PDF to Text
Extract the text from a PDF into plain text — entirely in your browser. Choose one merged file or one file per page, and switch on OCR to read scanned pages.
- No upload — processed on this device
- No account needed
- Free to use
Extraction settings
Reads picture-based pages on your device so scans become text. The first run loads a self-hosted engine (about 8.8 MB) into this page; later runs are instant. Nothing is uploaded.
Keep going
The natural next step
The details
How it works and what to expect
How it works
- Drop a PDF into the box (or click to browse).
- Choose one merged text file, or one text file per page in a ZIP.
- Tick “Recognize scanned pages with OCR” if your PDF contains pictures of text.
- Click Extract text. The text and any OCR run entirely on this device.
What counts as text
By default this tool reads the selectable text embedded in the PDF — the same text you could copy with your mouse. Text baked into images is not selectable, but when you switch on OCR the tool reads it too using on-device optical character recognition. Pages that yield no readable text are reported honestly as scanned or blank, and an honest note appears in their place in the output instead of fake content.
A note on scanned documents
- Scanned PDFs store pages as pictures, so they normally have no selectable text.
- Switching on “Recognize scanned pages with OCR” reads those pictures on this device.
- The first OCR run loads a self-hosted engine (about 8.8 MB) into the page; later runs are instant.
- One text file per page also names each page file after the PDF, e.g. My notes-001.txt.
Privacy
PDF to Text runs entirely in your browser. The extraction happens on this device and the PDF is never uploaded to a server. As with any website this is not a guarantee of absolute privacy, but for this tool there is no upload step at all.
Practical guidance
Using this tool well
When it is the right answer, what tends to go wrong, and what to check before you rely on the result.
Why use it
A PDF that will not let you copy a sentence is frustrating. Extracting the text gives you something you can search, quote, correct and paste into another document — with OCR available for scans.
Typical situations
- You need to quote or reuse text locked inside a PDF.
- A scanned document must become searchable text.
- A long report needs checking in a word processor.
Common problems
Text extraction refuses an encrypted PDF
Text is read page by page from the document structure, and an encrypted PDF is rejected the moment it is added. Unlock it in your reader first — OCR still handles scans once the file opens.
The output is empty
The document is an image of a page rather than real text. Turn on OCR so the in-browser engine reads the scanned pages.
Layout, tables and images are missing
Text extraction takes the words, not the design. Tables arrive as flowing lines of text — expect to reformat anything layout-dependent.
OCR made mistakes in the text
OCR is a best-effort reading of pixels, especially on poor scans. Proofread anything you intend to rely on, and keep the original PDF as the source of truth.
Check before you submit
- Spot-check names, figures and unusual words against the original.
- Confirm you chose one merged file or one file per page as you wanted.
- Keep the source PDF alongside the extracted text.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does PDF to Text perform OCR?
Yes — optionally, and entirely on your device. By default it reads the selectable text already inside your PDF. When you enable OCR in the settings, scanned or photographed pages are read with an in-browser OCR engine hosted by this site.
What text does it extract?
The text layer including text headings and body content. It does not recreate layout or images.
Guided
This tool inside a workflow
A ready-made sequence that solves a whole job — this tool is one step in it.
Student study & assignment toolkit
Turn notes into a PDF, shrink scans for an upload limit, and keep hand-ins tidy: a small set of student tools that do real work on your own device.
Office & everyday PDF documents
The day-to-day PDF jobs in any office: combine, reorganise, rotate, extract, convert to images or text, and sign — all in the browser with no tool installs.