instavm/pdf-text-replace

PDF Text Replace Skill

Replace text in fillable PDF forms by updating form field values.

Description

This skill allows you to search and replace text in PDF files that have fillable form fields. It scans all form fields in the PDF, finds fields containing the search text, and replaces it with the replacement text.

Use Cases

• Update names in filled tax forms
• Replace addresses in PDF documents
• Update dates or reference numbers
• Batch update form field values

Requirements

• PDF must have fillable form fields (not flattened)
• Python 3.7+
• pypdf library

Usage

Basic Usage

python /app/uploads/skills/public/pdf-text-replace/scripts/replace_text_in_pdf.py \
    /app/uploads/input.pdf \
    "OLD TEXT" \
    "NEW TEXT" \
    /app/uploads/output.pdf

Example: Replace Name in Tax Form

python /app/uploads/skills/public/pdf-text-replace/scripts/replace_text_in_pdf.py \
    /app/uploads/f5472.pdf \
    "MANISH KUMAR" \
    "MANNU KUMAR" \
    /app/uploads/f5472_updated.pdf

Script Details

Script: scripts/replace_text_in_pdf.py

Arguments:

1. input_pdf - Path to input PDF file
2. search_text - Text to search for in form fields
3. replace_text - Text to replace with
4. output_pdf - Path to save the updated PDF

Output:

• Creates a new PDF with updated field values
• Preserves all form fields (not flattened)
• Reports number of fields modified

Limitations

• Only works with fillable PDF forms (not scanned/image PDFs)
• Replaces text in form field values, not static text
• Case-sensitive search by default
• Cannot modify flattened PDFs

Dependencies

The script requires the pypdf library, which is included in the container requirements.

Error Handling

The script will report errors if:

• Input PDF doesn't exist
• PDF doesn't have fillable form fields
• Search text is not found
• Output path is not writable