PDF to Text
A PDF made from a document stores real text, which this tool reads page by page and lets you copy or save as .txt. A scanned PDF has no text layer and needs OCR. Files up to 50 MB, nothing is uploaded.
How to use
- Drop a PDF onto the box, or press it to choose a file (up to 50 MB). The page count is shown.
- Leave Pages empty to read every page, or type a range such as 1-3,5. Tick the page marker box if you want a line like --- 3 --- before each page.
- Press Extract text. The text appears in the box, where you can edit it. Copy it, or save it as a .txt file.
How it works
Most PDFs that were made from a document, a web page or a spreadsheet carry their text as real characters with a position on the page. The tool reads those characters, groups the pieces that sit on the same line from left to right, and starts a new line when the height changes.
A larger gap between lines becomes a blank line, so paragraphs stay apart. Columns, tables and headers are read in the order the file stores them, so complex layouts may need a little tidying.
A scanned PDF is only a picture of text and has no characters to read, so the result is empty. In that case, convert the pages to images first and use the image text tool. Text is read with pdf.js in your browser and is never sent to a server.
FAQ
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The file is read in this browser tab. There is no upload, no account and no copy kept anywhere else.
Why is the result empty or full of strange characters?
An empty result usually means the PDF is a scan, a picture of text. Strange characters can appear when a PDF stores text with a custom font that has no text mapping. In both cases, an image text (OCR) tool works better.
Why are columns and tables mixed up?
A PDF stores where each piece of text goes, not the reading order. The tool follows the order of the file and the lines on the page, so multi-column pages and tables can come out in a different order than you read them.
Does it keep fonts and formatting?
No. You get plain text only. Bold, sizes, colors and images are left out.
Why does it say the file is password protected?
The PDF is encrypted, so it cannot be opened without its password. Open it in a PDF viewer, remove the password (save or print to a new PDF), then add that copy here.