Convert PDF to text online
Pull the text out of a PDF into a plain .txt file — for search, for pasting into another document, or for anything that needs the words without the layout.
This reads the text layer that is already in the file, the same text a PDF viewer lets you select and copy. It cannot read text baked into an image — a scanned page has no text layer at all, only a picture of one.
Your file never leaves your device. Extraction runs entirely in your browser, so nothing is uploaded, stored, or scanned.
or drop them here — nothing is uploaded
How to pdf to text
Add your PDF
Drop one PDF into the box, or click to browse.
Extract and download
Press PDF to Text. A .txt file downloads with every page's text, in reading order.
Frequently asked questions
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. Extraction runs in your browser using JavaScript, so your file stays on your device. You can confirm this by opening your browser devtools Network tab while working — there are no upload requests.
Why did I get an empty or near-empty file?
This means the PDF has no real text layer — almost always because it is a scanned document: a picture of a page, with no underlying text a computer can read, only what a human eye can see. This tool extracts existing text; it does not read text out of an image.
Does this preserve the original layout, like columns or tables?
Not precisely. Lines are reconstructed from each character's position on the page, which handles ordinary paragraphs well but does not reliably preserve multi-column layouts, tables, or text boxes in their original visual arrangement. For those, treat the output as the words, not the formatting.
Is there a version that keeps pages separate, or outputs structured data?
Yes — PDF to JSON gives you the same extraction with pages kept apart, as structured data instead of one plain file.
Can this convert a password-protected PDF?
Not directly — unlock it first, using a password you know.
Can this read handwriting or text inside a photo?
No — this reads a PDF's existing text layer only. Recognising text inside an image is a different technology (OCR), which this tool does not do.