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Extract text from a PDF

Pull the words out of a report, a contract or a receipt so you can edit them somewhere else. The text is read page by page and saved as a UTF-8 file you can open in any editor.

Stays on your device Free
1. Add the PDF

Selectable text is pulled out of the pages; scans need OCR, which this tool does not do.

Local only
Drop a PDF here, or click to choose Text is read in your browser

2. Output
What you get

A plain .txt file you can paste into Word, a spreadsheet or a notes app. Formatting, images and tables are not carried over.

Extracted text 

    

      
    

  






  
  Add a PDF to begin.








  
  
Text extracted

  


    

    
 This runs in your browser. Your file is not sent to us.

  






  

    

      
How to use pdf to text

      
    
        
  1. Add the PDF. Drop the file in. The page count appears straight away and nothing is read until you ask.
    2. 
        
  2. Choose the output. Keep or drop the page dividers, and decide whether wrapped lines should be joined into paragraphs.
    3. 
        
  3. Extract and download. The text appears in a preview you can copy, alongside a .txt download.
    4. 
      


      
What you get

      
    
        
  • Plain .txt output that opens anywhere
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  • Optional page dividers for long documents
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  • Reads selectable text, not pictures of text
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  • Nothing is uploaded, so the file stays on your device
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Why this runs in your browser

      
Most free PDF sites ask you to upload your file. Then you wait. Then you hope they delete their copy. That is a bad deal for a payslip, a contract or a passport scan.

      
PDF to Text reads the file on your device and saves the result to your downloads folder. There is no upload and no copy on a server. For the details, see how it works.


      
PDF to Text questions

      

        

          Why is the extracted text empty?
          
The pages probably contain a picture of text rather than real text. That happens with scans and phone photos; reading it needs OCR, which this tool does not do.

        

        

          Does it keep the original layout?
          
No. Text is extracted in reading order, so columns can run together and tables flatten into lines. That is fine for copying paragraphs, less so for reconstructing a form.

        

        

          Are images and tables included?
          
No, only the text. Use PDF to JPG for images, or keep the original PDF when the layout matters.

        

        

          Can I paste the result into Word?
          
Yes. The file is UTF-8 plain text, so Word, Google Docs, Excel and notes apps all accept it. Expect to re-apply formatting yourself.

        

        

          Is there a page limit?
          
No fixed limit. A long document takes longer because every page is read locally rather than on a server.