Agent skill · writing content · sickn33
pdf-conversion-router
Use when converting a PDF into another format such as Markdown, HTML, text, JSON, DOCX, or structured notes and the agent must choose the best extraction route, settings, and cleanup strategy for maximum fidelity and readability.
Why this skill is useful
Provides a structured approach and specific heuristics for converting PDFs to various formats that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires opendataloader-pdf installed locally. About 9k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 44,571 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
PDF Conversion Router Route every PDF conversion through a short analysis step before choosing tools or CLI flags. The goal is not "extract the most text". The goal is: preserve structure preserve attachment between labels and values choose the most faithful output shape avoid noisy defaults when a better route exists When to Use The user wants a PDF converted into another format. The requested output is .md, .html, .txt, .json, .docx, or structured notes. The PDF may be scanned, OCR-heavy, table-heavy, slide-based, medical, academic, or multi-column. Core Rule Never start with one fixed default pipeline. Always: 1. classify the PDF 2. classify the target output 3. choose the strongest route for that combination 4. validate the result on representative sections 5. if needed, retry with better settings before delivering Heuristics are starting points, not guarantees. Do not promote one flag combination into a universal default just because it worked well on one PDF. Prefer document-specific evidence over habit. Primary Engine Rule Use opendataloader-pdf as the primary conversion engine for every PDF conversion task by default. This skill should assume: opendataloader-pdf is always the first conversion attempt other tools are used to classify, validate, OCR, inspect, or support cleanup other extractors are not the default replacement for the main conversion route Use other tools only for one of these reasons: quick classification of the PDF OCR preprocessing before conversion validation against layout-preserving text manual repair when the generated output is still noisy fallback only if opendataloader-pdf cannot produce a usable result Step 1: Classify the Source PDF Identify the document class as quickly as possible: Native digital PDF with selectable text OCR PDF with noisy text Image-only/scanned PDF Slide deck / presentation export Medical or lab report Table-heavy business/finance document Narrative report / letter / article Mixed layout document with diagrams, …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills sickn33/pdf-conversion-router