Extract Text from PDF
Convert PDF to text: extract the text from one or many PDFs, all pages or a range, and save it as a TXT file. Runs in your browser. Scanned PDFs need PDF OCR first.
Most tools never upload your files
Extract Text Content from PDF Files
Extracting Text from PDFs
Need text out of a PDF without copying page by page? This does it for you, pulling all the text into a plain TXT file. Whether you need to extract for editing, analysis, or repurposing, makes it simple.
Prep
Get your PDF ready:
- Have it accessible on computer, phone, or cloud
- Works with PDFs that contain real, selectable text. Scanned docs need PDF OCR first
- Ensure you have rights to extract text
- Larger files take longer, and files up to 100 MB are supported
Upload
Start extraction:
- Click to choose files or drag and drop them
- Choose from any location on device
- Accepts PDFs up to 100 MB each
- Add several PDFs at once if you need text from all of them
- Filename and size displayed after upload
Extraction Options
Customize how text is extracted:
- Pages: all pages or a custom range such as 1-3, 7
- Line breaks from the PDF are kept and trailing spaces are trimmed
- Each page starts with a marker so you can see where it begins
Start Extraction
One click:
- Click "Extract text"
- Most PDFs extract in seconds
- Progress indicators show page processing
Different PDF Types
Handles various formats:
- Standard PDFs: direct and accurate extraction
- Scanned PDFs: no text layer, so run PDF OCR first. The tool tells you if no text was found
- Password-protected: can't extract unless password removed first
- Multi-language: any language stored as real text in the PDF comes out as Unicode text
- Image-heavy: skips images, focuses on text
Results
Once done:
- Check the result before you download it
- One TXT file per PDF, with page markers
Export
Save extracted text multiple ways:
- Download as TXT: plain text file
- Need Markdown with headings and tables? Use PDF to Markdown
- Several files download together as a ZIP
Scanned PDFs
For image-based docs:
- Run them through PDF OCR first, which can save the text straight to a TXT file
- Accuracy depends on scan quality
- PDF OCR supports 15 languages, plus an optional second language
Advanced Features
More capabilities:
- Page selection: extract only from specific pages
- Format cleanup: trailing spaces removed at line ends
- Batch processing: extract from multiple files at once
Tips
Best results:
- Use clear, high-quality PDFs
- For scanned docs, ensure good contrast and legibility
- Choose the page range you need
- For scans, check OCR accuracy before relying on the text
- Keep the TXT file next to the PDF for quick searching
Uses
Perfect for:
- Content repurposing: extract to reuse in other docs
- Data analysis: pull text for research
- Accessibility: make content available for screen readers
- Editing: extract when original source unavailable
- Translation: extract for translation
- Archive searching: pull text from old digital PDFs into searchable notes
Privacy
Docs handled securely:
- Files processed locally in your browser
- Nothing is uploaded, so there is nothing to delete afterwards
- No storage of your docs on servers
- No transfer needed: the file never leaves your device
- Private processing with no data sharing
For PDFs with selectable text, extraction is fast and accurate. For scanned PDFs or photos of text, use PDF OCR to recognize the words first, then you can extract, search and edit them.
Features
- Full text extraction
- Preserve formatting
- OCR for scanned PDFs
- Batch extraction
Frequently asked questions
How do I extract text from a PDF?
Add one or more PDFs, choose all pages or a page range and click Extract text. You download a TXT file for each PDF, with a marker showing where each page starts.
Can it extract text from a scanned PDF?
No. A scanned PDF contains pictures of pages, not real text, so there is nothing to extract. Use PDF OCR to recognize the text first; it can save the result straight to a TXT file.
Is the formatting kept?
The output is plain text. Line breaks are kept, but fonts, bold, colors and table layout are not. If you need an editable document with formatting, use PDF to Word.
Can I extract text from several PDFs at once?
Yes. Add multiple files and each one becomes its own TXT file. When there is more than one, you can download them together as a ZIP.
Why does the text come out in a strange order?
Text is read in the order it is stored in the PDF. Multi column layouts, sidebars and text boxes can be stored in an unexpected order. PDF to Markdown handles two column pages better.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The text is extracted in your browser, so your PDF never leaves your device. It is free, with no sign up.
Can I rip text from a PDF and paste it into Word?
Yes. Extract the text, download the TXT file and open it in any text editor, then copy the text into Word, Google Docs or an email. You get the words and line breaks only, so it is ideal for quoting or reusing content. If you need the layout too, use PDF to Word.