| name | do.pdf-to-markdown |
| description | Convert PDF documents to high-fidelity Markdown with checkpointed page and section coverage verification. Use when the user asks to convert, transcribe, extract, or preserve a PDF as Markdown, especially for papers containing formulas, tables, figures, or multi-column layouts. |
PDF to Markdown
Preserve the source language and document structure. Use visual PDF reading for formulas, tables, and reading order; do not trust blind text extraction for complex layouts.
1. Build the manifest
Inspect the full PDF and write <name>_manifest.md beside it:
---
deeporbit_workflow: 1
workflow_id: pdf-<date>-<slug>
status: active
source: <name>.pdf
output: <name>.md
---
# Conversion Manifest
- Total pages: N
- [ ] Cover and metadata (p.1)
- [ ] Abstract (p.1-2)
- [ ] Section 1 (p.2-5)
- [ ] References (p.N-2-N)
- Tables: T
- Figures: F
Every page must belong to a checklist item. If bundled image extraction is available, run:
python <skill-dir>/scripts/extract_images.py <input.pdf>
PyMuPDF is optional and is used only for embedded images, never as the sole text source.
2. Convert with checkpoints
For each unchecked section:
- Visually read its page range.
- Append it to
<name>.md in reading order.
- Preserve headings, paragraph breaks, lists, fenced code, footnotes, tables, and emphasis.
- Transcribe math as
$...$ or $$...$$.
- Reference extracted images with relative paths and source captions.
- Compare paragraph, table, figure, and page coverage.
- Mark that section checked only after its verification succeeds.
Continue in the same turn when feasible. If interrupted or context-limited, reread the manifest and resume at the first unchecked item. A runtime Goal or Tracker may mirror the overall objective, but the manifest remains authoritative. Do not use an external self-invoking loop.
3. Verify the whole document
- All manifest entries are checked.
- Every page is covered exactly once or its overlap is explained.
- Output headings match the source section list.
- Table and figure counts match.
- Code, math, links, and footnotes are intact.
- No source paragraphs were silently omitted.
Add a final conversion report with page, section, table, figure, image, and word counts. Keep the manifest when an audit trail is useful; otherwise ask before deleting it.
4. Final output
Write frontmatter at line 1:
---
type: note
title: "<Document Title>"
source: "[[<name>.pdf]]"
created: YYYY-MM-DD
tags: [pdf-conversion]
---
- Set
author: ai in frontmatter for every note you create; switch to author: mixed when substantially rewriting a human-authored note. Authorship lives in frontmatter only — never add visible badges.
Save beside the PDF, link relevant existing Wiki concepts when appropriate, and use do.obsidian-open to present the result. Failure to open the desktop app does not invalidate the conversion.
