Automatic PDF Processor

Automatic PDF Processor is a Windows tool that automates tasks with PDF files by monitoring folders and executing predefined actions such as printing, renaming, moving, or splitting documents. This software runs operations based on configurable rules that filter files by content, metadata, or properties. It includes OCR capabilities to make PDFs searchable and can extract embedded data and attachments. Profile configuration allows processing to be tailored to specific workflows.

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• Folder monitoring. The software monitors one or more designated folders in the file system. It detects the appearance of new PDF files or those that match user-defined age criteria. The monitoring engine runs in the background and immediately triggers the configured processing without manual intervention.
• Automatic file actions. Sequences of actions can be configured to run on detected PDFs. These actions include moving, copying, renaming, deleting, printing, or emailing files. The actions are performed in a set order within each processing profile.
• Advanced rules and filters. Operations can be conditioned using logical rules. Filters allow files to be selected based on PDF properties, such as the text contained, metadata (author, title), file information (name, size, date), or page count. Only documents that meet all the filter conditions continue in the processing chain.
• Data extraction from PDFs. The feature analyzes the textual content of documents to extract specific information using predefined patterns or regular expressions. The extracted data can be reused to build dynamic file names, define destination folder paths, or for export to a CSV file for further analysis.
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Converts images or scanned PDFs into documents with selectable and searchable text. The OCR engine processes the pages to identify characters and generates an invisible text layer over the original image. This process enables searching within the document and allows the application of content-based filters to files that initially had no text.
• PDF document splitting. Allows splitting a PDF document into multiple smaller files according to different criteria. Splitting can be done by a fixed page count, maximum file size, internal document bookmarks, detection of specific keywords in the content, or by reading barcodes (such as QR or Code 128) present on the pages.
• PDF document merging. Combines multiple PDF files into a single document. The merge can be static, joining a predefined list of files, or dynamic, grouping documents that arrive in a watched folder over a specified period. It can be configured to automatically create an index or a cover page.
• Embedded attachment extraction. PDFs can contain other files embedded as attachments. This feature locates and extracts those attached files, saving them to a specified location on the disk. It supports extracting multiple attachment types and can apply subsequent renaming or processing rules to them.
• Conditional processing and scheduling. Defines when monitoring and processing should run. It can be restricted to certain days of the week, business hours, or specific dates. This feature allows pausing automation during weekends, holidays, or outside business hours, optimizing system resource usage.
• Email notifications. The system sends email messages to report on the status of automated tasks. Success, error, or summary notifications can be configured after completing a job. The emails include details such as the processed file name, the action performed, and any relevant error messages.
• Automated printing with parameters. Configures automatic print jobs for PDFs that match the rules. Allows defining specific print parameters such as page range, duplex printing, orientation, scaling, or paper tray. This action integrates with printers installed on the Windows system.
• Dynamic file renaming. Changes the names of processed PDF files using a combination of static text and dynamic variables. Variables can include data extracted from the PDF content (like invoice numbers), metadata, dates in custom formats, or sequential counters. This generates consistent and descriptive file names.
• Archiving with dynamic folder structure. Organizes processed PDFs into an automatically generated folder hierarchy. The destination path is built dynamically using variables such as the date (year, month, day), document type, or data extracted from the file itself. It creates organized and consistent archiving systems without manual intervention.
• Activity logging and event log. Maintains a detailed record of all operations performed. The log includes timestamps, the processed file name, the profile used, each action executed, and its result. This log is essential for auditing the process, troubleshooting, and verifying that the automation works as expected.

The development of Automatic PDF Processor began in 2006 by the German company Gillmeister Software. The founders, specialists in document automation solutions for Windows business environments, identified the need to automate repetitive workflows with PDF files. The software is primarily written in the Delphi programming language, using the Embarcadero RAD Studio development environment.

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