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pdf-reader

Extracts text and tables from PDF documents into structured Markdown.

1|Updated Jan 24, 2026
Search Tags:#pdf#markdown#text extraction#pdfplumber#wsl#document digitization#table conversion
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/tawf-labs/zkt-hackathon --skill pdf-reader-tawf-labs
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: pdf-reader
Source: https://github.com/tawf-labs/zkt-hackathon/tree/main/.agents/skills/pdf-reader
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/tawf-labs/zkt-hackathon --skill pdf-reader-tawf-labs

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires pdfplumber, and includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Converting PDF documents into usable text is time-consuming and often loses structure, especially when you need page-wise content and tables; this skill extracts the readable text and renders it in Markdown so you can quickly reuse it.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Page-wise text extraction to Markdown: Converts each page into a clean Markdown section with the original text where available.
  • Table detection and Markdown table output: Detects tables on pages and converts them into Markdown tables for downstream analysis or documentation.
  • Multi-page document handling: Produces a single structured Markdown output for entire documents, not just individual pages.
  • Use case: You receive a research or policy PDF and need its contents (including tables) as Markdown notes you can search, summarize, or feed into another workflow.

Quick Start

Run the PDF reader by executing a WSL Python command like: wsl python3 scripts/read_pdf.py "/mnt/c/path/to/your.pdf" and then use the printed Markdown output (or redirect it to a file).

Frequently Asked Questions about pdf-reader

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I extract text and tables from a PDF into Markdown?▼

To extract text and tables from a PDF into Markdown, the skill uses pdfplumber to process all pages, converting readable text and detected tables into a single structured Markdown document with preserved page numbering.

Does pdfplumber convert detected PDF tables into Markdown format?▼

Yes, pdfplumber detects tables within PDF documents and converts them into Markdown table format, allowing you to output structured tables for downstream analysis or documentation.

Can I use this PDF text extraction tool on WSL?▼

Yes, you can use this PDF text extraction tool on WSL by executing a Python command like 'wsl python3 scripts/read_pdf.py' with your file path, then redirecting the printed Markdown output to a file.

What is the best way to digitize multi-page PDF reports into searchable notes?▼

The best way to digitize multi-page PDF reports is using this skill to parse entire documents, producing page-level organized Markdown sections that are immediately searchable and ready for note workflows.

Why does PDF text extraction not work on scanned documents?▼

PDF text extraction does not work on scanned documents because the skill relies on pdfplumber to read embedded text, meaning it does not perform OCR for scan-only PDFs and requires documents with readable text.

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