PDF to Text Converter
Get the text of a PDF back as plain text to copy or save as a .txt file, read inside your browser tab so the file is never uploaded
Your PDF
Click to choose a PDF, or drop it here
PDF files only. We set no size limit; very large files depend on your device’s memory.
Leave empty for all pages, or type something like 1-3, 5
Joining lines is useful for text that will be reflowed; it keeps a line break after a sentence-ending mark and between paragraphs. Only PDFs with selectable text work: a scan needs OCR, which this tool does not do.
Choose a PDF to extract its text
How to use it
- Click the box and choose a PDF, or drop the file on it.
- Optionally type the pages you want, such as 1-3, 5. Empty means every page.
- Decide whether to add a “Page n” marker and whether to join the lines inside paragraphs.
- Read the text in the box, then press Copy or Download .txt.
Example
A 12-page report with selectable text, with the pages box left empty, gives all 12 pages in order, each starting with “--- Page n ---”. Typing 3-5 gives only those three pages. A PDF made by scanning paper gives back no text at all, and the tool says so instead of showing an empty box.
Methodology
What is read. Many PDFs store their text as small fragments, each with a position on the page. The browser reads those fragments with the open-source PDF.js library, which is served from this site, and the tool puts them back into lines by comparing their positions: a new line starts when the vertical position changes, a space is added when two fragments sit apart, and a blank line is added when the gap is much larger than the line height. The optional paragraph join then replaces line breaks inside a paragraph with spaces, except after a sentence-ending mark.
What to Know Before You Extract Text from a PDF
- Text or picture? Try selecting a word with your mouse in a PDF viewer. If you can, the file has text; if the whole page highlights as one block, it is an image.
- Columns and tables. Text in several columns or in a table may come out line by line across the page. Extracting one page at a time makes problems easier to spot.
- Odd characters. Some PDFs use custom fonts or ligatures that turn into symbols or missing letters. Check names, numbers and quotations against the original.
- Your right to use the text. Extracting text from a document does not change who owns it; use it according to the document’s terms.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work on scanned PDFs? ▼
No. A scan is a picture of a page, and reading letters from a picture needs OCR, which this tool does not do. If you can select text with your mouse in a PDF viewer, this tool will work.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server? ▼
No. The PDF is read inside your browser tab. The page only downloads its own scripts, so contracts or personal documents stay on your device.
Why is the text out of order or split across lines? ▼
A PDF stores positioned fragments of text, not paragraphs. Columns, tables and text boxes can therefore come out in a different order. Try one page at a time, or turn on joining lines for plain paragraphs.
Can it open a password-protected PDF? ▼
No. If the file needs a password to open, the tool says so and stops. You would need an unprotected copy that you are allowed to use.
Is there a page or size limit? ▼
We set none. Very long or heavy PDFs depend on your device’s memory, so for those use the page box to extract a range at a time.
What does “Pages without text” mean? ▼
It counts the pages in your selection where no selectable text was found, for example full-page images or blank pages.