PDF Text & Table Extractor

Turn PDF links into structured data. The actor downloads each PDF, extracts the text and detects tables, returning every table as JSON records (using the header row as keys) plus a raw cell matrix. Use it for reports, invoices, price lists and filings, or as a tool for AI agents.

What does PDF Text & Table Extractor do?

• Text-based PDFs up to 40 MB
• Tables returned as JSON records with headers, plus raw rows
• Document metadata: title, author, dates
• Optional per-page text for RAG chunking
• Flags scanned PDFs so you know when OCR is needed

How to use it

1. Click Try for free and open the Input tab.
2. Fill in the fields below, or keep the defaults for a quick test.
3. Press Start. Results appear in the Output tab within seconds to a few minutes.
4. Download as JSON, CSV or Excel, or call the actor from the API, a schedule, Make, Zapier or an AI agent through the Apify MCP server.

Input

Field	Type	Description
pdfUrls	array	Direct links to PDF files, one per line.
extractText	boolean	Return the full text.
extractTables	boolean	Return tables as JSON records.
includePerPageText	boolean	Also return text split by page.
maxPagesPerPdf	integer	Pages beyond this are skipped.

Example input

{
  "pdfUrls": [
    "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf"
  ],
  "extractText": true,
  "extractTables": true,
  "includePerPageText": false,
  "maxPagesPerPdf": 50
}

Output

Each result is a flat JSON object that you can open in the Output tab, export to CSV or Excel, or read through the API. See the dataset views for the main columns.

How much does it cost to use PDF Text & Table Extractor?

Pricing is pay per event: $0.01 per PDF. You pay only for results saved to the dataset, plus nothing extra for platform usage on the free plan limits. Apify's free monthly credit lets you test it before paying.

FAQ

Does it do OCR? No. Scanned image-only PDFs are flagged with likelyScanned and return little text.

How accurate is table detection? It works best on ruled tables and clean layouts. Complex or borderless tables may be split or missed.

Can it read password-protected PDFs? No.

Is it legal?

The actor reads public, open-licence or government data only and does not collect private information. You are responsible for using the results in line with the source's terms and applicable laws.

Use it with AI agents (MCP)

This actor is agent-ready: it is a plain tool with a documented JSON input and a flat JSON output, so Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other agents can call it through the Apify MCP server.

Add it to an MCP client with this URL (Apify account or agentic payment required):

https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=flyingnimbus/pdf-table-extractor

Example prompt: "Use the PDF Text & Table Extractor tool with the example input below and summarise the results."

Calls are pay per event ($0.01 per PDF), so an agent can estimate the cost before it runs. Empty or failed lookups return a status record instead of failing the run.

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Feedback

Found a bug or need another field or city? Open an issue on the actor's Issues tab and it will be looked at quickly.