fix(napi): copy async task input on the JS thread for soundness

Review feedback on #337: holding the napi Buffer and reading it from
the libuv worker was unsound. Buffer derefs straight to the JS-side
allocation, so a caller mutating it before the promise settled would
race the worker's reads — undefined behavior, not a recoverable error,
and the documented don't-mutate contract was unenforceable. Deferring
the copy to compute() would not help: any off-thread read races the
same way. The JS thread is the only race-free place to take the copy,
because JS is single-threaded and nothing can mutate the buffer during
the synchronous part of the call.

Revert to an owned Vec<u8> copied at call time. The cost is one memcpy,
negligible next to the parse the async variants exist to unblock. Docs
now state the buffer may be reused or mutated immediately, and a test
locks in the copy semantics by mutating the input while a parse is in
flight.

Co-authored-by: Abimael Martell <abimaelmartell@users.noreply.github.com>

napi/README.md

@@ -83,6 +83,22 @@ for (const region of result[0].regions) {
 }
 ```
 
+### Async variants
+
+`processPdf`, `classifyPdf`, and `extractPagesMarkdown` are synchronous and parse on the calling thread — in Node, that's the event loop. For a one-off call in a script that's fine, but in a server a large document can hold the loop for tens to hundreds of milliseconds.
+
+`processPdfAsync`, `classifyPdfAsync`, and `extractPagesMarkdownAsync` take the same arguments and produce the same results, but run the parse on the libuv thread pool and return a promise, keeping the event loop free. The input buffer is copied before the call returns, so it's safe to reuse or mutate immediately:
+
+```typescript
+import { classifyPdfAsync, extractPagesMarkdownAsync } from '@firecrawl/pdf-inspector'
+
+const classification = await classifyPdfAsync(pdf)
+if (classification.pdfType === 'TextBased') {
+  const { pages } = await extractPagesMarkdownAsync(pdf)
+  // ...
+}
+```
+
 ## Types
 
 ```typescript

napi/src/lib.rs

@@ -153,9 +153,7 @@ fn to_napi_result(r: pdf_inspector::PdfProcessResult) -> PdfResult {
     }
 }
 
-fn to_napi_page_ocr_reasons(
+fn to_napi_page_ocr_reasons(reasons: Vec<pdf_inspector::PageOcrReasons>) -> Vec<PageOcrReasons> {
-    reasons: Vec<pdf_inspector::PageOcrReasons>,
-) -> Vec<PageOcrReasons> {
     reasons
         .into_iter()
         .map(|reason| PageOcrReasons {
@@ -202,6 +200,31 @@ where
     }
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Shared implementations (single body behind sync and async entry points)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+fn process_pdf_impl(bytes: &[u8], pages: Option<Vec<u32>>) -> Result<PdfResult> {
+    let mut opts = pdf_inspector::PdfOptions::new();
+    if let Some(p) = pages {
+        opts = opts.pages(p);
+    }
+    let result = pdf_inspector::process_pdf_mem_with_options(bytes, opts)
+        .map_err(|e| to_napi_err(e, "process_pdf"))?;
+    Ok(to_napi_result(result))
+}
+
+fn classify_pdf_impl(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<PdfClassification> {
+    let result =
+        pdf_inspector::classify_pdf_mem(bytes).map_err(|e| to_napi_err(e, "classify_pdf"))?;
+    Ok(PdfClassification {
+        pdf_type: convert_pdf_type(result.pdf_type),
+        page_count: result.page_count,
+        pages_needing_ocr: result.pages_needing_ocr,
+        confidence: result.confidence as f64,
+    })
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Public NAPI API
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -210,15 +233,7 @@ where
 #[napi]
 pub fn process_pdf(buffer: Buffer, pages: Option<Vec<u32>>) -> Result<PdfResult> {
     let bytes: Vec<u8> = buffer.to_vec();
-    catch_panic("process_pdf", move || {
+    catch_panic("process_pdf", move || process_pdf_impl(&bytes, pages))
-        let mut opts = pdf_inspector::PdfOptions::new();
-        if let Some(p) = pages {
-            opts = opts.pages(p);
-        }
-        let result = pdf_inspector::process_pdf_mem_with_options(&bytes, opts)
-            .map_err(|e| to_napi_err(e, "process_pdf"))?;
-        Ok(to_napi_result(result))
-    })
 }
 
