PDF to Text
Pull the text layer out of a PDF and copy it or download it as a .txt file. Everything runs in your browser — the PDF is never uploaded.
About PDF to Text
This tool reads the text layer embedded in a PDF and gives it back to you as plain text. Most PDFs produced by word processors, invoicing systems, report generators and export pipelines carry that layer, which is why you can normally select text in a PDF reader — this extracts exactly what a reader would let you select, across every page at once.
Extraction happens entirely inside your browser using Mozilla's PDF.js engine. The file is read into memory, parsed, and discarded when you close the tab. Nothing is transmitted, which means confidential contracts, medical records and internal reports can be processed without them ever reaching a third-party server.
Page breaks are preserved so the output stays navigable, and you can either copy the result to your clipboard or download it as a .txt file ready for a spreadsheet, a search index, or a language model prompt.
How to use it
- 1Drop a PDF onto the upload area, or click to browse for one.
- 2Wait for the page count to appear — extraction starts automatically.
- 3Review the extracted text in the output panel.
- 4Copy it to your clipboard, or download it as a .txt file.
Common uses
- Getting quotable text out of a report without retyping it
- Preparing PDF content for a search index or a language model
- Auditing what text a PDF actually exposes to screen readers and crawlers
- Checking whether a scanned document has a real text layer or needs OCR
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is read and parsed entirely in your browser using JavaScript. It is never transmitted anywhere, which is why the tool keeps working if you disconnect from the internet after the page loads.
Why does my PDF produce no text?
Because it has no text layer. Scans and photographs of documents are images of text, not text, so there is nothing to extract. Those need optical character recognition instead — use the OCR PDF tool, which recognises characters from the page image.
Does it preserve the original layout?
Not exactly. It preserves reading order and page breaks, but not columns, tables or absolute positioning. PDF stores text as positioned fragments rather than structured paragraphs, so any converter has to make judgement calls about how those fragments join up.
Is there a file size limit?
The tool accepts PDFs up to 100 MB. The real constraint is your device's available memory, since the whole document is parsed locally — very large files are slower on phones than on laptops.
Can it extract text from a password-protected PDF?
Only if the PDF uses an owner password that restricts editing rather than a user password that restricts opening. A document that requires a password to open cannot be parsed without it.