The tool extracts textual information from a PDF file and organizes it into a strict hierarchical XML structure. It creates elements for pages and text blocks, making the data suitable for machine processing, importing into databases, or exchanging between various information systems that use XML as a standard.
When this is useful
The accounting department receives dozens of invoices in PDF format from counterparties every month. Using this tool, you can convert them to XML and write a simple parser to automatically extract amounts, dates, and invoice numbers, eliminating manual entry. Another example: you need to create an electronic archive of contracts by converting them into a single structured XML format for long-term storage and quick searching.
Step-by-step instructions
- Select the source PDF file by clicking the upload button on the tool's website.
- Wait until the progress indicator shows that processing is complete.
- Then click the button that appears to download the result.
- Save the XML file to your computer and open it in a text editor or a specialized XML viewer to see the structured content.
How to verify the result
Check the resulting XML file for structural correctness: it should start with an XML declaration and contain a root element, inside which page elements are listed. Ensure that within the pages there are elements containing the extracted text. If the file contains only empty tags, the source PDF most likely did not contain machine-readable text and consisted of images.
Important limitations
The result is extracted text, not a complete copy of the PDF with all graphics and styles. Complex tables or multi-column text may be converted into a linear sequence, which requires additional post-processing. The tool does not embed images in the XML, focusing exclusively on the document's textual data.