PDF to text
Extract selectable text, review it and save a TXT file while your PDF stays in your browser.
Text arrangement
Try approximate layout for tables and columns. Alignment may need correction.
The PDF is processed locally in your browser; the file is not uploaded. Reading text follows the order stored in the PDF, so columns and tables may appear in an unexpected order.
How to extract text from a PDF
- Start with PDF to text by choosing a PDF or dropping it into the file area. If prompted, enter the document’s password.
- Leave Pages empty to process the whole document, or enter a selection. For example, 1-3, 5 extracts four pages in that order.
- Choose Reading text for ordinary paragraphs. Try Approximate layout when spaces between columns or table entries matter.
- Keep Page separators enabled to identify the source pages, then select Extract text. Review any notice about pages without usable text.
- Correct the editable result, then copy it or download a UTF-8 .txt file. Both actions use the text currently shown.
Practical ways to use the extracted text
- Copy text from PDF reports into working notes without retyping whole paragraphs.
- Save the wording of a digital document as plain text for later editing.
- Collect selected manual pages while retaining page labels for reference.
- Inspect text from a table with approximate spacing before correcting its alignment.
- Check word and character totals while removing unwanted headings from the result.
Questions about PDF text extraction
Why does a page produce no text?
A scan can contain pictures of letters without a text layer. This tool does not perform OCR. Pages with fewer than three non-space characters are reported as having no usable text; blank pages also trigger this notice.
Which text arrangement should I choose?
Reading text follows the PDF’s stored item order and uses positions to add spacing and line breaks. Approximate layout arranges items from top to bottom and left to right, adding spaces between them. Neither mode guarantees the original reading order for complex columns.
Why are spaces missing or characters incorrect?
PDFs store positioned text fragments, and some fonts have incomplete character mappings. Try the other arrangement mode and compare the output with the original. You can correct the extracted text before exporting it.
Can I extract text from a password-protected PDF?
Enter the password when the field appears, then select Open. You need the correct password; the tool does not bypass it. The password is held in memory only for that load.
Does PDF to TXT preserve Word formatting?
TXT contains plain text, with line breaks and spaces. It does not retain fonts, images, interactive forms or digital signatures, and this tool does not export Word documents. Generated page labels are excluded from the counts; character totals also exclude line breaks.
Is my PDF uploaded, and can I process a large file?
The file is processed locally in your browser and is not uploaded. Large documents can take longer or exceed available device memory. Selecting fewer pages reduces extraction work, although the browser still needs to open the PDF.