Uploading PDFs to ChatGPT and Claude
Now that you understand PDF types, let's get practical. Both ChatGPT and Claude can process PDF files directly, but each has different capabilities and workflows.
ChatGPT PDF Upload
ChatGPT (Plus, Team, or Enterprise) supports direct PDF uploads through the attachment feature.
How to upload:
- Click the paperclip icon in the chat input
- Select your PDF file
- Wait for the upload to complete
- Write your extraction prompt
Limitations:
- File size limit varies by plan
- Very long PDFs may be truncated
- Complex layouts may confuse the model
Claude PDF Upload
Claude handles PDFs through its file attachment feature, available in Claude Pro and Team plans.
How to upload:
- Click the attachment icon (paperclip)
- Choose your PDF file
- The file appears as an attachment in your message
- Add your extraction instructions
Claude's strengths:
- Longer context window for bigger documents
- Strong at maintaining table structure
- Good at following complex extraction rules
Prompt Structure for PDF Extraction
The key to good extraction is a clear, structured prompt. Use this template:
Handling Large Documents
For PDFs longer than 20-30 pages, consider these strategies:
Strategy 1: Split and Upload
Split your PDF into smaller chunks before uploading:
Strategy 2: Targeted Extraction
Tell the AI exactly which sections to focus on:
Quick Reference: Platform Comparison
| Feature | ChatGPT | Claude |
|---|---|---|
| Direct PDF upload | Yes (Plus+) | Yes (Pro+) |
| Max context | ~128K tokens | ~200K tokens |
| Vision for scans | GPT-4V/4o | Yes (Claude 3+) |
| Best for | Quick extractions | Long documents |
| Table handling | Good | Excellent |
Common Upload Errors and Fixes
"File too large"
- Compress the PDF or split into parts
- Remove unnecessary pages first
"Could not read file"
- PDF may be corrupted or password-protected
- Try re-exporting from the original source
Extraction seems incomplete
- Add "Process ALL pages, not just the first few"
- Be more specific about what sections to extract
Exercise: Upload Strategy
Practice planning your extraction approach:
Key Takeaway
Successful PDF extraction starts with a clear upload strategy. Know your platform's limits, structure your prompts with specific instructions, and break large documents into manageable chunks. The clearer your instructions, the cleaner your extracted data.
Next, we'll master the art of extracting tables - the most common and valuable PDF extraction task.