 /// Fast detection only — no text extraction or markdown.
@@ -238,16 +253,7 @@ pub fn detect_pdf(buffer: Buffer) -> Result<PdfResult> {
 #[napi]
 pub fn classify_pdf(buffer: Buffer) -> Result<PdfClassification> {
     let bytes: Vec<u8> = buffer.to_vec();
-    catch_panic("classify_pdf", move || {
+    catch_panic("classify_pdf", move || classify_pdf_impl(&bytes))
-        let result =
-            pdf_inspector::classify_pdf_mem(&bytes).map_err(|e| to_napi_err(e, "classify_pdf"))?;
-        Ok(PdfClassification {
-            pdf_type: convert_pdf_type(result.pdf_type),
-            page_count: result.page_count,
-            pages_needing_ocr: result.pages_needing_ocr,
-            confidence: result.confidence as f64,
-        })
-    })
 }
 
 /// Extract plain text from a PDF Buffer.
@@ -633,25 +639,32 @@ pub fn extract_pages_markdown(
 ) -> Result<PagesExtractionResult> {
     let bytes: Vec<u8> = buffer.to_vec();
     catch_panic("extract_pages_markdown", move || {
-        let result = pdf_inspector::extract_pages_markdown_mem(&bytes, pages.as_deref())
+        extract_pages_markdown_impl(&bytes, pages.as_deref())
-            .map_err(|e| to_napi_err(e, "extract_pages_markdown"))?;
+    })
-        Ok(PagesExtractionResult {
+}
-            pages: result
+
-                .pages
+fn extract_pages_markdown_impl(
-                .into_iter()
+    bytes: &[u8],
-                .map(|r| PageMarkdownResult {
+    pages: Option<&[u32]>,
-                    page: r.page,
+) -> Result<PagesExtractionResult> {
-                    markdown: r.markdown,
+    let result = pdf_inspector::extract_pages_markdown_mem(bytes, pages)
-                    needs_ocr: r.needs_ocr,
+        .map_err(|e| to_napi_err(e, "extract_pages_markdown"))?;
-                    ocr_reason: r.ocr_reason,
+    Ok(PagesExtractionResult {
-                })
+        pages: result
-                .collect(),
+            .pages
-            pages_with_tables: result.pages_with_tables,
+            .into_iter()
-            pages_with_columns: result.pages_with_columns,
+            .map(|r| PageMarkdownResult {
-            pages_needing_ocr: result.pages_needing_ocr,
+                page: r.page,
-            ocr_reasons_by_page: to_napi_page_ocr_reasons(result.ocr_reasons_by_page),
+                markdown: r.markdown,
-            is_complex: result.is_complex,
+                needs_ocr: r.needs_ocr,
-        })
+                ocr_reason: r.ocr_reason,
+            })
+            .collect(),
+        pages_with_tables: result.pages_with_tables,
+        pages_with_columns: result.pages_with_columns,
+        pages_needing_ocr: result.pages_needing_ocr,
+        ocr_reasons_by_page: to_napi_page_ocr_reasons(result.ocr_reasons_by_page),
+        is_complex: result.is_complex,
     })
 }
 
