Upload one PDF by dragging it onto the page or selecting it from your device.
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Choose All Pages or a Custom Page Range such as 1-3,5,8, then choose Plain Text or Page Separated.
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Select Extract Text. Review the text preview and any pages without selectable text.
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Copy Text or Download TXT to save a UTF-8 text file. Your original PDF stays unchanged.
Processing happens locally in your browser. Your files are never uploaded. Google advertising makes separate requests. See how to verify local processing.
PDF Text Extraction vs OCR
Text extraction reads the PDF’s existing text layer. OCR recognizes letters in images and creates new text. This tool extracts selectable text only and does not perform OCR.
Limitations of Scanned PDFs
Image-only scans contain no selectable text. Pages without text are identified so you can still save text from other pages. Complex columns, tables, rotated text and missing Unicode font mappings may affect reading order or accuracy. Review the preview before using the result.
Privacy & Local Processing
Your PDF stays on your device. A local PDF worker reads each selected page, then releases its resources when extraction finishes or is cancelled. Your original file is never modified. File names and extracted text are not recorded or sent to analytics.
BEFORE YOU START
PDF to Text: common questions
Can I extract text from a scanned PDF?
Only if it already has a selectable text layer, for example from earlier OCR. Image-only scans need OCR, which this tool does not perform.
Are my PDF or extracted text uploaded?
No. PDF parsing and text extraction happen in your browser using a local worker. File names and extracted text are not sent to analytics.
Does it support Chinese and other languages?
Yes, when the PDF maps its text correctly to Unicode. Embedded fonts without usable character mappings can produce missing or incorrect text.
Will columns and tables keep their layout?
Basic spaces and line breaks are preserved where possible. Reading order may differ in complex layouts. Table structure, styling, images and PDF to Word are not supported.
Can I extract a password-protected PDF?
Encrypted PDFs are rejected. Open the document with its password in your PDF app and export an unencrypted copy first. This tool does not bypass passwords.
What are the size limits?
Up to 64 MB and 50 pages per PDF. Low-memory devices have stricter file limits. Text output is limited to 4 million characters to keep the preview and copying safe.
How are words and characters counted?
Characters count Unicode code points, including spaces and line breaks, excluding page labels. Word counts are approximate and use browser language-aware segmentation when available; languages without spaces and browser differences affect the estimate.
