# PDF OCR API - Document Extraction (`alizarin_refrigerator-owner/pdf-ocr-api`) Actor

Extract text from PDFs including scanned documents. OCR processing, table extraction & structured data output. Process invoices, contracts & forms at scale.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/alizarin_refrigerator-owner/pdf-ocr-api.md
- **Developed by:** [The Howlers](https://apify.com/alizarin_refrigerator-owner) (community)
- **Categories:** AI, Automation, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 36 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $200.00 / 1,000 page processeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## PDF OCR API

Extract text from PDF files using OCR. Supports scanned documents, images, and multi-page PDFs. Returns structured text with page numbers and confidence scores. Built by John Rippy (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrippy/ | https://johnrippy.link/).

Note: this actor runs in Demo Mode by default, so a default free run returns sample data. Set demoMode to false to fetch real data.

***

### Quick Start

#### Test with Demo Mode (free, no API key needed)

```json
{
  "demoMode": true,
  "pdfUrl": ""
}
```

#### Run with real data

```json
{
  "demoMode": false,
  "pdfUrl": "",
  "language": "eng",
  "outputFormat": "json",
  "detectTables": false
}
```

***

### Input Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|---------|----------|-------------|
| `pdfUrl` | string | - | No | URL of the PDF file to process |
| `pdfBase64` | string | - | No | Base64-encoded PDF content (alternative to URL) |
| `language` | string | `"eng"` | No | Language hint for OCR (improves accuracy) |
| `pageRange` | string | - | No | Pages to process (e.g., '1-5' or '1,3,5'). Leave empty for all pages. |
| `outputFormat` | string | `"json"` | No | How to structure the output |
| `detectTables` | boolean | `false` | No | Attempt to preserve table structure |
| `demoMode` | boolean | `true` | No | Return sample output without processing (for testing) |
| `webhookUrl` | string | - | No | Optional URL to receive results via POST request when actor completes |

***

### Pricing

This actor uses **pay-per-event** billing:

| Event | Description | Price |
|-------|-------------|-------|
| Page Processed | Each PDF page processed with OCR | $0.02 |

**Demo mode is free** -- no charges for sample data.

***

### Troubleshooting

#### "API error 429" or "Rate limit"

Too many requests. Wait a minute and try again, or reduce the number of items per run.

#### No results or empty dataset

Check the run log for error messages. Common causes:

- Invalid input format (check the examples above)
- The target data doesn't exist or is too small to track

#### How do I test without an API key?

Enable **Demo Mode** in the input. This returns realistic sample data so you can verify the output format works for your workflow.

***

**Built by John Rippy | [Actor Arsenal](https://actorarsenal.com)**

# Actor input Schema

## `pdfUrl` (type: `string`):

URL of the PDF file to process

## `pdfBase64` (type: `string`):

Base64-encoded PDF content (alternative to URL)

## `language` (type: `string`):

Language hint for OCR (improves accuracy)

## `pageRange` (type: `string`):

Pages to process (e.g., '1-5' or '1,3,5'). Leave empty for all pages.

## `outputFormat` (type: `string`):

How to structure the output

## `detectTables` (type: `boolean`):

Attempt to preserve table structure

## `demoMode` (type: `boolean`):

Return sample output without processing (for testing, no per-page charges). Leave off to process your PDF.

## `webhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Optional URL to receive results via POST request when actor completes

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "language": "eng",
  "outputFormat": "json",
  "detectTables": false,
  "demoMode": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Extracted text from PDF documents via OCR processing, with per-page results, confidence scores, and word counts

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "pdfUrl": "",
    "demoMode": false
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("alizarin_refrigerator-owner/pdf-ocr-api").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "pdfUrl": "",
    "demoMode": False,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("alizarin_refrigerator-owner/pdf-ocr-api").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "pdfUrl": "",
  "demoMode": false
}' |
apify call alizarin_refrigerator-owner/pdf-ocr-api --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,alizarin_refrigerator-owner/pdf-ocr-api"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/bB3cdlvZtVCeNzrvx/builds/dkyvB17kIqeDevLG6/openapi.json