PDF Summarizer: Summarize a PDF into a Mind Map
Upload a PDF, check its generated outline, then save it as Markdown or a map
MindLM turns a text-based PDF, such as a research paper, report or textbook chapter, into a mind map you can edit and export as Markdown. You can try it without signing up.
| Without an account | Free account (no card) | |
|---|---|---|
| Maps | 3 free tries, shared with text and webpage input | 10 credits at sign-up, plus 1 for each day you log in; up to 3 maps a day |
| Text read per map | Up to 5,000 characters | First 100,000 characters |
| PDF length | Up to 20 pages, and only the first 5,000 characters are read | No page limit |
| File size | Up to 4 MB | Up to 10 MB on every plan |
| Editing and export | Sign in to save, edit or export | Rename nodes; export PNG, Markdown or XMind. Adding/deleting nodes and SVG need Pro or Max |
Every input has its own tool page: see all mind map tools and their free limits
How the PDF summarizer works
Upload Your PDF
Drop in a text-based PDF. Without an account, the file can be up to 4 MB and 20 pages, and MindLM reads the first 5,000 characters. Once you sign in, files can be up to 10 MB with no page limit, and MindLM reads the first 100,000 characters on Free (300,000 on Pro, 600,000 on Max).
Check the Quote, Then Generate
Choose output settings and review the character count, credit quote and any truncation warning before starting the background task
Review, Edit, Export
Compare branches with the source. Rename nodes on Free; adding/deleting nodes and SVG need Pro or Max. Save before exporting Markdown
Why summarize PDFs with MindLM
Review the Generated Outline
Heading and section cues help organize the output. The AI may merge or regroup sections, so compare the map with the original table of contents.
Text Limits Shown Before Generation
Free processes the first 100,000 extracted characters, Pro 300,000 and Max 600,000. Check the quote for truncation; page counts vary by layout.
Multilingual by Default
English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, and more — the mind map matches your PDF’s language automatically.
Editable, Exportable, Shareable
Rename nodes on every plan; adding/deleting nodes and SVG require Pro or Max. Free includes PNG, Markdown and XMind. Share links are public and read-only.
What to summarize with the PDF summarizer
Examples of tasks you can use this input for.
Survey a research paper before reading it
Upload an arXiv or journal PDF, inspect the method and findings in the outline, then return to the paper to check evidence before deciding what to read in depth.
Turn a textbook chapter into revision notes
Upload a textbook chapter, then check definitions and missing topics against the book. Reword nodes in your own words as you study; do not assume every section is present.
Outline a client white paper
Organize a vendor white paper into claims and supporting points. Check the evidence and publication date yourself before putting an exported PNG into a presentation.
Outline an internal handbook
Group procedures, responsibilities and exceptions into a reading outline. Check conditions in the original document before using the map to carry out a task.
Prep for a book club or study group
Generate an outline for the chapter you plan to discuss. Check definitions and omissions against the book before sharing a read-only map or PNG with the group.
Inspect a real PDF result first
This archive was generated from Vaswani et al.’s Attention Is All You Need (1706.03762v7.pdf) on September 27, 2026, using the document-processing flow and the Fast model, Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite.
Source Section 3 covers architecture; the English map groups it under The Transformer Model. Section 5 appears as Training Details. The map regroups topics rather than copying every heading. A useful manual rename would be “Section 3 — architecture”; that edit is a suggestion, not part of the archive.
Before you upload a PDF
Signed in, you can choose Document and upload a PDF up to 10 MB on any plan. Without an account, the limit is 4 MB and 20 pages. Text-based files can be read directly; scanned or image-only files go through OCR. Check names, equations and text from columns against the original after generation.
Choose English as the output language if that is how you want to keep your notes. The default Fast, Standard and Summary settings are available on Free. Click Get Quote to see the extracted character count and estimated credits before you generate.
File size and text limits are separate
A small PDF can contain more text than your plan processes. The limits below apply to the extracted text when you are signed in, not the number of pages.
| Plan | Maximum PDF size (signed in) | Text processed per file |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 10 MB | First 100,000 characters |
| Pro | 10 MB | First 300,000 characters |
| Max | 10 MB | First 600,000 characters |
Text beyond the plan limit is trimmed. Read the warning in the quote before starting: an outline made from the beginning of a report may miss its final results or limitations. Compressing a PDF can reduce its file size, but it does not reduce its character count. Split the document into relevant sections if needed; MindLM does not automatically merge the resulting maps.
