PDF to Text Converter
Extract the text of a PDF as plain text to copy or save as a .txt file, without uploading the file.
Results are provided as is, for general information. Check anything important before relying on it. See the Terms of Use.
About PDF to Text Converter
Pulls the text out of a PDF and gives it back as plain text you can copy or save as a .txt file. In Paragraphs layout the lines that wrap on the page are joined into paragraphs, a word split by a hyphen at the end of a line is joined back together, and bullets and numbered lines stay on their own lines; in Lines layout every PDF line stays on its own line, which suits code, addresses and poems. Headers, footers and page numbers that repeat in the top or bottom margin of most pages are removed, ligatures such as fi are turned back into letters, and you can mark where each page starts with a Page label. It reads the text layer that the PDF already contains, so a scan or a PDF made of images has nothing to read and the tool says so: there is no OCR. Tables, side-by-side columns, images and footnotes are not detected; text from columns can come out read across the page instead of down. Check the result against the PDF before relying on it. If you want headings and lists kept as Markdown, use PDF to Markdown instead. Password-protected and damaged files are refused with a clear message. Everything runs in your browser; the PDF is never uploaded.
When to use PDF to Text Converter
PDF to Text Converter FAQ
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read in your browser by PDF.js, the open-source PDF reader from Mozilla, and nothing is sent to a server. You can confirm this in your browser's network tab.
Why does it say no text was found?
The PDF is probably a scan or a set of images, so it has pictures of text rather than text. This tool does not do OCR. Run the file through an OCR program first, or use a version exported straight from a word processor.
What is the difference between Paragraphs and Lines?
Paragraphs joins the lines that wrap inside a paragraph and puts a blank line between paragraphs, which is best for reading and pasting. Lines keeps every line exactly where the PDF breaks it, which suits addresses, code and poems.
Why were some lines removed?
The option Remove repeated headers, footers and page numbers drops a line in the top or bottom tenth of a page when the same line (ignoring digits) appears on at least half the pages, and at least three. It needs three or more pages. Switch it off if a real line was dropped.
What happens to tables and columns?
Nothing special. Table cells come out as lines of text, and side-by-side columns can be read across instead of down, so expect to tidy those by hand.
How is this different from PDF to Markdown?
This tool gives plain text with no formatting characters. PDF to Markdown turns larger text into headings and keeps lists, escaping characters that would otherwise change the Markdown.
Is there a limit?
One PDF up to 100 MB and 500 pages, because the work happens in your device's memory. The preview shows the first 200,000 characters; Copy and Download include all of it.