pdf

Extract text and tables from PDFs using Python libraries.

Updated Aug 23, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/claybowl/curve_ai_solutions_app --skill pdf-claybowl
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: pdf
Source: https://github.com/claybowl/curve_ai_solutions_app/tree/main/.claude/skills/pdf-anthropic
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/claybowl/curve_ai_solutions_app --skill pdf-claybowl

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires pypdf, pdfplumber, reportlab, pytesseract, pdf2image, pypdfium2, and includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill eliminates the tedious manual work of processing PDF documents, from extracting data to filling forms, saving you hours of repetitive effort and reducing complexity.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Comprehensive PDF Manipulation: Extract text and tables, merge, split, rotate, and password-protect PDF documents.
  • Automated Form Handling: Programmatically fill both fillable and non-fillable PDF forms with precise data.
  • PDF Creation & Conversion: Generate new PDFs from scratch or convert scanned documents into editable text using OCR.
  • Use Case: Imagine you need to process 50 expense reports in PDF format. Use this Skill to automatically extract vendor names, amounts, and dates, then compile them into a spreadsheet for quick analysis, all without manual data entry.

Quick Start

Example: Extracting text from a PDF

from pypdf import PdfReader, PdfWriter

Read a PDF

reader = PdfReader("document.pdf") print(f"Pages: {len(reader.pages)}")

Extract text

text = "" for page in reader.pages: text += page.extract_text()

Frequently Asked Questions about pdf

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I extract text and tables from PDF files programmatically?

Extract text and tables from PDFs using pdfplumber or pypdf libraries, which parse document structure and return structured data. pdfplumber excels at table extraction, while pypdf handles general text extraction across all pages.

Can I automate filling out PDF forms with Python?

Yes, automate form filling by programmatically populating fillable PDF fields using pypdf or reportlab with JSON-based field definitions. Both fillable and non-fillable forms can be populated by generating new PDFs or overlaying data.

What's the best way to merge, split, and rotate multiple PDF files?

Merge, split, and rotate PDFs using pypdf's PdfWriter and PdfReader classes to combine documents, extract page ranges, and apply rotations in batch workflows without manual intervention.

How do I convert scanned PDFs or images to searchable text?

Convert scanned documents to searchable text using pytesseract for OCR combined with pdf2image to extract pages, enabling text extraction from image-based PDFs and form automation on legacy documents.

Can I process large volumes of PDFs at scale in batch workflows?

Process PDFs at scale using batch automation scripts with pypdf, pdfplumber, and reportlab designed for programmatic pipelines. Handle hundreds of documents through CLI utilities or Python workflows without memory constraints.

Do I need additional libraries to password-protect and annotate PDFs?

Password protection and annotation are supported through pypdf and reportlab, which provide encryption, watermarking, and annotation capabilities alongside core PDF manipulation functions.