pdffiler

pdffiler is an open-source software tool designed to help individuals and organizations organize, file, and search large collections of PDF documents. The project aims to turn scattered PDFs into an indexed, metadata-rich repository, supporting efficient retrieval, preservation, and compliance workflows.

Core features include automated extraction of PDF metadata (title, author, subject, keywords) and textual content for indexing; OCR support for scanned documents; user-defined tagging and virtual filing structures; batch processing with progress reporting; and basic reporting and export options. It offers both a command-line interface and a programmable API for integration into other tools.

Technical approach: pdffiler relies on standard PDF parsing and text extraction libraries, stores results in a local or remote index backend, and can connect to common storage backends. It emphasizes a modular architecture, enabling plugins for additional formats, storage, or search capabilities. The workflow typically involves scanning a directory, normalizing metadata, indexing content, and applying tags and folders for organized access.

History and licensing: pdffiler emerged from an open-source community project in the mid-2010s. It is distributed under a permissive open-source license and welcomes external contributions. The project maintains a public repository with issue tracking, release notes, and contributor guidelines to support transparency and collaboration.

Impact and usage: The tool is used by individuals, libraries, researchers, and small teams to manage large collections of PDFs, support information governance, and improve document discovery. It is designed to be interoperable with document management systems and value-added workflows through its API and scripting capabilities.