← PDF tools

PDF to Text

Extract selectable text from one PDF and download it as a plain text file, with page breaks marked in the output.

Free to use. No account required.

One PDF per runPDF onlyUp to 20 MBBrowser-side processing

Drop one PDF here or click to chooseOne file · PDF · up to 20 MB

Scanned image-only pages need OCR. This tool extracts existing selectable text and does not recognize text in images.

PDF to TXT for pages with a text layer

This PDF to text converter reads selectable text already stored in the PDF and saves a UTF-8 plain text file. It places a page marker between pages. It does not reproduce the PDF's fonts, layout, tables, columns, or exact reading order; check the text file before relying on it.

“PDF to TXT” and “extract text from PDF” describe this same text-layer export. Scanned pages that contain only pictures have no selectable text for this tool to extract.

When OCR is needed

If you cannot select words in a page because it is a scan or photo, this page will not recognize them. It does not include OCR or convert image text. Use a separate OCR-capable process and review its output against the original.

  1. Choose one PDF up to 20 MB.
  2. Select “Extract text to TXT.” Processing runs in this browser using the PDF.js text layer.
  3. Open the downloaded text file and check page breaks, columns, symbols, and reading order.

The original PDF is not changed or uploaded. Password-encrypted, malformed, or unsupported files may fail to open.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert a PDF to text without OCR?

Yes, if the PDF already contains selectable text. This tool reads its text layer. It cannot recognize words that exist only as pixels in a scanned page.

Does this convert a scanned PDF to text?

No. Scanned image pages require OCR, and this tool does not include OCR.

Will the TXT file keep the PDF layout?

No. The output is plain text with page markers. It does not preserve fonts, columns, tables, or page design.

Related PDF tools

To copy whole pages into a new document, use Extract Pages from PDF. To add visible numbers to each page, use Add Page Numbers to PDF. To rebuild positioned table rows as a workbook, use PDF to Excel; scanned pages that need text recognition can use OCR PDF.

Only process PDFs you own or are authorized to read.