LLMind quickstart

Published 2026-04-22 · 5 min read

Get started with LLMind in 5 minutes. You'll install the tool, enrich your first document, verify the semantic layer was embedded, and learn how to use enriched files with Claude and other AI tools.

Step 1: Install LLMind

LLMind ships as a Python package on PyPI. Install it with pipx (recommended) or uv — both put the CLI on your PATH in an isolated environment without touching your system Python.

Don't have pipx yet? On macOS run brew install pipx && pipx ensurepath; on Debian/Ubuntu run sudo apt install pipx && pipx ensurepath. Open a new terminal afterward. Full per-platform instructions in the install guide. 

pipx install 'llmind-cli[all]'
llmind --version

Requires Python 3.11+. Pick a vision provider with the install extra: [anthropic] for Claude, [openai] for GPT-4o, [gemini] for Gemini, or [all] for every provider. PDF rendering also needs poppler-utils on your system (brew install poppler on macOS, apt install poppler-utils on Debian/Ubuntu). Works on macOS and Linux.

Step 2: Enrich a document

Once installed, you can enrich any document (PDF, image, video, etc.): 

llmind enrich document.pdf

LLMind analyzes the document, extracts structure and entities, and writes a semantic layer inside the file as XMP metadata. The file is modified in-place; a backup is recommended for irreplaceable originals.

Step 3: Verify the layer

To see what was embedded, run: 

llmind inspect document.pdf

This shows the semantic layer: a description, extracted entities, structural summary, and any signatures (if verification is enabled). The layer is now portable—it travels with the file wherever it goes.

Step 4: Use enriched files with Claude

To give Claude access to your enriched files, configure Claude Desktop to run the filesystem MCP server pointed at a directory. Claude will then read your enriched files and automatically parse the semantic layer alongside the raw content.

See the Claude Desktop MCP setup guide for step-by-step configuration and examples.

What's next?

Now that you've enriched your first file, explore these guides: