PDF to Text Converter
Extract all readable text from any PDF document — copy it or download as a .txt file.
What is PDF to Text Converter?
This tool extracts all readable text content from PDF files directly in your browser. Whether you need to pull quotes from a research paper, copy content from a report, or make a PDF searchable in your notes, this converter parses every page and outputs clean plain text. The extraction preserves reading order and separates content by page for easy navigation.
Unlike cloud-based extractors that upload your documents to third-party servers, this runs entirely in your browser using Mozilla's PDF.js library. Your PDF never leaves your device.
How to Extract Text from a PDF
- Upload your PDF — drag and drop or click to browse for your file.
- Wait for extraction — the tool parses each page and extracts text in reading order.
- Review the output — extracted text appears in a scrollable panel, organized by page number.
- Copy or download — copy all text to your clipboard, or download as a .txt file.
What Kinds of PDFs Work?
This tool works with any PDF that contains actual text data — which includes most PDFs created from Word documents, web pages, LaTeX, or other digital sources. It does not work with scanned documents (image-only PDFs) since those contain pictures of text rather than actual text data. If your PDF is a scan, use our PDF to Images converter to export the pages, then run them through an OCR tool.
When to Use PDF to Text
- Extracting quotes or data from academic papers for your research notes
- Copying content from PDF reports into spreadsheets or documents
- Making PDF content searchable in plain-text note systems
- Pulling text from PDF invoices or contracts for record-keeping
- Converting PDF documentation to editable text for updates
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it preserve the original formatting?
The tool extracts raw text in reading order. Structural elements like tables, columns, and headers are captured as text but may not retain their visual layout. For layout-preserving conversion, export to images instead.
Is there a page limit?
No hard limit. Large PDFs (100+ pages) may take longer depending on your device's processing power, but all pages will be extracted.
Can it extract text from password-protected PDFs?
If the PDF requires a password to open, it cannot be processed. PDFs with print/copy restrictions (but no open password) can usually still be extracted.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The extraction happens entirely in your browser using PDF.js. Your document never leaves your device.