PDF to Text Converter
Extract text from any PDF free and instantly. Runs entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded. Copy or download the extracted text as a .txt file.
Updated 2026-06-14 · Free · No sign-up · Runs privately in your browser
🔒 Your file is processed entirely in your browser — it is never uploaded.
How to Extract Text From a PDF
Upload a PDF and this tool instantly pulls out all of its text — right in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, so even confidential documents stay private on your device.
- Choose your PDF using the file picker above.
- The tool reads every page and extracts the embedded text.
- Copy the result or download it as a
.txtfile.
How It Works
This converter uses pdf.js, the open-source PDF engine, loaded directly in your browser. It opens the PDF, walks through each page, and reads the text layer — the actual characters stored in the file. Because the processing happens locally, your file never leaves your computer.
Text PDFs vs. Scanned PDFs
| PDF type | Result |
|---|---|
| Digital/text PDF (made from Word, Google Docs, a website, etc.) | Text extracts perfectly |
| Scanned PDF (a photo or scan of a page) | No extractable text — needs OCR |
If you get “no selectable text found,” your PDF is a scanned image. The page looks like text to you, but the file stores it as a picture, so there are no characters to copy.
Common Uses
- Copying quotes or data out of a report or ebook
- Pulling text from a PDF into a Word or Google doc
- Making a PDF’s content searchable
- Grabbing an address, code, or reference number quickly
Your privacy is built in: because everything runs client-side, this is a safe way to extract text even from sensitive contracts, statements, or medical documents.
Frequently asked questions
Is this PDF to text converter free and private?+
Yes. It is completely free and runs entirely in your browser using pdf.js — your PDF is never uploaded to any server, so your documents stay private on your device.
Why does it say no text was found?+
If a PDF is a scanned image (a picture of a page rather than real text), it contains no selectable text to extract. You would need OCR (optical character recognition) software to read text from scanned images; this tool extracts the embedded text layer only.
Can I extract text from a multi-page PDF?+
Yes. The tool reads every page in order and combines all the text, separating pages with blank lines. You can then copy it or download the whole thing as a .txt file.
Does it keep the original formatting?+
It extracts the raw text content, not the layout. Columns, tables and exact spacing are not preserved — you get the readable text, which is ideal for copying quotes, searching, or pasting into another document.
Is there a file size limit?+
There is no fixed limit, but because everything runs in your browser, very large PDFs (hundreds of pages) depend on your device's memory. Most documents process in a second or two.