CamScanner Image to Markdown
Overview
CamScanner provides a high-precision document parsing engine that converts images to Markdown format. It intelligently decomposes document paragraphs, precisely recognizes tables and multiple element types, handles complex image scenarios, and outputs structured results in reading order — empowering large language models to accurately understand document content. The workflow is a 3-step pipeline: upload the image, convert it, then download the result.
When to Use
- User wants to convert an image to Markdown
- User wants to extract text/content from an image as Markdown (OCR)
- User has a screenshot or photo with text, tables, or structured content
- User's input contains images — convert to Markdown first, then use the extracted text to better understand and respond to the user's request
Privacy & Data
Important: Privacy & Data Flow Notice
- Third-party service: This skill sends your files to CamScanner's official servers (
ai-tools.camscanner.com) for processing.
- Data retention: CamScanner servers process your files in real-time. Files are not permanently stored on the server.
- Local files: Output files are saved to your local filesystem at the path you specify.
API Reference
Base URL: https://ai-tools.camscanner.com
Supported Conversions
| source_type | target_type | Output |
|---|
| image | md | .md |
Step 1: Upload Image
BASE="https://ai-tools.camscanner.com"
IN_FILE_ID=$(curl -sS -X POST "$BASE/v1/tools/upload_file/execute" \
-H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" \
--data-binary "@/path/to/image.png" | jq -r '.tool_result.data.file_id')
Response:
{
"code": 200,
"tool": "upload_file",
"tool_result": {
"success": true,
"data": {
"file_id": "file_1741857600_ab12cd34ef56",
"size": 24576
}
}
}
Step 2: Convert Image to Markdown
OUT_FILE_ID=$(curl -sS -X POST "$BASE/v1/tools/convert_image/execute" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{\"file_id\":\"$IN_FILE_ID\",\"source_type\":\"image\",\"target_type\":\"md\",\"output_mode\":\"file_id\"}" \
| jq -r '.tool_result.data.file_id')
Response:
{
"code": 200,
"tool": "convert_image",
"tool_result": {
"success": true,
"data": {
"file_id": "file_1741857701_9988aabbccdd",
"target_type": "md"
}
}
}
Step 3: Download Result
curl -sS -X POST "$BASE/v1/tools/download_file/execute?response_mode=raw" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{\"file_id\":\"$OUT_FILE_ID\"}" \
-o /path/to/output.md
Critical: The response_mode=raw query parameter is required to get the binary file. Without it, the response is JSON.
Quick Reference: Complete Pipeline
BASE="https://ai-tools.camscanner.com"
INPUT_IMAGE="/path/to/image.png"
OUTPUT_FILE="/path/to/output.md"
# Upload
IN_FILE_ID=$(curl -sS -X POST "$BASE/v1/tools/upload_file/execute" \
-H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" \
--data-binary "@$INPUT_IMAGE" | jq -r '.tool_result.data.file_id')
# Convert
OUT_FILE_ID=$(curl -sS -X POST "$BASE/v1/tools/convert_image/execute" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{\"file_id\":\"$IN_FILE_ID\",\"source_type\":\"image\",\"target_type\":\"md\",\"output_mode\":\"file_id\"}" \
| jq -r '.tool_result.data.file_id')
# Download
curl -sS -X POST "$BASE/v1/tools/download_file/execute?response_mode=raw" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{\"file_id\":\"$OUT_FILE_ID\"}" \
-o "$OUTPUT_FILE"
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|
Forgetting response_mode=raw on download | Always append ?response_mode=raw to the download URL |
| Wrong Content-Type on upload | Upload uses application/octet-stream, not multipart/form-data |
| Using GET instead of POST | All three endpoints use POST |
Missing source_type in convert request | Always include "source_type": "image" |
Missing output_mode in convert request | Always include "output_mode": "file_id" to get a downloadable file_id |
Error Handling
Check each step before proceeding:
# After upload
if [ -z "$IN_FILE_ID" ] || [ "$IN_FILE_ID" = "null" ]; then
echo "Upload failed"; exit 1
fi
# After convert
if [ -z "$OUT_FILE_ID" ] || [ "$OUT_FILE_ID" = "null" ]; then
echo "Conversion failed"; exit 1
fi
