# pdf-to-docx

Turns PDF files into editable Word documents with the pdf2docx library. Useful when a report or contract needs changes, not just reading.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 6000 installs · ★ 540
- Author: claude-office-skills
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/claude-office-skills/skills/tree/HEAD/pdf-to-docx/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-01-31
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/pdf-to-docx

## What it does

The skill takes a PDF and produces a `.docx`, keeping layout, tables, images and text formatting. It runs on the Python library `pdf2docx`, which pulls native PDF content instead of reading pixels, so text-based files come out cleaner than with OCR.

An `office-mcp` server exposes a `pdf_to_docx` tool. You can convert the whole file, a page range, or a list of pages — indexing starts at zero. Tuning options cover line merging, border detection and page margins. The source also shows a batch example built on `ThreadPoolExecutor`.

Scanned files are the weak spot. With no text layer, pdf2docx has nothing to extract, and the docs suggest running pages through `pytesseract` or PaddleOCR first. Complex tables often need manual cleanup afterwards, and some fonts get swapped for system defaults.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add claude-office-skills/skills --skill pdf-to-docx -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/pdf-to-docx/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/pdf-to-docx/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add claude-office-skills/skills --skill pdf-to-docx -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/pdf-to-docx/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add claude-office-skills/skills --skill pdf-to-docx -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/pdf-to-docx/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install claude-office-skills/skills pdf-to-docx
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/pdf-to-docx/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add claude-office-skills/skills --skill pdf-to-docx -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/claude-office-skills/skills --path pdf-to-docx
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/pdf-to-docx/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add claude-office-skills/skills --skill pdf-to-docx -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/claude-office-skills/skills/tree/HEAD/pdf-to-docx/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- turn a PDF report into an editable Word file
- pull tables out of a PDF into a document
- convert only selected pages instead of the whole file
- batch-convert a folder of PDFs
- inspect PDF structure before converting

## Example prompts
- Convert this PDF report to an editable Word document
- Turn pages 1-5 of this PDF into Word format
- Analyze this PDF structure, then convert it to docx

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 20cacb39dba04fb8.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 20cacb39dba04fb8
````text
---
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
# CLAUDE OFFICE SKILL - Enhanced Metadata v2.0
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

# Basic Information
name: pdf-to-docx
description: "Convert PDF files to editable Word documents using pdf2docx"
version: "1.0"
author: claude-office-skills
license: MIT

# Categorization
category: pdf
tags:
  - pdf
  - docx
  - conversion
department: All

# AI Model Compatibility
models:
  recommended:
    - claude-sonnet-4
    - claude-opus-4
  compatible:
    - claude-3-5-sonnet
    - gpt-4
    - gpt-4o

# MCP Tools Integration
mcp:
  server: office-mcp
  tools:
    - pdf_to_docx

# Skill Capabilities
capabilities:
  - format_conversion
  - editable_documents

# Language Support
languages:
  - en
  - zh
---

# PDF to Word Skill

## Overview

This skill enables conversion from PDF to editable Word documents using **pdf2docx** - a Python library that preserves layout, tables, images, and text formatting. Unlike OCR-based solutions, pdf2docx extracts native PDF content for accurate conversion.

## How to Use

1. Provide the PDF file you want to convert
2. Optionally specify pages or conversion options
3. I'll convert it to an editable Word document

**Example prompts:**
- "Convert this PDF report to an editable Word document"
- "Turn pages 1-5 of this PDF into Word format"
- "Extract this scanned document as editable text"
- "Convert this PDF contract to Word for editing"

## Domain Knowledge

### pdf2docx Fundamentals

```python
from pdf2docx import Converter

# Basic conversion
cv = Converter('input.pdf')
cv.convert('output.docx')
cv.close()

# Or using context manager
with Converter('input.pdf') as cv:
    cv.convert('output.docx')
```

### Conversion Options

```python
from pdf2docx import Converter

cv = Converter('input.pdf')

# Full document
cv.convert('output.docx')

# Specific pages (0-indexed)
cv.convert('output.docx', start=0, end=5)

# Single page
cv.convert('output.docx', pages=[0])

# Multiple specific pages
cv.convert('output.docx', pages=[0, 2, 4])

cv.close()
```

### Advanced Options

```python
from pdf2docx import Converter

cv = Converter('input.pdf')

cv.convert(
    'output.docx',
    start=0,                    # Start page (0-indexed)
    end=None,                   # End page (None = last page)
    pages=None,                 # Specific pages list
    password=None,              # PDF password if encrypted
    min_section_height=20.0,    # Minimum height for section
    connected_border_tolerance=0.5,  # Border detection tolerance
    line_overlap_threshold=0.9, # Line merging threshold
    line_break_width_ratio=0.5, # Line break detection
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 20cacb39dba04fb8

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 20cacb39dba04fb8 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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