# Extract text from PDF files

**Use case:** 

Extract the full text of PDF files as clean Markdown. Paste direct links to PDFs and get the text, title, word count and file type for each one. Scanned PDFs can be read with OCR. You pay only for documents that convert.

## Input

```json
{
  "fileUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1706.03762"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "includeMarkdown": true,
  "ocrMode": "off",
  "ocrLanguages": [
    "eng"
  ],
  "maxOcrPagesPerFile": 200,
  "chunkMode": "off",
  "chunkSize": 1200,
  "chunkOverlap": 150,
  "minChunkSize": 200,
  "chunkOutput": "field",
  "maxFileSizeMb": 50,
  "maxConcurrency": 5,
  "files": [],
  "includePages": false,
  "skipEmptyPages": false,
  "removeHeadersFooters": false,
  "removePageNumbers": false,
  "extractTables": false
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "fileName": {
    "label": "File",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "markdown": {
    "label": "Markdown",
    "format": "string"
  }
}
```

## How it works

### 1. Sign up on Apify or log in

The PDF Text Extractor & Document to Markdown (Word, Excel, PPT) Actor is ready to run with the inputs already set for "Extract text from PDF files". [Sign up or log in](https://console.apify.com/create-task-from-example/439K8aaDASzGFcNRl) and you'll land in Apify Console with a copy of this exact task.

### 2. Start the "Extract text from PDF files" task

The PDF Text Extractor & Document to Markdown (Word, Excel, PPT) Actor will start running based on the input automatically. You can also change all the input fields, like file urls, include markdown in output, and more, to match your specific use case.

### 3. Receive the "Extract text from PDF files" output

Monitor the progress in real time. You will be notified as soon as your dataset is complete and ready for review. Each result includes data such as file and markdown.

### 4. Integrate into your workflow

The final output is delivered in JSON, CSV, or Excel format, ready to be plugged into your workflow. You can also [run the "Extract text from PDF files" task via API](https://apify.com/pavel.tashev/doc-to-markdown.md).

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [PDF Text Extractor & Document to Markdown (Word, Excel, PPT)](https://apify.com/pavel.tashev/doc-to-markdown.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/pavel.tashev/doc-to-markdown.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

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 full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/pavel.tashev/doc-to-markdown.md

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`).