Markitdown
ImCa0/just-laws
Convert files and office documents to Markdown. An agent skill from ImCa0/just-laws.
Resilient multi-tier PDF extraction with sequential fallback strategies when initial reading fails
Install PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa .claude/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa into .claude/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aaType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa .agents/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa into .agents/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa .cursor/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa into .cursor/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git --path benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa .gemini/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa into .gemini/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aaInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa .github/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa into .github/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa .opencode/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa into .opencode/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa- GitHub stars
- 7.8k
- Token cost
- ~1.2k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 282 words
- Files
- 2
- Skills in repo
- 199
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Resilient multi-tier PDF extraction with sequential fallback strategies when initial reading fails
- Works in 5 steps: Validate each attempt - Check output… → Log which method succeeded - Track which… → Set minimum content thresholds - Don't… → …
- Tasks that involve PDF
- SKILL.md covers Purpose, When to Use, Fallback Sequence and Implementation Pattern, plus 4 more sections
- Calls pdftotext and tesseract
What it does
PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace. Resilient multi-tier PDF extraction with sequential fallback strategies when initial reading fails
Its SKILL.md is about 1.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file.
It sits in Documents & Office, covering PDF. The repository describes itself as: "OpenSpace: The Skill Management Layer for AI Agents" -- https://open-space.cloud/. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Tasks that involve PDF
Example prompts
- “/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa”
Requirements
- Python 3
Workflow steps
5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Validate each attempt - Check output length and quality before accepting
- Log which method succeeded - Track which tier worked for future reference
- Set minimum content thresholds - Don't accept trivial results (e.g., <50 chars)
- Combine methods if needed - Some documents need multiple approaches for different sections
- Preserve original file - Never modify the source PDF during extraction attempts
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 3827781. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
pdftotexttesseract
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa loads about 1.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 32 tokens; SKILL.md has 282 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from HKUDS/OpenSpace at commit 3827781, republished under its MIT licence (© HKUDS). 282 words, ~1,179 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa
- description
- Resilient multi-tier PDF extraction with sequential fallback strategies when initial reading fails
PDF Extraction Fallback Strategy
Purpose
When processing complex documents (tax forms, legal documents, scanned materials), PDF extraction often fails on the first attempt. This skill provides a systematic fallback approach that tries multiple extraction methods in sequence until one succeeds.
When to Use
- Initial PDF reading tools return errors or empty content
- Document appears to be scanned/image-based rather than text-based
- Previous extraction attempts produced incomplete or garbled output
- Working with forms, tables, or structured documents that need reliable extraction
Fallback Sequence
Tier 1: Shell-Based Extraction (pdftotext)
Start with command-line tools that often handle edge cases better:
# Extract text maintaining layout
pdftotext -layout input.pdf output.txt
# Extract raw text (faster, less formatting)
pdftotext input.pdf output.txt
# Extract specific page range
pdftotext -f 1 -l 3 input.pdf output.txtCheck if output contains meaningful content before proceeding.
Tier 2: Python-Based Parsing
If shell tools fail, use Python libraries with different extraction approaches:
# Using PyPDF2 for basic text extraction
import PyPDF2
with open('document.pdf', 'rb') as f:
reader = PyPDF2.PdfReader(f)
text = ''.join(page.extract_text() for page in reader.pages)
# Using pdfplumber for tables and structured content
import pdfplumber
with pdfplumber.open('document.pdf') as pdf:
for page in pdf.pages:
text = page.extract_text()
tables = page.extract_tables()
# Using pypdf for newer PDF features
from pypdf import PdfReader
reader = PdfReader('document.pdf')
text = ''.join(page.extract_text() for page in reader.pages)Tier 3: OCR Tools (for Scanned Documents)
If the PDF contains images or scanned content, use OCR:
# Using tesseract via command line
tesseract input.pdf output --psm 6
# Using Python with pytesseract
import pytesseract
from pdf2image import convert_from_path
images = convert_from_path('document.pdf')
text = ''.join(pytesseract.image_to_string(img) for img in images)Implementation Pattern
def extract_pdf_resilient(pdf_path):
"""Try multiple extraction methods until one succeeds."""
