Extract Text from PDF
Extract text from any PDF file instantly in your browser. Copy to clipboard or download as a TXT file. Free, private, and browser-based. Your files never leave your device.
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Supports PDF - up to 100 MB
Tips for extracting PDF text
Copy text from scanned PDFs
This tool extracts selectable text from PDFs. For scanned documents, the text must already be embedded in the PDF (e.g. from OCR).
Preserve page structure
Extracted text is organized by page, with each page separated by a blank line. This makes it easy to reference specific sections.
Download as TXT
Save the extracted text as a plain .txt file for use in word processors, code editors, or data processing pipelines.
Privacy first
All processing happens in your browser using pdfjs-dist. Your PDF is never uploaded to any server.
How to extract text from a PDF
Extracting text from a PDF pulls all readable, selectable text out of the document and presents it as plain text. This is useful when you need to copy content from a PDF into an email, document, spreadsheet, or code editor.
The tool reads each page of the PDF and collects all text elements in reading order. Pages are separated by blank lines so you can easily identify where one page ends and the next begins. The extracted text can be copied to your clipboard with one click or downloaded as a plain .txt file.
All processing happens locally in your browser using pdfjs-dist, a powerful JavaScript PDF library. Your PDF files are never uploaded to any server, ensuring complete privacy. The tool supports PDFs up to 100 MB and works with any PDF document containing selectable text.
Frequently asked questions
What text can be extracted?
The tool extracts all selectable text embedded in the PDF. This includes text from word processors, PDF editors, and OCR-processed documents. It cannot extract text from images that have not been processed with OCR.
Will the formatting be preserved?
The tool extracts plain text. Basic spacing between words and paragraphs is preserved, but complex formatting like tables, columns, and font styles are not retained.
Can I extract text from password-protected PDFs?
No. Password-protected PDFs cannot be processed. Remove the password protection first, then use this tool to extract the text.
Is there a file size limit?
Yes, the maximum file size is 100 MB. This covers virtually all text-heavy PDFs. Very large PDFs with many pages may take longer to process.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. All processing happens locally in your browser using pdfjs-dist. Your files never leave your device.