openreading

OpenReading Core / Open source

Every document.
One clear
contract.

The open-source engine for reading, comparing, and routing documents. Run it as a CLI, a Python library, or an HTTP process on your machine.

Start the tutorial Explore the code

Start on your machine with PyMuPDF.
Add OCR and hosted backends when you need them.

A document’s journeyOne request / one response shape
Your documents follow your backend rules and return a shared JSON shape for reading, comparison, and replay.
Same contract. Whichever backend reads it.
Your first result

A page in.
Structured data out.

After installation, one command reads the bundled example with a local backend.

Walk through your first parse
TerminalLocal / PyMuPDF
bash
uv run openreading parse \
  examples/schedule_a_2024.pdf \
  --backend pymupdf > sa.json
succeededOne JSON envelope in sa.json

From a first parse
to a plan of your own.

Follow the tutorial in order, or go straight to the question in front of you. Every command comes from the repository walkthrough.

Steps 1–4

Get a result

Install locally, read your first page, and understand the response.

  1. 01Install and check your machine
  2. 02Your first parse
  3. 03Understanding the response JSON
  4. 04The CLI is its own manual
Steps 5–7

Find the differences

Read the same document two ways. See what one backend misses.

  1. 05The same page, read two ways
  2. 06Where two backends disagree
  3. 07The document that defeats one backend
Steps 8–12

Write your rules

Choose a backend order, escalate on quality, and inspect every decision.

  1. 08Your first openreading.yaml: naming your backends
  2. 09Your first strategy: try and escalate_when
  3. 10Reading the trace with explain
  4. 11Racing and judging: race and compare
  5. 12What Plain compiles to
Steps 13–17

Put it to work

Process a folder, add a vendor key, serve locally, and resume a run.

  1. 13A whole folder at once
  2. 14Bring your own key
  3. 15Serving the same engine
  4. 16When something stops
  5. 17Where to go next

The code is the source.
The guide is your way in.

This field guide is built directly from the tutorial README. Diagrams share the same vector artwork across the guide and the repository.

Open the field guide

Hosted waitlist

Join the waitlist for hosted OpenReading: durable execution, precise cost controls, and enterprise readiness. The open-source engine is available now.

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