---
title: Generate Survey from PDF Document Using AI
product: Survey Creator
description: Learn how an AI-powered service integrated into Survey Creator can convert PDF forms into interactive web-based surveys. Upload a PDF document, let AI generate a survey, and refine the result as needed. Check out this JavaScript form builder demo to try it firsthand.
framework: jQuery
source: https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/examples/convert-pdf-to-web-survey-ai/jquery
index: https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/examples/overview.md
---

# Generate Survey from PDF Document Using AI (jQuery)

This demo shows how an AI-powered service integrated into Survey Creator can help users create dynamic surveys based on PDF forms. Click the **Upload PDF** button and select a PDF document that you want to convert. Please note that the process may take some time, and only the first two pages from the document will be converted to prevent server overload. After the conversion is finished, you can refine the survey as needed and preview the final result.

AI service integration starts with deploying a language model to your application and exposing an API for interaction with that model. Refer to tutorials dedicated to the model of your choice for instructions. This example uses the GPT-3.5 Turbo model deployed on the SurveyJS website.

A deployed AI model receives text prompts and responds with text completions. Your client-side code should construct the text prompts and send them to the model. For example, a prompt to generate a survey JSON schema based on a PDF document may look as shown below. Note the addition of the expected response format:

"Generate a SurveyJS JSON schema from the following pages: \n%PDF%\nReturn only an object in JSON format."

Once the AI service sends back a string with a survey JSON schema, assign it to Survey Creator's [`text`](/survey-creator/documentation/api-reference/survey-creator#text) property. Refer to the Code tab for a code example.

<!-- PREVIOUS INTRO: PDF forms play a big role in the document workflows of many organizations. They are reliable, easy to print and share, and widely supported across different operating systems. However, more and more businesses choose to migrate their PDF forms to modern web-based surveys and questionnaires, seeking enhanced interactivity, efficient data collection, and better compatibility with mobile devices.  -->

## Files

### `public/index.html`

```html
<!-- Uncomment the following lines to enable Ace Editor in the JSON Editor tab -->
<!-- 
<script src="https://unpkg.com/ace-builds/src-min-noconflict/ace.js"></script>
<script src="https://unpkg.com/ace-builds/src-min-noconflict/ext-searchbox.js"></script>
<script src="https://unpkg.com/ace-builds/src-min-noconflict/theme-clouds_midnight.js"></script>
-->

<div id="ai-load">
    <svg class="ai-loading-indicator">
        <use xlink:href="#icon-loading-48x48"></use>
    </svg>
</div>
<div id="surveyCreatorContainer" style="position: absolute; height: 100%; width: 100%"></div>
```

### `src/index.css`

```css
#ai-load {
    position: absolute;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    min-height: 480px;
    z-index: 200;
    background-color: rgb(128, 128, 128, 0.5);
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    display: none;
}
.ai-loading-indicator {
    margin: auto;
    width: 48px;
    height: 48px;
    animation: rotation 1s infinite linear;
}

@keyframes rotation {
    from {
        transform: rotate(0deg);
    }

    to {
        transform: rotate(359deg);
    }
}
```

### `src/survey_json.js`

```js
export const surveyJSON = {
    "pages": [{
        "name": "page1",
        "elements": [{
            "type": "html",
            "name": "question1",
            "html": "Click the <b>Upload PDF</b> button and select a PDF form based on which you want to generate a survey."
        }]
    }]
};
```

### `src/index.js`

```js
import { SurveyCreator } from "survey-creator-js";
import "survey-core/survey.i18n";
import "survey-creator-core/survey-creator-core.i18n";
import { Action, ComputedUpdater } from "survey-core";
import { surveyJSON } from "./survey_json";
import "survey-core/survey-core.css";
import "survey-creator-core/survey-creator-core.css";
import "./index.css";

import SurveyTheme from "survey-core/themes";
import { registerCreatorTheme } from "survey-creator-core";

registerCreatorTheme(SurveyTheme); // Add predefined Survey Creator UI themes

const creator = new SurveyCreator();
function extractJsonStringFromAiResponse(raw) {
    if (raw == null || raw === "") return "";
    let s = String(raw).trim();
    if (s.startsWith("```")) {
        s = s.replace(/^```(?:json|javascript|js)?\r?\n?/i, "");
        const end = s.lastIndexOf("```");
        if (end >= 0) s = s.slice(0, end);
        return s.trim();
    }
    const embedded = s.match(/```(?:json|javascript|js)?\r?\n([\s\S]*?)```/i);
    if (embedded) return embedded[1].trim();
    return s;
}

function handleFileSelect(event) {
    const file = event.target.files[0];
    if (!file) return;

    const formData = new FormData();
    formData.append("file", file);
    formData.append("query", 'Generate SurveyJS JSON from the following pages: \n%PDF%\n Return only an object in JSON format.');
    document.getElementById("ai-load").style.display = "flex";
    fetch('/api/ai/pdf', {
        method: 'POST',
        body: formData
    })
    .then(response => response.json())
    .then(data => {
        if (!data.error) {
            const jsonText = extractJsonStringFromAiResponse(data.text);
            let isValid = true;
            try {
                const survey = new Survey.Model();
                survey.fromJSON(JSON.parse(jsonText), { validatePropertyValues: true });
                isValid = !survey.jsonErrors;
            } catch {
                isValid = false;
            }
            if (isValid) {
                creator.text = jsonText;
            } else {
                creator.notify("Generated JSON schema contains errors. Please fix them manually.", "error");
                creator.activeTab = "json";
                setTimeout(() => { creator.getPlugin("json").model.text = jsonText; }, 100)
            }
        } else {
            creator.notify(data.error, "error");
        }
    })
    .catch(error => creator.notify(error, "error"))
    .finally(() => {
        document.getElementById("ai-load").style.display = "none";
    });
}

const pdfToSurveyAction = new Action({
    id: "pdf-to-survey",
    title: "Upload PDF",
    iconName: "icon-folder-24x24",
    visible: new ComputedUpdater(() => creator.activeTab === "designer"),
    action: () => {
        const fileInput = document.createElement("input");
        fileInput.type = "file";
        fileInput.accept = ".pdf";
        fileInput.addEventListener('change', handleFileSelect);
        fileInput.click();
    }
});

// Add a custom button to the toolbar
creator.toolbar.actions.push(pdfToSurveyAction);

// Add a custom button to the bottom toolbar (visible only on mobile devices)
creator.footerToolbar.actions.push(pdfToSurveyAction);

creator.JSON = surveyJSON;
creator.render("surveyCreatorContainer");
```

### `package.json`

```json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "jquery": "latest",
    "survey-core": "latest",
    "survey-js-ui": "latest",
    "survey-creator-core": "latest",
    "survey-creator-js": "latest"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "react-scripts": "latest"
  }
}
```

## Other Frameworks

- [Angular](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/examples/convert-pdf-to-web-survey-ai/angular.md)
- [React](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/examples/convert-pdf-to-web-survey-ai/reactjs.md)
- [Vue 3](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/examples/convert-pdf-to-web-survey-ai/vue3js.md)
- [Vanilla JS](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/examples/convert-pdf-to-web-survey-ai/vanillajs.md)