@@ -692,3 +705,131 @@ fn to_page_region_texts(results: Vec<pdf_inspector::PageRegionResult>) -> Vec<Pa
         })
         .collect()
 }
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Async variants (libuv thread pool via AsyncTask)
+//
+// The synchronous exports above parse on the calling thread, which in Node is
+// the event loop. These `*Async` variants run the same shared implementations
+// on the libuv thread pool and hand JavaScript a promise, so servers under
+// concurrent load keep answering requests while a document parses. The sync
+// exports keep their names, signatures, and behaviour.
+//
+// Each factory copies the input Buffer to an owned `Vec<u8>` on the calling
+// (JS) thread — deliberately. JS execution is single-threaded, so no JS code
+// can mutate the buffer while the synchronous part of the call copies it.
+// Holding the napi `Buffer` and reading it from the worker instead would be
+// zero-copy, but a caller mutating the buffer before the promise settles
+// would then race the worker's reads — undefined behavior, not a recoverable
+// error (a known napi-rs soundness hazard with cross-thread Buffer access).
+// The copy is a one-time memcpy, negligible next to the parse it unblocks.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+pub struct ProcessPdfTask {
+    bytes: Vec<u8>,
+    pages: Option<Vec<u32>>,
+}
+
+impl Task for ProcessPdfTask {
+    type Output = PdfResult;
+    type JsValue = PdfResult;
+
+    fn compute(&mut self) -> Result<Self::Output> {
+        let bytes = std::mem::take(&mut self.bytes);
+        let pages = self.pages.take();
+        // AssertUnwindSafe: `bytes`/`pages` are moved into the closure and
+        // dropped on unwind — no shared state can be observed broken.
+        catch_panic(
+            "process_pdf",
+            panic::AssertUnwindSafe(move || process_pdf_impl(&bytes, pages)),
+        )
+    }
+
+    fn resolve(&mut self, _env: Env, output: Self::Output) -> Result<Self::JsValue> {
+        Ok(output)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Async variant of [`processPdf`]: same result, but the parse runs on the
+/// libuv thread pool instead of the event loop and the call returns a
+/// promise. The buffer is copied before the call returns, so it may be
+/// reused or mutated immediately.
+// ts_return_type is required: napi-rs emits `Promise<unknown>` for
+// `AsyncTask<T>` returns without it.
+#[napi(ts_return_type = "Promise<PdfResult>")]
+pub fn process_pdf_async(buffer: Buffer, pages: Option<Vec<u32>>) -> AsyncTask<ProcessPdfTask> {
+    AsyncTask::new(ProcessPdfTask {
+        bytes: buffer.to_vec(),
+        pages,
+    })
+}
+
+pub struct ClassifyPdfTask {
+    bytes: Vec<u8>,
+}
+
+impl Task for ClassifyPdfTask {
+    type Output = PdfClassification;
+    type JsValue = PdfClassification;
+
+    fn compute(&mut self) -> Result<Self::Output> {
+        let bytes = std::mem::take(&mut self.bytes);
+        catch_panic(
+            "classify_pdf",
+            panic::AssertUnwindSafe(move || classify_pdf_impl(&bytes)),
+        )
+    }
+
+    fn resolve(&mut self, _env: Env, output: Self::Output) -> Result<Self::JsValue> {
+        Ok(output)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Async variant of [`classifyPdf`]: same result, but the classification runs
+/// on the libuv thread pool instead of the event loop and the call returns a
+/// promise. The buffer is copied before the call returns, so it may be
+/// reused or mutated immediately.
+#[napi(ts_return_type = "Promise<PdfClassification>")]
+pub fn classify_pdf_async(buffer: Buffer) -> AsyncTask<ClassifyPdfTask> {
+    AsyncTask::new(ClassifyPdfTask {
+        bytes: buffer.to_vec(),
+    })
+}
+
+pub struct ExtractPagesMarkdownTask {
+    bytes: Vec<u8>,
+    pages: Option<Vec<u32>>,
+}
+
+impl Task for ExtractPagesMarkdownTask {
+    type Output = PagesExtractionResult;
+    type JsValue = PagesExtractionResult;
+
+    fn compute(&mut self) -> Result<Self::Output> {
+        let bytes = std::mem::take(&mut self.bytes);
+        let pages = self.pages.take();
+        catch_panic(
+            "extract_pages_markdown",
+            panic::AssertUnwindSafe(move || extract_pages_markdown_impl(&bytes, pages.as_deref())),
+        )
+    }
+
+    fn resolve(&mut self, _env: Env, output: Self::Output) -> Result<Self::JsValue> {
+        Ok(output)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Async variant of [`extractPagesMarkdown`]: same result, but the extraction
+/// runs on the libuv thread pool instead of the event loop and the call
+/// returns a promise. The buffer is copied before the call returns, so it
+/// may be reused or mutated immediately.
+#[napi(ts_return_type = "Promise<PagesExtractionResult>")]
+pub fn extract_pages_markdown_async(
+    buffer: Buffer,
+    pages: Option<Vec<u32>>,
+) -> AsyncTask<ExtractPagesMarkdownTask> {
+    AsyncTask::new(ExtractPagesMarkdownTask {
+        bytes: buffer.to_vec(),
+        pages,
+    })
+}

