PDF to Text
Extract all the text from a PDF into a plain .txt file.
- Free, no sign-up
- No watermark
- Files deleted automatically
or drop a file here · paste with Ctrl+V
Up to 1 GB
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About PDF to Text
PDF to Text extracts all the selectable text from a PDF into a plain UTF-8 .txt file — useful for copying content from long reports, feeding text into another program, translating a document or searching it quickly.
Page markers are removed and blank-line runs are tidied so the text reads cleanly. Scanned PDFs contain pictures of text rather than text, so for those the tool suggests running OCR PDF first. Files are sent over HTTPS, processed on our server and deleted automatically after you download the result.
How to use PDF to Text
- Upload the PDF.
- Press Convert.
- Download the .txt file.
Key features
- Extracts all selectable text
- UTF-8 output — works with any language the PDF contains
- Cleans up page markers and extra blank lines
- Clear message for scanned (image-only) PDFs
When to use PDF to Text
- Copying the text of a long report into another document or tool.
- Feeding PDF text into a translator, a word counter or a search tool.
- Extracting text from many pages faster than copying page by page.
Tips and common problems
- If the result is empty, the PDF is a scan — run OCR PDF first.
- Tables and columns become plain lines of text; tidy them in a spreadsheet if needed.
- The .txt file is UTF-8, so open it in a modern editor to see all characters correctly.
Frequently asked questions
The PDF is probably a scan — an image of text. Run OCR PDF to add a text layer, then extract the text.
The output is plain text, so layout is not kept. Text from columns and tables may come out in reading order line by line.
Some PDFs use fonts without proper character mappings, which makes extracted text garbled. In that case OCR gives better results.
Guides
- How to Make a Scanned PDF Searchable (OCR) — Why you cannot search or copy text in a scanned PDF, how OCR adds an invisible text layer, how to get accurate results, and what OCR cannot do.