Gist

Last updated 2026-04-19 · 1 min read

PDF not working

PDFs work when they have a real text layer. Scanned-image PDFs, protected PDFs, and very large PDFs are the common failure modes.

PDFs come in three kinds. Which one yours is determines how well Gist reads it.

1. Text-layer PDF — works great

Created from a Word doc, a typeset paper, or a modern PDF export. You can select the text with your cursor and paste it elsewhere. Quality matches regular web articles.

2. Scanned-image PDF — hit or miss

A scan of a paper document is a series of images, even if it looks like text. If you cannot select any text in the PDF, it is a scanned-image PDF.

Gist can OCR these. Quality varies. A clean modern scan usually works. A low-resolution or skewed scan often does not.

3. Protected or gated PDF — fails

Passwords, DRM, or copy-locks block reading. Gist will say the file is not readable.

What to try

  • Select text in the PDF. You cannot? It is scanned — expect lower quality.
  • Try /try with a file upload. Drag the PDF in and let it run — the cleanest path for local PDFs.
  • Break up huge PDFs. Book-length PDFs can hit limits; try a chapter at a time via /try.
  • Export a cleaner version. If you control the PDF, re-export as a text-layer PDF and try again.

When to contact support

A text-layer PDF — one where you can clearly select text — failing or producing a wrong Gist is a bug. Send it via contact support:

  • The PDF itself (if you can share), or a link.
  • What you expected vs. what you saw.
  • Whether it is a paper, book chapter, report, etc.

What is next

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