Practical overview
When it fits
Use it when you have a collection of PDFs and want to ask questions about their contents through one conversational interface.
Who it is for
- People who need to consult information across several PDF documents through a chat interface.
- Developers seeking a self-hostable Python application for document-grounded Gemini question answering.
Documented uses
- Upload multiple PDFs and extract their text for processing.
- Ask conversational questions about information in the uploaded documents.
- Run the application locally or start it with Docker Compose.
Requirements & limits
- The Gemini-powered workflow requires a Google API key configured in a .env file.
- The README documents Docker Compose and a local Python workflow; local development requires Python 3.10 or higher.
- The app extracts PDF text and answers from document context; the available description does not specify file-size or document-count limits.
- The repository is public and carries an MIT license.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Run the app locally and start a PDF chat
Set up the documented local development workflow and reach the PDF chat interface.
Before you start
- Python 3.10 or higher
- A Google API key
- The repository and its requirements.txt
Steps
Clone the repository.
Install dependencies with pip install -r requirements.txt.
Put the Google API key in a .env file as GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_api_key_here.
Start the app with streamlit run main.py.
Upload PDFs in the sidebar and select “Submit & Process”; then use the chat interface.
Expected outcome
A local Streamlit interface for processing uploaded PDFs and asking questions about their contents.
Guide limitations
- The workflow depends on a Google API key.
- The README does not specify limits for file size, PDF count, or document formats beyond PDF.
Start the app with Docker Compose
Build and start the application locally using the documented Docker setup.
Before you start
- Docker installed
- A Google API key
Steps
Set GOOGLE_API_KEY in a .env file.
Run docker compose up --build.
Open http://localhost:8501 when the application is available.
Expected outcome
The app is started locally through Docker Compose at the documented address.
Guide limitations
- The guide does not document cloud deployment as part of this local startup sequence.
- A Google API key is required.
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 12 October 2026
- Original website title
- kaifcoder/gemini_multipdf_chat · Official homepage title · retained in its source language

