Capture & Import

PDF Document Import

Smartly parse document structure for clean notes.

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No download needed — works in any browser

Upload document dialog with a PDF attached, ready to generate notes and study materials

PDF parsing to structured notes

Headings and sections
DOC and DOCX supported too
Open the original document anytime

Document import at a glance

Formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX
File size: Currently under 30 MB per file
Documents per note: One document per note; group documents in a notebook
What's extracted: Text, headings and structure; images aren't carried over
Scanned PDFs: Without a text layer, upload photos of the pages as images instead
Not supported: PowerPoint (PPTX) and TXT files. Export slides as PDF first

Limits shown are current values and may change.

When to import PDFs

Lecture slides and handouts
Get an outline of the slides, then flashcards for the key terms.
Reports and research papers
Pull out the main findings of a paper and quiz yourself on them.
Books and chapters
Study a long chapter with a summary, a mind map and a podcast.

Turn a PDF into flashcards, quizzes and more

One upload gives you a full set of revision material for a chapter, paper or handout.

AI note
An outline of the document with its key points and takeaways.
Flashcards
Cards for the key terms and concepts, ready to flip through.
Quiz
Practice questions with an explanation for every answer.
Mind map
The chapter structure at a glance, ready to download.
Podcast
A two-host audio overview for revision on the go.

Flashcard 3 of 12 showing a question, with a progress bar and a Flip card button

Quiz question 2 of 10 with the correct answer marked, the wrong choice crossed out and an explanation from the note

Podcast player for a note with play and pause, 10-second skip, a progress bar and playback speed

How to import PDFs

Upload a PDF, DOC or DOCX file
Drag in a PDF, DOC or DOCX file under 30 MB, or browse for it.
Let AI parse the structure and key points
NoteLyn extracts the text and its structure. Add a title or leave it blank.
Review the outline and generate summaries
Create the note. While you study, open the original document anytime with View Source.

PDF import tips

Prefer text‑based PDFs; for scans, use Image OCR
Split huge documents into chapters for better focus

Notes & limits

Scanned PDFs without a text layer may not import well; upload page photos as images instead
Very large files can impact processing time

PDF import FAQ

Do images and tables import?

The text and its structure are extracted. Images aren't carried over, and complex tables or layouts may simplify.

Can I import multiple PDFs?

Each note takes one document. Upload them one at a time and group them in a notebook, then summarize the whole notebook.

What's the file size limit?

Currently each document must be under 30 MB. For a very large file, split it into chapters and upload them as separate notes in one notebook.

Can I import PowerPoint slides?

Not yet. Export the slides as a PDF first, then upload the PDF.

Does it work with scanned PDFs?

Only if the PDF has a text layer. For a scan without selectable text, upload photos of the pages with Image Upload instead, up to 9 per note.

Is PDF import free?

Yes, you can start for free in your browser or in the mobile app. Some features need a subscription: podcasts, for example, are a Pro feature and use credits based on their length, charged only if generation succeeds.

Related tools in Note Workspace

Learn more on the NoteLyn blog

Step-by-step guides that go deeper into this way of capturing notes.