---
version: "2026.1.0"
language: "en"
---
# Extract Document Text

**Experimental Feature**

This feature is Experimental and may change based on user feedback and testing. Share your thoughts via our chatbot to help us improve it.

The **Extract Document Text** block extracts text from supported documents and images using **OCR** (Optical Character Recognition). This is useful when you need to validate or reuse text from scanned PDFs or image files inside an automation flow (for example, extracting text from a scanned contract before checking an approval keyword). This feature is available starting from **Release 2025.1.486.**

**Note:**

* To use this block, **cloud blocks must be activated for your tenant in the** [++**add-ons**++](https://portal.leapwork.com/app/addons)**section of Customer Portal**. Make sure this is enabled before adding the block to your flows.

* The screenshot on this page uses the **Elegance Design** , introduced in **2025.3**. If you are using an earlier version, your layout may look different.

When fully expanded, the **Extract Document Text** block displays the following properties:  
![image-20260205-095812.png](https://docs.leapwork.com/__attachments/a_a5e037fff38c0271c1ab3ccd9ab615332db3c19704a314a90e60daf183dd55e1/image-20260205-095812.png?cb=540ac45239455fe2f747e6b6606383ec)

## Quick-start

1. Drag **Extract Document Text** onto the canvas.

2. Connect the block in the flow and specify **Source type** , then provide the file in **File Input**.

3. Run the flow when it's ready.

## Building block parameters

Parameters  
* **Block header** : The green input connector triggers the block to start executing. The green output connector triggers when the text has been successfully extracted. You can rename the block by double-clicking the header text and typing a new title.

* **File Input**: Defines the document/image to extract text from. Users must select a supported file type when importing a document.

  * **Source type**: Selects where the input file comes from. The block recognizes the file type once the file is provided.

    * **Data file**: Extracts text from a file stored in Leapwork as a Data File.

      * **Select file to extract text** : The file picker/drop area used to provide the input file (for example `.pdf`, `.jpeg`, `.png`). Selecting **Import New File** opens a window where you can upload the document.

    * **Local path**: Extracts text from a file referenced from a specified local path.

      * **Path to file** : Specifies the local path to the file to extract text from. This field is used when **Source type** is set to **Local path**.

      * **Text fields** : Stores key--value pairs that can be inserted as dynamic tokens into **Path to file** via **Insert token** . Click **Add field** to define one or more fields, then use **Insert token** in **Path to file** to reuse them.

* **Extracted text** : Returns the recognized text from the document or image. If the PDF contains multiple pages, the text is extracted from all pages and combined in order.

* **Failed** : Triggers if the block cannot extract text (for example unreadable/low-quality scans, unsupported format, password-protected/encrypted PDFs, or corrupted files).

* **Default timeout** : Controls whether the block uses the default timeout from the flow settings or a custom timeout value.

* **Timeout (sec)** : Sets the maximum time spent extracting text before giving up and triggering **Failed** . This field is used when **Default timeout** is not selected.

  **Note:** All cases have a **global timeout** configured in the **Settings** panel. This is unrelated to the timeout of a single building block. However, a running case will automatically be cancelled if it runs for longer than the global timeout.

## Resources

|                                                **Topic**                                                |                                                  **Description**                                                  |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Flows FAQ](https://docs.leapwork.com/faq/latest/leapwork-flow-faq/flows-faq.md)                                                 | Common questions about creating, running, and managing flows in Leapwork.                                         |
| [Flows Troubleshooting](https://docs.leapwork.com/troubleshooting/latest/leapwork-flow-troubleshooting/flows-troubleshooting.md) | Guidelines and solutions for identifying and fixing issues that occur when building or running flows in Leapwork. |
| [++Customer Portal Add-ons++](https://docs.leapwork.com/leapwork-flow/latest/customer-portal/add-ons.md)                         | Customer portal section to activate your cloud blocks.                                                            |