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Extract Text from a PDF

Processed entirely in your browser. Never uploaded to a server.

Drop PDF files here or click to browse

Processed entirely in your browser. Never uploaded to a server.

Turn a text based PDF into a simple TXT file without uploading the document. This is useful when you need to search, quote, archive, or reuse copy from a report, invoice, or document that already contains selectable text.

The tool reads the PDF text layer page by page and combines it into one UTF-8 text file. It does not perform OCR, so scanned pages with no selectable text will produce little or no output. PDF layout is also not carried over exactly, particularly for columns and tables. For images of pages, use PDF to PNG instead.

FAQ

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. Text extraction happens entirely in your browser. The PDF and the resulting text file stay on your device.
Can this read scanned PDFs?
Not yet. This tool extracts the selectable text already inside a PDF. A scan is usually just an image, so it needs OCR before text can be read from it.
Will the TXT file keep the original layout?
Plain text has no pages, columns, fonts, or positioned elements. The words are preserved where a text layer exists, but complex tables and multi-column layouts may need tidy-up afterwards.
What file do I download?
You get a UTF-8 .txt file. It opens in TextEdit, Notepad, VS Code, and most other text editors.
Can I use this to copy text from a protected PDF?
No. The tool only reads PDFs your browser can already open. It does not bypass passwords, permissions, or other document restrictions.

Wondering why some PDFs come back empty? Read why you can't select text in some PDFs.