Fill PDF forms with AI using client-side tool calling
Built a client-side tool-calling flow that fills PDF forms with AI in the browser.
Source
nip on Hacker News · 2026-05-02 · Project link
Written in our own words. Credit to the original author. Link checked 2026-10-15.
What they did
Built a client-side tool-calling flow that fills PDF forms with AI in the browser.
Result (as claimed)
Demoed on Show HN.
Tools they used
Cost: Pricing depends on the tools you pick; check each official pricing page.
Set it up
Map the task
Write the trigger, the inputs, the decisions and the output. Note which steps need a human yes.
Connect the tools
Set up Claude, ChatGPT with the narrowest permissions that work. Use a test account or sandbox first.
Build the workflow
Create the steps in order. Add an approval step before anything sends, pays or deletes.
Run it on real but low-stakes data
Run a few times, read every output, and fix prompts or rules that misfire.
Schedule and monitor
Turn on the schedule or trigger, and add a daily summary or alert so you notice failures.
Copy the full setup prompt
Paste into your agent and it will walk you through the setup, asking before anything that sends, posts or spends.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Claude Code. Goal: Fill PDF forms with AI using client-side tool calling What the original author did: Built a client-side tool-calling flow that fills PDF forms with AI in the browser. Reported result (as claimed by the author): Demoed on Show HN. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47984675 Tools they used: Claude, ChatGPT Category: Automation & business Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Codex. Goal: Fill PDF forms with AI using client-side tool calling What the original author did: Built a client-side tool-calling flow that fills PDF forms with AI in the browser. Reported result (as claimed by the author): Demoed on Show HN. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47984675 Tools they used: Claude, ChatGPT Category: Automation & business Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Grok Bot. Goal: Fill PDF forms with AI using client-side tool calling What the original author did: Built a client-side tool-calling flow that fills PDF forms with AI in the browser. Reported result (as claimed by the author): Demoed on Show HN. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47984675 Tools they used: Claude, ChatGPT Category: Automation & business Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
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