How do I reduce PDF token usage in Claude?

Convert your PDF to plain text or Markdown before uploading to Claude. Text-based input uses far fewer tokens than PDFs rendered as images. Use this tool to extract only the pages you need, removing headers, footers and boilerplate that waste tokens.

How many tokens does a PDF page use in Claude?

A native PDF page uses roughly 1,500–3,000 tokens in Claude depending on content density. The same content as plain text typically uses 200–800 tokens — a reduction of 60–80%.

What is Markdown and why is it better for AI?

Markdown is plain text with simple formatting markers (# for headings, ** for bold). AI models like Claude and ChatGPT read Markdown efficiently. It preserves document structure — headings, lists, tables — using minimal tokens compared to HTML or formatted PDFs.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. All text extraction happens in your browser using pdf.js. Your PDF never leaves your device.

What if my PDF is scanned?

Scanned PDFs store pages as images with no embedded text. This tool can only extract text from native PDFs. For scanned documents, you need OCR software first.

Which AI models work best with Markdown input?

Claude, ChatGPT (GPT-4), Gemini, and most modern AI models all handle Markdown input well. Markdown preserves document structure while using significantly fewer tokens than HTML or raw PDF rendering.

AI Productivity

PDF to AI-Ready Text
Reduce Claude & ChatGPT Token Usage

Extract clean text or Markdown from any PDF. Select only the pages you need, see token savings before downloading, and paste directly into Claude, ChatGPT, or any AI tool.

No upload Up to 80% token saving .txt + .md output Page selection

Drop your PDF here

Native PDFs only — scanned documents need OCR first

Files stay on your device · No signup needed

Why convert PDF to text before using AI?

Uploading a raw PDF to Claude or ChatGPT uses far more tokens than necessary.

60–80% fewer tokens

A PDF page uploaded as an image costs 1,500–3,000 tokens in Claude. The same content as plain text uses 200–800 tokens. This tool shows you the exact saving before you commit.

Only the pages you need

A 50-page report where only pages 10–20 are relevant? Select just those pages. AI gets focused, relevant content and you use a fraction of the tokens.

Markdown = better AI output

Markdown preserves document structure — headings, lists, tables — in a format AI models read natively. Better structure means better AI responses, not just token savings.

How to use PDF text with Claude

Upload your PDF

Drop your PDF here. Page count and token estimate appear immediately.

Select relevant pages

Click the pages you actually need. Token estimate updates live as you select.

Choose format

Plain text for simple documents. Markdown for structured reports, technical docs, and tables.

Copy and paste to Claude

Hit Copy to clipboard and paste directly into your Claude or ChatGPT conversation.

Frequently asked questions

Convert your PDF to plain text or Markdown before uploading to Claude. Text-based input uses far fewer tokens than PDFs rendered as images. Use this tool to extract only the pages you need, removing headers, footers and boilerplate that waste tokens. The token estimate shows your exact saving before you extract.
A native PDF page in Claude uses roughly 1,500–3,000 tokens depending on content density. The same content as plain text typically uses 200–800 tokens — a reduction of 60–80%. This matters if you are on a Claude plan with token limits or if you are paying per token via the API.
Markdown is plain text with simple formatting markers — # for headings, ** for bold, - for lists. AI models like Claude and ChatGPT read Markdown efficiently. It preserves document structure while using minimal tokens compared to HTML or raw PDF rendering. For reports and structured documents, Markdown gives AI better context about the document hierarchy.
No. All text extraction happens in your browser using pdf.js — the same library used by Firefox's built-in PDF viewer. Your PDF never leaves your device. This is especially important for confidential documents like contracts, financial reports, or medical records that you might want to analyse with AI.
Scanned PDFs store pages as images with no embedded text layer. This tool can only extract text from native (digital) PDFs. If you have a scanned document, you need OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software first to create a text layer, then convert with this tool.
Claude, ChatGPT (GPT-4), Gemini, Mistral, and most modern AI models all handle Markdown input well. Markdown preserves document structure while using significantly fewer tokens than HTML or raw PDF rendering.

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PDF to AI-Ready TextReduce Claude & ChatGPT Token Usage