# Scanned PDF to Markdown with OCR

**Use case:** 

Turns a scanned PDF (pages that are only images) into searchable text and clean Markdown. The Actor detects that the pages have no text layer, straightens and cleans them, detects the language and runs OCR. You get Markdown, plain text and per-page confidence in the dataset. The example is a small public sample scan, so a test run costs a few cents at most.

## Input

```json
{
  "pdfUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tinytoolkit-org/pdf-sample-files/master/out/sample-scanned.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "outputFormat": "both",
  "ocrMode": "auto",
  "ocrLanguages": [],
  "pageRange": "",
  "maxPagesPerPdf": 10,
  "extractTables": true,
  "chunkForRag": false,
  "chunkSizeChars": 2000,
  "chunkOverlapChars": 200,
  "includePages": false,
  "cleanScans": true,
  "onlyNewFiles": false,
  "stateName": ""
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "fileName": {
    "label": "File",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "status": {
    "label": "Status",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "pageCount": {
    "label": "Pages",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "textPages": {
    "label": "Text pages",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "ocrPages": {
    "label": "OCR pages",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "language": {
    "label": "Language",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "ocrConfidence": {
    "label": "OCR confidence",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "markdownFile": {
    "label": "Markdown file",
    "format": "link"
  },
  "error": {
    "label": "Error",
    "format": "text"
  }
}
```

## How it works

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

The PDF to Text & Markdown with OCR for Scans (19 Languages) Actor is ready to run with the inputs already set for "Scanned PDF to Markdown with OCR". [Sign up or log in](https://console.apify.com/create-task-from-example/sli8wofjxHquccFG4) and you'll land in Apify Console with a copy of this exact task.

### 2. Start the "Scanned PDF to Markdown with OCR" task

The PDF to Text & Markdown with OCR for Scans (19 Languages) Actor will start running based on the input automatically. You can also change all the input fields, like PDF files, output format, and more, to match your specific use case.

### 3. Receive the "Scanned PDF to Markdown with OCR" 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, status, pages, and more.

### 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 "Scanned PDF to Markdown with OCR" task via API](https://apify.com/prime619/pdf-to-text-markdown-ocr.md).

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [PDF to Text & Markdown with OCR for Scans (19 Languages)](https://apify.com/prime619/pdf-to-text-markdown-ocr.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/prime619/pdf-to-text-markdown-ocr.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/prime619/pdf-to-text-markdown-ocr.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`).