PDF tools
PDF to Text: convert PDF to text and save as TXT
This PDF to text converter pulls the embedded text out of a PDF and shows it in a box you can copy, or saves it as a UTF-8 TXT file. Choose every page or a range such as 1, 3-5. It runs in your browser and does not run OCR on scanned pages.
Choose a PDF
Embedded text only · No OCR
No PDF selected.
Leave blank for all pages. Use physical page positions starting at 1, not printed labels. Overlaps count once; pages follow document order.
Adds markers such as “--- Page 1 ---”. Pages are always separated by blank lines.
Choose one PDF to begin.
Your text
Your extracted text will appear here.
How to convert a PDF to text
To convert a PDF to text, choose the file, pick the pages, then extract. The page count appears as soon as the file is read, before any text is extracted.
- Select Choose file and pick one PDF. The tool reads it and shows the file name, page count and file size.
- Leave Pages blank to extract every page, or type page numbers and ranges such as 1, 3-5. The numbers are physical page positions starting at 1, not the labels printed on the pages.
- Keep Include page headings checked to put a line such as --- Page 1 --- above each page's text, or clear it for the text alone.
- Select Extract text. The text appears under Your text, with a summary of how many pages had any.
- Select Copy text, or Download TXT to save the file.
Changing Pages or the headings box clears the result, so extract again to see the new selection. Reset clears the file and every setting.
What the TXT file contains
The TXT file holds the embedded text of each selected page, in page order, with a blank line between pages. A PDF named report.pdf gives report-text.txt. With headings on, each page's text sits under a line such as --- Page 2 ---. The file is encoded as UTF-8, so accented letters, Greek and Cyrillic keep their characters.
A page with no embedded text is not dropped without notice. It gets a placeholder line such as [Page 3: no embedded text], and the summary lists the numbers of those pages. If no selected page has any text, the tool offers no download at all.
Pages are read in document order and each page counts once, so the range 3, 1-2 still gives pages 1, 2 and 3 in that order. Formatting, pictures, comments and filled-in form values are not exported.
Limits
This tool reads only text that is stored in the PDF. It does not run OCR, so a scanned page or a photo of a page shows up as a page with no embedded text. Some scans already carry a hidden OCR text layer, and the tool extracts that layer as it is, errors included.
Text follows the order in which the PDF stores it. Columns, tables, ligatures, spacing and right-to-left text can come out in a different order or shape than they look on the page. A PDF with missing character mappings can give wrong or missing characters, so check the text before you use it.
There is no password field, so a password-protected PDF is reported as protected and needs an unlocked copy. A damaged file is reported as unreadable. The tool reads one PDF at a time. A very large file can need more memory than the browser tab has, and Cancel stops a run.
Questions
Is a PDF a TXT file?
No. A PDF places each piece of text at a position on a page, along with fonts, images and layout, while a TXT file holds only characters and line breaks. This tool reads the text a PDF stores for each page and writes it to a separate UTF-8 TXT file. Your original PDF is not changed.
How do I turn a PDF into a TXT file?
Choose the PDF on this page, leave Pages blank for the whole document, and select Extract text. When the text appears, select Download TXT. The file takes the name of the PDF with -text.txt added, so notes.pdf becomes notes-text.txt. Pages without embedded text get a placeholder line instead of being skipped.
How can I copy all the text from a PDF?
Leave Pages blank so every page is included, extract the text, then select Copy text. It copies everything in the Extracted text box, including the page headings when they are on. If the browser blocks clipboard access, the tool selects the text so you can use the Copy command of your browser instead.
Why can't I copy text from my PDF?
Often the page has no text to copy, because it is a scan or a picture of text. This tool lists every selected page that has no embedded text and states that it does not run OCR. Some PDFs also use fonts without character mappings, so their text comes out as wrong or missing characters.
How can I convert a PDF to text for free?
Choose the PDF on this page and select Extract text. There is no account, no sign-in and no price, and the tool sets no page or file-size limit of its own; the memory of your browser tab is the limit. You can extract the same PDF again with a different page range.
Are my files uploaded?
No. The PDF is read and its text extracted by a Web Worker in your browser. The file, its name and its text are not sent to a server or saved in browser storage. Reset clears the file, the text and the download link from the page, and leaving the page clears them too.