About the PDF Text Extractor
The PDF Text Extractor reads the text layer of a PDF and shows it as plain text that you can copy or download as a .txt file. It is useful when you need to quote from a report, reuse text in another document, or search content that is locked in a PDF.
Please note the limits. It does not create a Word (.docx) file and does not keep fonts, tables or layout. It also cannot read scanned documents or photos of pages, because those contain pictures of text rather than real text. For those you need OCR software.
How to use it
- Click Choose PDF and select a file that has selectable text.
- Press Extract text and wait while each page is read.
- Copy the text from the box, or press Download TXT to save it.
Getting better results
If the output is empty, the PDF is probably a scan. Try selecting text in a PDF viewer; if you cannot, it is an image.
Columns and tables may come out in reading order that looks odd. Paste the text into a word processor and tidy it there.
The reading library (pdf.js) loads from a CDN on first use, so you need to be online once.
Real-world examples
Quoting a source. Pull the text of a report to paste a paragraph into your notes without retyping.
Searching across documents. Extract text from several PDFs and search the .txt files with any editor.
Reusing a contract template. Extract the text, then paste it into a word processor and tidy the formatting.
Common mistakes
People expect a Word file with tables and images. This tool returns plain text only. Scanned PDFs return nothing because they contain pictures of words. Two-column layouts can read across both columns line by line, so check the order before using the text.
How it works
The pdf.js library (the same engine Firefox uses to display PDFs) reads each page's text layer. Characters come with positions, which the tool joins into lines. Because it reads the file's own text, it is accurate for digital PDFs and blank for scans. For scans you need optical character recognition (OCR), which turns images of letters into text.
Frequently asked questions
Does it convert PDF to Word?
No. It gives you plain text only, which you can paste into Word.
Why is the text empty?
Scanned PDFs contain images instead of text. Use an OCR tool.
Is my file uploaded?
No. Reading happens in your browser.