PDF to Text
Extract all the text from a PDF so you can copy, edit or search it.
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Runs entirely in your browser. Your files and text are never uploaded to our server.
- Instant results
- 100% free
- No sign-up
- Private
PDF to Text pulls the text out of a PDF into a plain box you can copy or download as a .txt file.
More about PDF to TextHow to use, good to know & FAQ
How to use PDF to Text
- Choose or drop a PDF file.
- Click "Extract text".
- Copy the text or download it as a .txt file.
Good to know
- Scanned PDFs contain pictures of text, not text. For those, an OCR tool is needed; this is planned for a later update.
Frequently asked questions
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is opened and processed by your own browser, and the result is created on your device. Nothing is sent to our server, so it works even with confidential documents.
Why is the result empty?
The PDF is probably a scan (an image of a page). It has no text layer to extract.
Can it read scanned PDFs?
Only PDFs with real text can be extracted. Scanned images need OCR software first.
Is formatting kept?
You get clean plain text; fonts, images and layout are not included.
When to use PDF to Text
- Copy quotes from research papers
- Reuse text from old PDF documents
- Paste PDF content into a word counter or translator
- Search large PDFs more easily as plain text
📘 Read the guide: How to Merge PDF Files Online for Free (Step-by-Step Guide)