PDF text extractor

Extract existing text from selected PDF pages. Preview the text, copy it or download a UTF-8 TXT file.

or drop PDFs here

PDF files · 25 MB per file · 50 MB total
Small screens: 20 MB total · no document uploads

Your files stay on this device.

How to use PDF text extractor

Select a PDF and choose the pages to read.
Extract text and check the plain-text result.
Copy the text or download a TXT file.

Copy selected text without sharing the whole document

Open a PDF containing selectable text, choose the pages and select Extract text. Review the result before copying it or saving TXT. Page markers show where the text came from. Columns and tables may read in an unexpected order, so compare the text against the original before using it in notes or another application.

Good to know

Scanned image-only pages need OCR, which is not included. Reading order, columns, tables and font appearance may not survive plain-text extraction.

Up to 20 files, 25 MB per file and 50 MB total. PDF jobs support up to 200 pages. On small screens, the total limit is 20 MB and 100 pages. Password-protected PDFs are rejected rather than bypassed. Your original files are never overwritten.

Common questions

How do I convert a PDF to a text file?

Import the PDF, choose a page range, extract text and download the UTF-8 TXT result. You can also copy the text shown in the result area.

Why is there no text in my scanned PDF?

An image-only scan contains pictures of words rather than embedded text. This tool does not include OCR. It explains which pages have no extractable text instead of inventing an output.

Will PDF tables and formatting be preserved?

Not reliably. TXT is plain text; it does not preserve fonts, page layouts or table structure. Review multi-column documents carefully.

Are my files uploaded?

No. This tool reads the files on your device and runs PDF processing in your browser. The site may record a tool-use event, but it does not include your file names, document contents or output. Closing this page releases this workspace’s files from memory.

Can I use this on my phone?

Yes, in a current browser. Select files from your device and use the same controls. Smaller files and shorter page ranges are recommended on phones because PDF rendering uses memory.

Will my original file change?

No. You download a new copy. Rebuilding pages can change or lose advanced document features and invalidates digital signatures. Inspect the result before replacing or sending an original.

Reviewed 2026-10-15 · Browser-local processing · Built with PDF-lib (MIT) and PDF.js (Apache-2.0).

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