PDF to text
Pull the text out of your PDF to copy it or save it as a .txt file. If the document is a scan, the tool reads it with OCR.
Drop your file hereTap to choose your file
or click to choosePDF · up to 200 MB
Processed on your device: nothing is uploaded
The PDF could not be opened
Pages
Leave empty to use all pages. You can also select the thumbnails.
Some pages have no selectable text
Options
Recognition runs on your device. The first time, about 3 MB of language data is downloaded; after that it is kept in your browser.
No text found
Extracted text
If you change the format options, the text is generated again and your corrections are lost.
How to use it
- Drag your PDF onto the box or select it to choose a file. If it has a password, the tool asks for it.
- Choose the pages. If some are photos or scans, the tool tells you and reads them with OCR.
- Select “Extract text.” You can keep the line breaks from the PDF or join each paragraph into one line.
- Fix anything you need in the text box, then select “Copy text” or “Download .txt.”
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The text is read inside your browser, on your own device. Even text recognition (OCR) runs locally: your file and the extracted text never leave it.
What is OCR and when do I need it?
A PDF made from Word or a web page stores its text as text, so you can copy it directly. A scanned or photographed PDF stores only a picture of each page. OCR (optical character recognition) “reads” that picture and turns it into text. The tool detects this by itself and uses OCR only on the pages that have no text.
How accurate is the text recognition?
With sharp scans and printed type it gets the vast majority of words right, but it can slip on crooked photos, handwriting, stamps, tables, or very small print. Check the result in the text box before you use it: you can correct it right there.
Are the formatting, tables, and images kept?
No. This tool gives you plain text: no bold, colors, images, or tables. Paragraphs and line breaks are rebuilt as well as possible. If you need to recreate the document with its formatting, it is better to ask for the original file (Word, for example).
Why does the text come out with strange symbols or cut off?
Some PDFs use fonts without a character table, so copying them gives meaningless symbols. When the tool detects this, it suggests using OCR on those pages. You can also choose “OCR on all pages” to ignore the text built into the PDF.
Which languages does OCR recognize?
English, Spanish, or both at once. The first time, a few megabytes of language data are downloaded and then kept in your browser, and all the recognition happens on your device.
Real text or just a picture
Before you extract anything, it helps to know how the file was made. If you can select words with the cursor in your PDF viewer, the document has real text and extraction is instant and exact. If dragging the cursor highlights the whole page like a photo, it is a scan, and the text has to be recognized with OCR.
Line breaks or paragraphs
- Keep line breaks: respects every line. It is best for lists, addresses, poems, and simple tables, where each line makes sense on its own.
- Join paragraphs: puts the lines of a paragraph together and repairs words split with a hyphen at the end of a line. It is ideal for pasting the text into an email, a document, or a translator.
Tips for good recognition
- Scan at 300 dpi or higher, with the page straight and well lit.
- Pick the right language: “Spanish and English” recognizes both, but a little slower.
- Check numbers, proper names, and accent marks: they are what gets confused most.
- If you later want a new, lightweight PDF with the corrected text, paste it into Text to PDF.
Updated on September 29, 2026