User-Scanner Output Formats: PDF, JSON, and CSV Export Guide

User-scanner supports three output formats—PDF, JSON, and CSV—allowing users to export scan results as paginated reports, structured data arrays, or spreadsheet-compatible files.

The open-source tool kaifcodec/user-scanner provides flexible export capabilities for OSINT scan results, making it compatible with both manual review and automated workflows. Understanding the available user-scanner output formats ensures you can integrate scan data into reports, databases, or analysis pipelines efficiently.

Supported Export Formats

User-scanner implements distinct exporters for three file types, each optimized for specific use cases. The format selection logic resides in user_scanner/__main__.py, which delegates to specialized formatter utilities based on the CLI argument.

PDF Reports

The PDF format generates a paginated document containing profile photos and scan summaries, ideal for sharing or archiving results. Internally, the CLI invokes formatter.into_pdf when the user specifies -f pdf or when the output filename ends with the .pdf extension.

Export a user scan to PDF using:

user-scanner -u johndoe -f pdf -o johndoe_report.pdf

If you omit the --format flag but provide a .pdf extension, the tool automatically selects PDF mode:

user-scanner -u johndoe -o report.pdf

JSON Data

For programmatic consumption, the JSON format writes a plain-text array of scan results. This output is handled via formatter.get_json_data in user_scanner/__main__.py, producing structured data that integrates easily with APIs and scripts.

Export results as JSON:

user-scanner -e johndoe@gmail.com -f json -o results.json

CSV Spreadsheets

The CSV format produces comma-separated values suitable for spreadsheet applications like Excel or Google Sheets. The conversion is processed through formatter.into_csv, creating a flat file structure for tabular analysis.

Export to CSV using:

user-scanner -u johndoe -f csv -o results.csv

Implementation Architecture

The formatting pipeline is centralized in the CLI entry point at user_scanner/__main__.py. According to the source code:

• PDF generation occurs at lines 26-33 via formatter.into_pdf
• JSON serialization is handled at lines 79-95 through formatter.get_json_data
• CSV conversion takes place at lines 97-100 using formatter.into_csv

These functions are documented in the project's README under the "Multi-Format Reports" section, confirming the three supported export types.

Summary

• User-scanner supports PDF, JSON, and CSV output formats for scan results.
• The default format is PDF when no format flag is provided or when the output file uses the .pdf extension.
• Format conversion is implemented in user_scanner/__main__.py using formatter.into_pdf, formatter.get_json_data, and formatter.into_csv.
• Use -f pdf, -f json, or -f csv to explicitly select your preferred export type.

Frequently Asked Questions

What output formats does user-scanner support?

User-scanner supports three output formats: PDF for paginated reports with images, JSON for structured data arrays, and CSV for spreadsheet-compatible comma-separated values. These options are documented in the README under Multi-Format Reports and implemented in the main CLI module.

How do I specify the output format in user-scanner?

Use the -f or --format flag followed by the desired extension: pdf, json, or csv. For example, user-scanner -u target -f json -o data.json exports results as JSON. Alternatively, the tool infers the format from the output file extension when the flag is omitted.

What is the default output format if I don't specify one?

The default format is PDF. If you run user-scanner -u johndoe without a format flag, the tool generates a PDF report saved as johndoe_report.pdf. This default is also applied when the output filename ends with .pdf regardless of the flag.

Where are the format conversion functions implemented?

The conversion logic resides in user_scanner/__main__.py, which calls methods from the formatter module. Specifically, formatter.into_pdf handles PDF creation, formatter.get_json_data manages JSON export, and formatter.into_csv processes CSV conversion at the specific line ranges cited in the source analysis.

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