168 · PDF Tools

PDF to Text Converter

Pull the text out of a PDF so you can copy, search or reuse it.

or drop it here Files stay on your device

Leave empty for all, or enter pages and ranges like 1-3, 7, 10-.

How to use the pdf to text converter

  1. Choose or drop a PDF; the text appears automatically.
  2. Optionally pick pages or add page markers.
  3. Copy the text or download it as .txt.

Scanned PDFs

If a PDF was made by scanning paper, each page is a picture and contains no text to extract. You’ll see a message saying so. Text recognition (OCR) is needed for those.

Examples

Research paper PDF

Plain text with paragraphs

Pages “3-4”, page markers on

--- Page 3 --- … --- Page 4 --- …

Questions

How do I enter pages?

Use commas and dashes: <code>1-3, 7, 10-</code> means pages 1 to 3, page 7, and page 10 to the end.

What if my PDF has a password?

Open it with the <a href="/tools/pdf-unlocker/">PDF Unlocker</a> first (you’ll need the password), then use the unlocked copy here.

Are my files uploaded?

No. The PDF is processed by your browser on your own device and is never sent to a server, so it’s safe to use with private documents.