PDF to text
Extract the text of a PDF to a plain text file (.txt), ready to copy, search or edit. Everything happens on your device.
Processed on your deviceNothing is uploaded to servers
Drag one or more PDFs here
PDF files
Files are opened on your device and never uploaded.
How it works
Choose the PDF
Drag the file into the workspace or use the button. You can choose several at once.
Choose whether to mark pages
If you want to know where each page starts, turn on “Mark the start of each page”.
Download the text
You get a .txt file with the text of all pages, in order. With several PDFs, you get one .txt for each, in a ZIP.
Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The text is read in your browser and the .txt file is created on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Does it work with scanned PDFs?
Not yet. In a scan, each page is an image with no stored text; in that case, the tool tells you it found no text. Text recognition (OCR) is planned for later.
Is the formatting kept?
No. A .txt file only has text: you get the lines and paragraphs, in page order, but not the fonts, colors or images. In tables and text in columns, the order may not be perfect.
What format is the file in?
Plain text in UTF-8, with accents and characters from any language, and lines separated as on Linux and macOS. It opens in Notepad on Windows 10 or 11, TextEdit, Word and any editor.
Some characters come out wrong. Why?
Some PDFs store letters without saying which character each one is (it happens with older PDFs or ones made by certain programs). In those cases, no reader can copy the right text. In older Chinese, Japanese or Korean PDFs without embedded fonts, some text may not come out.