Free includes 10 signup credits and 1 credit per daily login, with at most 3 credit-funded generations a day. Each run needs enough credits; the daily limit is not a promise of three free PDFs. See plans and credits before processing a batch.
Check the map before using it
Generation runs as a background task. When the editor opens, compare the branches with the PDF's table of contents and the passages you need. AI can merge topics, omit sections or place a result under the wrong heading. A branch is not a verified citation or a link to a PDF page.
For a paper, check the method, reported results and limitations. For a textbook, check definitions and any topics missing from the outline. Add section or page references to your notes yourself.
All plans can rename nodes and expand or collapse branches. Adding and deleting nodes requires Pro or Max. Free users can also export Markdown and revise the outline in a text editor. See the editor guide for the controls.
Export a PDF outline to Obsidian
Wait for the map to save, then choose Export → Markdown. Put the downloaded .md file in your Obsidian vault and open it as a note. Add the PDF's title, source URL, reading date and page references you have checked.
Markdown export is included on Free. It is a saved outline, with no two-way sync to MindLM and no automatic citation checking. The PDF tutorial includes a real archived paper example, suggested corrections and source-versus-output checks. The export guide covers the file download and vault steps.
PNG and XMind exports are also included on Free; SVG needs Pro or Max. There is no direct PDF export of the map. Share links open a public, read-only page.
If the PDF does not work as expected
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| File is rejected | When signed in, check the 10 MB limit. Without an account, use 4 MB or fewer and stay within 20 pages. Compress the PDF or upload smaller sections. |
| Later chapters are missing | Check the quote's truncation warning and your plan's character limit. |
| Names, formulas or columns are wrong | Check the PDF text or OCR against the source; correct the outline before using it. |
| The map differs from the contents page | AI can regroup sections. Check omissions and revise labels; paid plans can add or delete nodes. |
| Markdown is missing your edits | Wait for saving to finish, then export again. |
For academic reading, the research-paper workflow explains what to verify before writing literature notes. For DOCX, TXT, Markdown, SRT or EPUB files, use the document and ebook guide.
PDF summarizer FAQ
Is the PDF summarizer free?
Yes — including without an account. Without signing up you get 3 shared free tries (with text and webpages): files up to 4 MB, PDFs up to 20 pages, and only the first 5,000 extracted characters. A free account adds 10 signup credits and 1 per daily login (at most 3 maps/day, each run needs enough credits). Signed-in files can be up to 10 MB with no page cap; Free reads up to 100,000 extracted characters per file (Pro 300,000; Max 600,000). Free exports include PNG, Markdown and XMind; SVG and adding/deleting nodes need Pro or Max.
What types of PDFs work best?
Any text-based PDF — exported from Word, LaTeX, Google Docs, Pages, academic publishers, or most modern document tools. Scanned or image-only PDFs have no text layer, so they are run through OCR automatically before summarizing; printed, legible pages work best.
How accurate is the chapter detection?
There is no published accuracy score. Clear heading styles help, but output can regroup or omit sections. Compare the branches with the PDF and check facts in the source; scanned or unusual layouts need extra review.
Does it work with non-English PDFs?
Yes. MindLM handles English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, and more. The generated mind map defaults to the source language; you can also ask it to translate during generation.
Is there a file size or page limit?
Without an account, uploads count toward your 3 shared tries: files up to 4 MB, PDFs up to 20 pages, and the first 5,000 extracted characters. Once signed in, every plan allows files up to 10 MB with no page cap. Free processes the first 100,000 extracted characters, Pro 300,000 and Max 600,000. Text beyond your limit is trimmed; check the quote for a warning. Compressing a PDF does not reduce its character count.
Is my PDF private?
Processing uses AI and infrastructure providers. Review the Privacy and Security pages before uploading sensitive material. A map is not made public unless you enable sharing; you can manage maps from your dashboard.
What can I export to?
Free includes PNG, Markdown and XMind. SVG needs Pro or Max. Save edits before downloading Markdown into an Obsidian vault; it is a snapshot with no two-way sync or verified citations. Share links are public and read-only. There is no direct PDF export.
What if my PDF is too large or too long?
Compressing the file does not reduce its character count. Without an account, oversized or over-long PDFs are limited by the 4 MB / 20-page / 5,000-character caps above. After you sign in, the quote shows how much text will be read for your plan; text beyond the limit is trimmed before credits are charged. For very long papers, use Pro or Max character caps, or split the PDF.
Ready to Get Started?
Upload a PDF, check its generated outline, then save it as Markdown or a map. Free to start, nothing to install.