napi/test.mjs

@@ -2,13 +2,16 @@ import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
 import { strict as assert } from 'assert';
 import {
   processPdf,
+  processPdfAsync,
   detectPdf,
   classifyPdf,
+  classifyPdfAsync,
   extractText,
   extractTextWithPositions,
   extractTextInRegions,
   detectVectorGridInRegion,
   extractPagesMarkdown,
+  extractPagesMarkdownAsync,
 } from './index.js';
 
 const fixture = readFileSync('../tests/fixtures/thermo-freon12.pdf');
@@ -124,10 +127,75 @@ assert.equal(picked.pages[0].page, 2);
 assert.equal(picked.pages[1].page, 0);
 console.log('  extractPagesMarkdown with pages: OK');
 
+// --- Async variants ---
+console.log('Testing async variants...');
+
+// processPdfAsync returns a promise and matches the sync result
+const asyncResultPromise = processPdfAsync(fixture);
+assert.ok(asyncResultPromise instanceof Promise);
+const asyncResult = await asyncResultPromise;
+assert.equal(asyncResult.pdfType, result.pdfType);
+assert.equal(asyncResult.pageCount, result.pageCount);
+assert.equal(asyncResult.markdown, result.markdown);
+console.log('  processPdfAsync: OK');
+
+// processPdfAsync with pages
+const asyncResult2 = await processPdfAsync(fixture, [1]);
+assert.equal(asyncResult2.markdown, result2.markdown);
+console.log('  processPdfAsync with pages: OK');
+
+// classifyPdfAsync matches the sync result
+const asyncClassified = await classifyPdfAsync(fixture);
+assert.equal(asyncClassified.pdfType, classified.pdfType);
+assert.equal(asyncClassified.pageCount, classified.pageCount);
+assert.equal(asyncClassified.confidence, classified.confidence);
+assert.deepEqual(asyncClassified.pagesNeedingOcr, classified.pagesNeedingOcr);
+console.log('  classifyPdfAsync: OK');
+
+// extractPagesMarkdownAsync matches the sync result
+const asyncAllPages = await extractPagesMarkdownAsync(fixture);
+assert.equal(asyncAllPages.pages.length, allPages.pages.length);
+assert.deepEqual(
+  asyncAllPages.pages.map(p => p.markdown),
+  allPages.pages.map(p => p.markdown),
+);
+assert.equal(asyncAllPages.isComplex, allPages.isComplex);
+console.log('  extractPagesMarkdownAsync: OK');
+
+// selected pages preserve caller order
+const asyncPicked = await extractPagesMarkdownAsync(fixture, [2, 0]);
+assert.equal(asyncPicked.pages.length, 2);
+assert.equal(asyncPicked.pages[0].page, 2);
+assert.equal(asyncPicked.pages[1].page, 0);
+console.log('  extractPagesMarkdownAsync with pages: OK');
+
+// input buffer is copied at call time: mutating it immediately after the
+// call must not affect the in-flight parse
+const scratch = Buffer.from(fixture);
+const inFlight = processPdfAsync(scratch);
+scratch.fill(0);
+const fromMutated = await inFlight;
+assert.equal(fromMutated.markdown, result.markdown);
+console.log('  processPdfAsync input copied at call time: OK');
+
+// concurrent async calls all settle
+const [c1, c2, c3] = await Promise.all([
+  processPdfAsync(fixture),
+  classifyPdfAsync(fixture),
+  extractPagesMarkdownAsync(fixture),
+]);
+assert.equal(c1.pdfType, 'TextBased');
+assert.equal(c2.pdfType, 'TextBased');
+assert.equal(c3.pages.length, 3);
+console.log('  concurrent async calls: OK');
+
 // --- Error handling ---
 console.log('Testing error handling...');
 assert.throws(() => processPdf(Buffer.from('not a pdf')), /process_pdf/);
 assert.throws(() => classifyPdf(Buffer.from('')), /classify_pdf/);
+await assert.rejects(processPdfAsync(Buffer.from('not a pdf')), /process_pdf/);
+await assert.rejects(classifyPdfAsync(Buffer.from('')), /classify_pdf/);
+await assert.rejects(extractPagesMarkdownAsync(Buffer.from('')), /extract_pages_markdown/);
 console.log('  error handling: OK');
 
 console.log('\nAll NAPI tests passed!');