Extract text from PDF
Read the text layer from selected PDF pages, copy it or download a plain-text file—entirely in your browser.
Choose a text-based PDF
Up to 120 MB · no OCR
No PDF selected
How browser PDF text extraction works
Select a PDF that contains text you can highlight in a normal viewer. Choose the page range and select Extract text. The tool reads each page's existing text layer with PDF.js, inserts a page heading and places the result in the preview. Copy it to the clipboard or download a UTF-8 text file.
Plain text cannot preserve a PDF's exact fonts, images, columns, tables or page geometry. The tool groups nearby text runs into lines, but a complex multi-column layout may still appear in an unexpected order. Compare important passages with the source before reusing them.
When extraction returns no text
- The page may be a scanned image without OCR.
- The text may be converted to vector outlines.
- A custom encoding can prevent reliable character mapping.
- The PDF may be password-protected; use Unlock PDF with the known password first.
- The source may be damaged or malformed.
Frequently asked questions
Does this convert a scanned PDF to text?
No. Scanned pages need optical character recognition. This tool deliberately does not claim an OCR feature it does not provide.
Why are table cells out of order?
A PDF stores positioned text fragments rather than a semantic spreadsheet. Plain-text reading order is therefore an informed approximation.
Can I extract only certain pages?
Yes. Set the first and last page before extracting. Each section is labelled with its source page number.