# PDF Text Extractor - PDF to Text, Per Page, Metadata, Fast (`digivibetech/pdf-text-extractor-fast`) Actor

Extract the text of PDF files from URLs: full text, per-page text, page count, title, author, dates, producer, encryption flag and a needs-OCR hint for scanned pages. Fast, no browser. $0.0005 per page with text; empty pages free.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/digivibetech/pdf-text-extractor-fast.md
- **Developed by:** [DigiVibeTech](https://apify.com/digivibetech) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, AI, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$0.49 / 1,000 pdf page with text extracteds

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 Text Extractor - PDF to Text, Per Page, Metadata, Fast

Give it PDF links, get back **full text, per-page text, page count and metadata** (title, author, subject, creator, producer, created/modified dates, encryption) in one dataset item per file. Fast: reads the PDF's text layer directly, no OCR, no browser.

Scanned pages (no text layer) are detected and listed in `pagesWithoutText`, with a `needsOcr` hint. For scanned documents use our OCR actor **Document to Markdown OCR** (document-to-markdown-ocr).

### Quick start: example input, output and cost

Fast PDF text extraction from URLs: full and per-page text, metadata, scanned-page detection. Pay per page with text, empty pages free.

**Example input**

```json
{
  "pdfUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9309.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "maxPagesPerFile": 5
}
```

**Cost example:** A 40-page PDF x $0.0005 = **$0.02**; 1,000 pages = **$0.50**.

### Limits

- No OCR: scanned pages without a text layer return no text and are free. Use our Document to Markdown OCR actor for scans.
- Tables and columns come out as plain text in reading order; the layout is not kept.
- Password-protected files need the password.

### Pricing (pay per event)

- **$0.0005 per page with text.** No start fee, no per-file fee.
- Image-only pages, unreadable or password-protected files (without password), failed or blocked downloads are **free** and explained in ERRORS.
- Use `maxPagesPerFile` and `pageRange` to cap cost; your max cost per run is respected exactly.

### Good for

RAG / LLM ingestion, search indexing, contract and report analysis, invoice/text pipelines, bulk document archives.

### Responsible use

Process only files you own or may use. robots.txt is checked for every file URL (RFC 9309), max 1 request per second per site, 50 MB per file, private/internal addresses refused. Optional redaction of emails and phone numbers.

Maintained by DigiVibeTech.

# Actor input Schema

## `pdfUrls` (type: `array`):

Links to PDF files you own or may use (one item per file). Up to 2,000 per run.

## `pdfUrlsText` (type: `string`):

Alternative to the list: URLs separated by spaces, commas or new lines.

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

Optional, e.g. '1-3,7,10-'. Empty = all pages.

## `maxPagesPerFile` (type: `integer`):

Caps cost on huge documents (each page with text costs $0.0005).

## `includeFullText` (type: `boolean`):

All page texts joined in one 'text' field.

## `includePages` (type: `boolean`):

A 'pages' array with the text of each page.

## `redactContactDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Replace emails and phone numbers in the text with \[redacted].

## `password` (type: `string`):

Optional password for protected PDFs (same for all files).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "pdfUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9309.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "maxPagesPerFile": 5,
  "includeFullText": true,
  "includePages": true,
  "redactContactDetails": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

All result items (overview view)

## `errors` (type: `string`):

Inputs that could not be processed, with the reason

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Counts of processed, billed and failed items

# 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 = {
    "pdfUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9309.pdf"
        }
    ],
    "maxPagesPerFile": 5
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("digivibetech/pdf-text-extractor-fast").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 = {
    "pdfUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9309.pdf" }],
    "maxPagesPerFile": 5,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("digivibetech/pdf-text-extractor-fast").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 '{
  "pdfUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9309.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "maxPagesPerFile": 5
}' |
apify call digivibetech/pdf-text-extractor-fast --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,digivibetech/pdf-text-extractor-fast"
        }
    }
}
```

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/K23cP0N40EdaVozyF/builds/HdAq4fXWbWjfjVoNz/openapi.json