Image Extract Text using n8n action

PDF4me Image Extract Text extracts text content from images using OCR technology through n8n automation workflows. Process images via n8n triggers, binary data, base64 strings, or public URLs to automatically recognize and extract text with multi-language support, high-accuracy character recognition, layout preservation, and structured text output for document digitization and data extraction. This solution is ideal for scanned document processing, data entry automation, business card OCR, receipt scanning, text extraction from photos, and automated OCR workflows that require accurate text recognition with multi-language support and seamless integration.

Setup

Add the PDF4me "Image Extract Text" node to your n8n workflow and configure the required parameters. For initial setup instructions, see our n8n Integration Guide.

Prerequisites:

• PDF4me API credentials
• n8n workflow access

Get Your API Key

Configuration:

1. Add PDF4me node to workflow
2. Select "Image Extract Text" action
3. Configure input parameters (see below)

Parameters

Complete list of parameters for the Image Extract Text action. Configure these parameters to control text extraction from images.

Important: Parameters marked with an asterisk (***) are required and must be provided for the action to function correctly.

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
Input Data Type	String	Yes	PDF4me image input format selection Choose the format of your source image data input. PDF4me supports multiple input types with different field requirements
	1) Binary Data	Yes (One Required)	1) Binary Data - Use "Input Binary Field" to reference image file from previous node
	2) Base64 String	Yes (One Required)	2) Base64 String - Use "Base64 Image Content" field for encoded image data
	3) URL	Yes (One Required)	3) URL - Use "Image URL" field to provide a public/open permission URL to the image file to process
Input Binary Field	Binary	Yes (If Binary Data)	PDF4me binary image file input - Reference source image file (.jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp) from previous n8n node or file upload. PDF4me processes binary image files with automatic format detection and validation. Required when Input Data Type is "Binary Data"
Base64 Image Content	String	Yes (If Base64 String)	PDF4me base64 encoded image input - Provide source image data (.jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp) as base64 encoded string for secure transmission. PDF4me automatically decodes and processes the image content. Required when Input Data Type is "Base64 String"
Image URL	String	Yes (If URL)	PDF4me public image URL input - Provide a public/open permission URL to the source image file (.jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp) to be processed for text extraction. PDF4me downloads and processes the file from the provided URL. Required when Input Data Type is "URL"
Output File Name	String	Yes	PDF4me output filename configuration - Specify the name for the generated text extraction file with proper extension (.json, .txt). This is an input parameter that configures what the output file will be named. PDF4me ensures unique naming and validates file format compliance
Async	Boolean	No	PDF4me asynchronous processing - Enable asynchronous processing for large images or when processing time is not critical. When enabled, the operation runs in the background and returns immediately
Binary Data Output Name	String	Yes	PDF4me output variable configuration - Define the variable name for accessing the generated text extraction data in your n8n workflow. This data can be used as input data in subsequent actions within your workflow

Supported Image Formats

Format	Description	File Extensions	Max Size	Best Use Cases
JPEG	Joint Photographic Experts Group with lossy compression optimized for photographs	.jpg, .jpeg	50MB	Scanned documents, photographs with text, web content
PNG	Portable Network Graphics with lossless compression and transparency support	.png	50MB	Screenshots, graphics with text, high-quality documents
GIF	Graphics Interchange Format with animation support and limited color palette	.gif	50MB	Animated text, simple graphics with text content
BMP	Bitmap image format with uncompressed pixel data	.bmp	50MB	High-quality scanned documents, professional graphics

Output

Output Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
success	Boolean	PDF4me text extraction status indicator - Boolean flag indicating the success or failure of the text extraction process. PDF4me returns true for successful operations and false for any errors, enabling robust error handling in automated workflows	true
message	String	PDF4me text extraction status message - Human-readable status message providing details about the text extraction process result. Includes success confirmation or error details for troubleshooting	Image text extracted successfully
fileName	String	PDF4me generated text extraction filename - The complete filename of the successfully generated text extraction file with proper extension. PDF4me ensures unique naming and validates file format compliance for seamless integration with downstream processes	image_text_extract.json
mimeType	String	PDF4me output MIME type - MIME type of the generated text extraction file (e.g., "application/json", "text/plain"). Useful for content type validation and proper file handling in web applications	application/json
fileSize	Number	PDF4me text extraction file size in bytes - The exact size of the generated text extraction file in bytes, provided by PDF4me for storage planning and file transfer monitoring	0

N8N Action Response

The PDF4me Image Extract Text API returns a response that can be viewed in multiple formats. Choose the view that best fits your needs:

JSON

JSON Response Format

The raw JSON response from the API:

[
  {
    "success": true,
    "message": "Image text extracted successfully",
    "fileName": "image_text_extract.json",
    "mimeType": "application/json",
    "fileSize": 0
  }
]

Table

Table View

Response data in a structured table format:

Parameter	Value
success	true
message	Image text extracted successfully
fileName	image_text_extract.json
mimeType	application/json
fileSize	0

Schema

Schema View

The data structure and types of the response:

1 item
success: ☑ true
message: AB Image text extracted successfully
fileName: AB image_text_extract.json
mimeType: AB application/json
fileSize: # 0

Type Indicators:

• AB = String
• # = Number
• ☑ = Boolean
• [] = Array

Binary

Binary Data View

The actual text extraction file data and information:

data
─────────────────────────────
File Name: image_text_extract.json
File Extension: json
Mime Type: application/json
File Size: 0 bytes
Status: Image text extracted successfully

Binary Data Access:

• n8n Binary Object: $binary.data.data
• Base64 Content: Available for direct use
• File Operations: Ready for download, email, or storage

Use Cases

OCR Text Recognition and Digitization

• Extract text from scanned documents, receipts, and forms for digital processing
• Convert handwritten notes and printed materials to searchable text format
• Process business cards and contact information for automated data entry

Image-Based Content Analysis

• Extract text from screenshots and images for content analysis and indexing
• Process social media images with text overlays for sentiment analysis
• Analyze product packaging and labels for inventory management systems

Accessibility and Translation Services

• Extract text from images to create accessible content for visually impaired users
• Process multilingual documents for automated translation workflows
• Convert image-based text to audio format for accessibility applications

Research and Data Mining

• Extract text from research papers, articles, and academic documents
• Process historical documents and archives for digital research projects
• Analyze image-based surveys and feedback forms for data collection

Get Help

n8n Integration Guiden8n SampleGetting Started