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Unstructured

Turns messy documents like PDFs, Word files and web pages into clean text that AI models can use.

What it does

Unstructured is an open-source Python library that pulls the text and structure out of documents such as PDFs, HTML pages, Word files and many more. It breaks them into clean pieces, like titles, paragraphs and tables.

This preparation step is often needed before an AI model can search or answer questions about your documents. The company behind it also offers a paid, higher-quality service; the README says the open-source library stays free.

Who it's for

Developers building AI apps that need to read and search large numbers of documents.

Can I use it without coding?

Developers only. A Python library, also available as a Docker image; needs programming. New to this? Start here.

Can I run it?

Cost
Free, with optional paid extrasThe open-source version is free; the makers also sell a hosted or pro version.
Computer
An ordinary computer is fine
Privacy
Runs on your own device: your data stays with you
API key
Not needed

Try it

Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?

Before you install

  • Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
  • License (Apache-2.0): Permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
  • More on staying safe

Where people are talking about it