How to convert a PDF to text
- Add your PDF. Drop it on the box, paste it with Ctrl+V, or press Select PDF files. You can add several PDFs at once.
- Choose the format. Plain text (.txt) opens anywhere. Markdown (.md) also keeps headings and lists.
- Choose how to handle lines. Join lines into paragraphs gives text that reads and edits well. Keep the lines of the PDF suits addresses, poems and forms.
- Pick the pages, if you like. Leave the box empty for the whole file, or type pages such as
1-3, 8. - Press Get the text. Read it in the preview, press Copy text to put it on the clipboard, or download the file. Several PDFs come as one .zip.
Text that reads in the right order
A PDF doesn't store sentences and paragraphs. It stores small pieces of text, each with a position on the page, often in an odd order. This tool puts the pieces back together the way a person reads them:
- Lines and paragraphs. Pieces on the same line are joined, and lines are joined into paragraphs. A blank line separates paragraphs.
- Columns. A page with two columns of text is read down the left column first, then the right one.
- Tables. Each row stays on one line, with a tab between the cells, so a table pastes neatly into a spreadsheet.
- Pages. A line such as
--- Page 2 ---marks where each page starts. You can turn this off.
With Markdown, text set larger than the body text becomes a heading (#, ##, ###), and bulleted or numbered lines become lists. That is handy for notes apps, wikis and AI chat tools.
When there is no text to copy
Some PDFs are just pictures of pages, made by a scanner or a phone. They have no text inside, so there is nothing to copy. The tool checks this as soon as you add the file and tells you. Run the file through OCR PDF first, which reads the words in the scan, then convert it here.
If only some pages are scans, you still get the text of the other pages, and the tool lists the pages it could not read.
Good to know
- Headings are a guess based on the font size. Bold text that is the same size as the body is not marked as a heading.
- Complex layouts, such as magazines with boxes and captions, may need a little tidying after you paste.
- Words split with a hyphen at the end of a line are joined back up, and the hyphen is kept.
- A few PDFs use fonts without proper text information, and their text copies as nonsense characters. OCR PDF can read those pages from their picture instead.
- Password-protected PDFs need the password removed first.
Private and fast
The text is read in your browser, on your own device. Your PDF is never uploaded. In our test, a 100-page report took less than a second.
Frequently asked questions
Is the text exactly the same as in the PDF?
Yes. The words come straight out of the PDF, so nothing is retyped or guessed. Only the order and the line breaks are rebuilt.
Can I convert a scanned PDF to text?
Not directly, because a scan has no text inside. Use OCR PDF first, then convert the result here.
What is Markdown?
A simple text format where # marks a heading and - marks a list item. Many notes apps and AI tools read it.
Why is my text in the wrong order?
Most PDFs come out right. Pages with text boxes placed freely around the page can come out in an unexpected order. Try Keep the lines of the PDF to see the lines as they are.
This tool works in your browser: your files are processed on your device and are never uploaded. Check the result before you share it or delete the original.