via scripts/extract.py.
When This Skill Is Used
When the user wants to extract, analyze, summarize, or convert content from PDF documents, you MUST gather the following flag values before running the script. Do not proceed to the extraction step until all required questions have been answered.
Support one PDF or many: pass multiple paths as separate positional arguments (see Multi-file processing).
MANDATORY: Gather All Required Questions First
You MUST ask the user for answers to ALL 7 questions below. Do NOT skip any question. Do NOT proceed to extraction until you have an answer for each question.
If the user provides partial answers, STOP immediately and ask only for the remaining unanswered questions. Continue this loop until all 7 questions have been answered.
Question 1: PDF path(s) (required — one or more)
Absolute path(s) to every PDF to process.
- Single file: one absolute path (e.g.
/home/user/docs/report.pdf).
- Multiple files: list each absolute path. The agent should resolve globs or folders into explicit paths before running so the command is unambiguous.
Question 2: --mode (required — select one)
The extraction mode to use:
| Option | Description |
|---|
full_text | Transcribes all text with layout preservation |
structured | Extracts data matching a Pydantic schema |
markdown | Converts pages to Markdown with proper formatting |
html | Converts pages to HTML with styling |
html_worksheet_clean | Converts worksheet pages to clean blank-template HTML (removes filled answers) |
markdown_worksheet_clean | Converts worksheet pages to clean blank-template Markdown (removes filled answers) |
prompt | Custom prompt for flexible extraction |
user_content | Extracts only user-created content (answers/annotations), ignoring pre-printed text |
Question 3: --write (required — select one)
The output format:
| Option | Description |
|---|
| (omit flag) | Default JSON output to stdout |
markdown | Save as .md file(s) |
html | Save as .html file(s) |
Question 4: --image-max-long-edge (required)
Maximum pixel size for the longest edge of rendered page images. Default: 1024. Increase for higher quality (e.g. 2048), decrease for speed (e.g. 512). The user must provide a value — suggest 1024 as the default.
Question 5: --dpi (required)
DPI for rendered page images. Typical values: 150, 300. The user must provide a value — suggest 300 as the default.
Question 6: --per-page (required — yes/no)
Whether to return per-page output (one array entry per page) instead of a combined result. This now works for all modes. In persistent cache mode, markdown/html families also write per-page sidecar files. The user must choose yes or no — suggest no as the default.
Question 7: Other flags (required — free text, can be empty)
Ask the user if they want to pass any additional flags to the script. These are appended after the mandatory --async --max-workers 4 (see Running the Script). For example: --pretty, --prompt "...", --model openai/gpt-4o, --stop-on-error, --max-workers 8 (to override the default worker count), etc.
Do not ask the user to opt into --async or --max-workers 4; those are always applied by the skill unless question 7 supplies a different --max-workers (use that value instead of 4, once).
This question MUST be presented to the user, but the answer can be empty/null. An empty response means no additional flags beyond the defaults.
Gathering Answers: Loop Until Complete
Use the questionnaire tool to gather answers. If the user gives partial answers:
- Note which questions are answered
- Present a new questionnaire with ONLY the unanswered questions
- Repeat until all 7 questions have answers
Do not proceed to extraction until all 7 questions are answered. If the user tries to skip or redirect before all questions are answered, firmly but politely repeat your request for the missing answers.
Running the Script
Once all values are gathered, construct and run the command.
Mandatory on every call: --async --max-workers 4 (after --mode / image / dpi / per-page, before question 7). If question 7 includes --max-workers <N>, use --async --max-workers <N> instead of 4 so there is only one --max-workers in the command.
Single PDF:
/home/yogibear54/.pi/agent/skills/pdf-extractor/scripts/extract.py <pdf_path> \
--mode <mode> \
[--write <format>] \
[--image-max-long-edge <N>] \
[--dpi <N>] \
[--per-page] \
--async --max-workers 4 \
[<additional flags>]
Multiple PDFs: repeat each path as its own argument (same flags apply to all inputs):
/home/yogibear54/.pi/agent/skills/pdf-extractor/scripts/extract.py \
<pdf_path_1> <pdf_path_2> [more paths...] \
--mode <mode> \
[--write <format>] \
[--image-max-long-edge <N>] \
[--dpi <N>] \
[--per-page] \
--async --max-workers 4 \
[<additional flags>]
- Omit
--write if the user chose the default (no flag).
- Omit
--image-max-long-edge if the user didn't specify a value.
- Omit
--dpi if the user didn't specify a value.
- Omit
--per-page if the user chose no.
- Always include
--async and --max-workers (4 unless overridden from question 7).
- Append any additional flags from question 7 (even if empty).
Multi-file processing
- Invocation: pass one positional argument per PDF; order is preserved.
- Parallel documents + async: the skill always passes
--async --max-workers 4 (or --max-workers N from question 7). Increase N for throughput when the user asks; keep within API/provider limits.
- Failures:
--stop-on-error aborts the batch on the first failed PDF; without it, batch results usually include per-file success / error entries.
- Stdout (no
--write): batch output is a JSON array of items. Each item typically includes pdf_path, status, result, and error (shape matches the upstream pdf-extractor / pdf_extractor_analyzer batch API).
--write: each successful input PDF gets its own output file. With --per-page in batch runs, filenames are per-document (e.g. invoice-p1.html).
Notes
- The script requires either
OPENROUTER_API_KEY or REPLICATE_API_TOKEN to be set in the environment.
- The
structured mode requires --schema-import module:ClassName — if the user selects structured mode, ask for the schema import path as a follow-up.
- The
prompt mode requires --prompt "..." — if the user selects prompt mode, ask for the prompt text as a follow-up.
--write mode compatibility:
html and html_worksheet_clean only support --write html (or omit --write).markdown_worksheet_clean only supports --write markdown (or omit --write).
- Always use absolute paths for every PDF file.
