Node.js
Read local files, uploads, S3/R2 objects, and other byte sources.
PDF to Markdown in your browser.
Convert PDF files to GitHub-Flavored Markdown directly in your browser.
Your PDF stays on your device. No upload. No account.
- npm @mdgate/pdf
- license MIT
- runtime Node.js · Edge · browser
Starting local converter
Use PDF to Markdown in your app
$
npm install @mdgate/pdf
import { toMarkdown } from '@mdgate/pdf';
const markdown = await toMarkdown(bytes);Pure TypeScript, Node.js, Cloudflare Workers, Edge, Browser, No Python, No native addons, No WASM, Zero third-party runtime dependencies
How PDF to Markdown works
- deterministic parsing
- reading order · text · tables · structure
- GitHub-Flavored Markdown
Built for JavaScript runtimes
Cloudflare Workers
Parse PDFs directly inside Workers without a Python service or native binary.
Browser
Convert text-based PDFs locally without uploading them to a server.
Edge
Run the same TypeScript converter in compatible Edge runtimes.
What @mdgate/pdf extracts
- Page reading order
- Positioned text
- Common font encodings
- Embedded character maps
- CJK text
- Superscript and subscript
- Table-like layouts
- Duplicate and overlapping text
- Encrypted PDF detection
Text-based PDF vs Scanned / image-heavy PDF
Text-based PDF
PDF text → @mdgate/pdf → Markdown
Scanned / image-heavy PDF
PDF images → your image / vision pipeline
@mdgate/pdf does not silently send PDFs to an OCR or AI service.
Why @mdgate/pdf
Runs where your JavaScript runs
No separate processing service. The converter is TypeScript you can call from Node.js, Cloudflare Workers, Edge runtimes, and browsers.
Local conversion
PDF files can stay inside your application or browser.
Content detection
Recognizes PDF files from their contents, not only the filename.
Deterministic parsing
The same PDF file produces repeatable Markdown without model inference.
Small runtime surface
No Python. No native addons. No WASM. No third-party runtime dependencies.
PDF for AI agents
Turn PDF files into content your agent can actually work with.
- Markdown
-
- grep
- search
- chunk
- index
- cache
- cite
- reason
Need more than PDF?
One format
@mdgate/pdf
Your own set
@mdgate/core
+ @mdgate/pdf
+ @mdgate/docx
+ @mdgate/pptx
Broad file support
@mdgate/converters
FAQ
Can I convert PDF to Markdown without uploading it?
Yes. PDF files can be converted locally in the browser.
Does PDF to Markdown work in Cloudflare Workers?
Yes. @mdgate/pdf runs directly in Cloudflare Workers.
Does it require Python?
No.
Does it require native addons or WASM?
No.
What does it output?
GitHub-Flavored Markdown.
Can I install only the PDF converter?
Yes. Install @mdgate/pdf instead of the complete converter set.
Does it support scanned PDFs?
@mdgate/pdf deterministically parses textual PDF content. Text visible only inside scanned images requires an image or vision pipeline.