How to Install pdf‑inspector: Complete Guide for Rust, Python, Node.js, and WebAssembly

Install pdf‑inspector via cargo install pdf‑inspector for Rust, pip install pdf‑inspector for Python, or npm install @firecrawl/pdf‑inspector for Node.js — each ships pre‑built binaries that expose the same core Rust library.

The pdf‑inspector library from firecrawl/pdf‑inspector is a Rust‑based PDF processor that converts documents to structured Markdown with position‑aware text extraction. It offers bindings for multiple languages and environments, all built from the central [src/lib.rs](https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector/blob/main/src/lib.rs) module. This guide covers every installation path with precise commands, prerequisites, and verification steps.

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Install pdf‑inspector for Rust (Library + CLI)

The Rust distribution provides both reusable library components and standalone command‑line tools.

Prerequisites

• Rust toolchain installed via rustup.rs

Installation

cargo install pdf-inspector

This downloads and compiles the crate from crates.io, installing two binaries:

• pdf2md — converts PDF files to Markdown
• detect-pdf — classifies PDF type without full extraction

Library Usage

Add to your Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
pdf-inspector = "0.2"

The public API entry points—including process_pdf and detect_pdf—are defined in [src/lib.rs](https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector/blob/main/src/lib.rs).

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Install pdf‑inspector for Python

Python users receive pre‑built wheels with no compile step required on supported platforms.

Prerequisites

• Python ≥ 3.8
• pip (standard package manager)

Installation

pip install pdf-inspector

Wheels are built with maturin and bundle compiled Rust code plus pdf_inspector.pyi type stubs. For detailed usage, see [docs/python.md](https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector/blob/main/docs/python.md).

Build from Source (Optional)

For custom builds or unsupported platforms:

pip install maturin
git clone https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector.git
cd pdf-inspector
maturin develop --release

Quick Verification

import pdf_inspector

result = pdf_inspector.process_pdf("report.pdf")
print(result.pdf_type)         # e.g., "text_based"

print(result.markdown[:200])   # preview generated Markdown

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Install pdf‑inspector for Node.js

The npm package provides a native add‑on built with napi‑rs.

Prerequisites

• Node.js ≥ 14
• npm or yarn

Installation

npm install @firecrawl/pdf-inspector

The package includes pre‑built binaries for common operating systems and architectures. On unsupported platforms, the post‑install script automatically compiles the native add‑on using your local Rust toolchain.

Usage Example

import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
import { processPdf } from '@firecrawl/pdf-inspector';

const pdf = readFileSync('invoice.pdf');
const result = processPdf(pdf);
console.log(result.pdfType);    // "TextBased", "Scanned", etc.
console.log(result.markdown);

For complete Node.js documentation, refer to [napi/README.md](https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector/blob/main/napi/README.md).

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Install pdf‑inspector for WebAssembly (Browser)

The WebAssembly build runs entirely in the browser with no server dependencies.

Prerequisites

• npm + Node.js (for bundling)
• A WASM‑compatible loader (modern browsers support this natively)

Installation

npm install @firecrawl/pdf-inspector-wasm

The WASM build embeds all required CMaps, eliminating network requests during PDF parsing. See [wasm/README.md](https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector/blob/main/wasm/README.md) for advanced configuration.

Browser Integration

import init, { processPdf } from '@firecrawl/pdf-inspector-wasm';

await init();  // loads and initializes the WASM module

const response = await fetch('paper.pdf');
const array = new Uint8Array(await response.arrayBuffer());
const output = processPdf(array);

console.log(output.pdfType, output.markdown);

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Install pdf‑inspector from Source (All Targets)

Building from source provides maximum flexibility for development or unsupported platforms.

Prerequisites

• Rust toolchain (rustup, cargo)
• Optional: Python with pip install maturin (for Python bindings)

Build Commands

git clone https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector.git
cd pdf-inspector
cargo build --release

This compiles:

• Core library and CLI binaries (pdf2md, detect-pdf)
• Python bindings (if maturin is available)
• Node.js native add‑on infrastructure
• WebAssembly target files

The compiled artifacts appear in target/release/.

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CLI Quick Reference

After any Rust‑based installation, these commands are immediately available:

Command	Purpose	Example
pdf2md	Convert PDF to Markdown	pdf2md my_file.pdf → creates my_file.md
detect-pdf	Classify PDF type only	detect-pdf my_file.pdf → JSON output

The pdf2md driver is implemented in [src/bin/pdf2md.rs](https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector/blob/main/src/bin/pdf2md.rs).

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Architecture Overview

Understanding the internal structure helps troubleshoot installation issues and optimize usage:

PDF bytes
   │
   ├─► detector (src/detector.rs) → PdfType classification
   │
   └─► extractor (src/extractor/)
         ├─ fonts, content_stream, xobjects, links, layout
         │
         ├─► tables → Markdown tables
         │
         └─► markdown (src/markdown/) → final output

All language bindings expose this same pipeline. The modular design allows selective use—for example, fast classification via detect_pdf without full extraction overhead.

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Summary

• cargo install pdf-inspector — Rust CLI tools and library crate
• pip install pdf-inspector — Python wheels with pre‑built binaries
• npm install @firecrawl/pdf-inspector — Node.js native add‑on
• npm install @firecrawl/pdf-inspector-wasm — Browser WebAssembly package
• Source build — git clone + cargo build --release for full control

Each distribution shares the core [src/lib.rs](https://github.com/firecrawl/pdf-inspector/blob/main/src/lib.rs) implementation, ensuring consistent PDF type detection, position‑aware extraction, and Markdown generation across all environments.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Rust installed to use pdf‑inspector in Python or Node.js?

No. Pre‑built binaries are provided for Python (via pip) and Node.js (via npm) on common platforms. Rust is only required if you build from source or your platform lacks a pre‑compiled wheel/add‑on.

Can I install pdf‑inspector on Windows?

Yes. All installation methods support Windows: cargo install works with Windows Rust toolchains; Python wheels include Windows builds; the npm package provides Windows native add‑ons; and WebAssembly runs in any modern browser.

How do I verify my installation succeeded?

Run the appropriate quick check for your environment:

• Rust: pdf2md --version or cargo run --release --bin pdf2md
• Python: python -c "import pdf_inspector; print(pdf_inspector.__version__)"
• Node.js: node -e "console.log(require('@firecrawl/pdf-inspector'))"
• WASM: Import the module in a browser console and confirm init() resolves

What if the npm post‑install script fails to compile?

Ensure your Rust toolchain is installed and accessible in your PATH. The post‑install fallback requires cargo to build the native add‑on for unsupported architectures. Alternatively, use the WebAssembly package which requires no native compilation.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}