# Tier 1: Shell extraction
result = run_shell(f'pdftotext -layout "{pdf_path}" -')
if result.stdout and len(result.stdout.strip()) > 100:
return result.stdout, 'pdftotext'
# Tier 2: Python libraries
try:
import pdfplumber
with pdfplumber.open(pdf_path) as pdf:
text = ''.join(page.extract_text() or '' for page in pdf.pages)
if text.strip():
return text, 'pdfplumber'
except Exception:
pass
# Tier 3: OCR fallback
try:
from pdf2image import convert_from_path
import pytesseract
images = convert_from_path(pdf_path)
text = ''.join(pytesseract.image_to_string(img) for img in images)
if text.strip():
return text, 'tesseract-ocr'
except Exception:
pass
raise ExtractionError("All extraction methods failed")Decision Criteria
| Indicator | Action |
|---|---|
| Empty output | Proceed to next tier |
| Garbled/special characters | Try next tier |
| Partial content | Accept if meets minimum threshold |
| Tool not available | Skip to next tier |
| Format-specific errors | Try alternative library |
Best Practices
- Validate each attempt - Check output length and quality before accepting
- Log which method succeeded - Track which tier worked for future reference
- Set minimum content thresholds - Don't accept trivial results (e.g., <50 chars)
- Combine methods if needed - Some documents need multiple approaches for different sections
- Preserve original file - Never modify the source PDF during extraction attempts
Error Handling
- Catch exceptions at each tier, don't fail immediately
- Log detailed error messages for debugging
- Continue to next tier even if current tier partially succeeds but produces poor quality
- After all tiers fail, provide clear summary of what was tried
Output Quality Check
Before declaring extraction complete:
def validate_extraction(text):
if not text or len(text.strip()) < 50:
return False
if text.count('') > len(text) * 0.1: # Too many replacement chars
return False
if len(set(text)) < 10: # Too little character variety
return False
return True© HKUDS, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 1 other file in benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa of HKUDS/OpenSpace.
- SKILL.md
- .skill_id
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3827781
Compare with similar skills
PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa this skillHKUDS/OpenSpace | 7.8k | — | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| MarkitdownImCa0/just-laws | 782 | 14 repos | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Gzh Designisjiamu/gzh-design-skill | 3.9k | 1 repos | ~2.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | AGPL-3.0 | |
| GenOffice Document CLIgenspark-ai/genoffice | 9k | — | ~19k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Harness Book Best Practicewquguru/harness-books | 3.2k | — | ~4.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Bookforge Korean Ebook PDF Makergongnyang/bookforge | 315 | 1 repos | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Related
Categories
Questions about PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa
What does PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa do?
Resilient multi-tier PDF extraction with sequential fallback strategies when initial reading fails. PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace.
When should I use PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa?
PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa fits situations like: tasks that involve PDF.
How do I install PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .claude/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa in Codex?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .agents/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa, .gemini/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa, .github/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa and .opencode/skills/pdf-extraction-fallback-7db3aa in your project.
What does PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa needs the command-line tools its instructions call (pdftotext and tesseract). Our summary lists: Python 3.
Does PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa use?
PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa use?
About 1.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa: Markitdown (ImCa0/just-laws, 782 stars), Gzh Design (isjiamu/gzh-design-skill, 3.9k stars), GenOffice Document CLI (genspark-ai/genoffice, 9k stars) and Harness Book Best Practice (wquguru/harness-books, 3.2k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains PDF Extraction Fallback 7db3aa?
HKUDS (a GitHub organization) maintains it in HKUDS/OpenSpace, which has 7,750 GitHub stars. The repository holds 199 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 12, 2026.
Source: HKUDS/OpenSpace on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.