Extract Text from PDF

Read a PDF's existing text layer, then copy it or download a TXT file. This local tool extracts text; it does not recognize writing inside scanned images.

Drop a PDF here

PDF files only · up to 50 MB per file

Choose a PDF

Processed in your browser. Files are never uploaded.

This tool uses the open-source PDF.js library locally in your browser. It is separate from the PdfCraft workspace. Open in full workspace

How to Extract PDF Text

1
Choose a PDF with selectable text. Enter specific pages or leave the field empty for all pages.
2
Extract the text and review the preview. Pages without extractable text are listed separately.
3
Copy the complete text, or download it as a UTF-8 TXT file. Keep the PDF for the original formatting.

Copy a Section from a Text-Based Report

You need the text from pages 3 to 5 of a report for your own notes. Enter 3-5 and extract. Review the paragraph order, copy the text into your notes or download a TXT file. If a page is a photograph of writing, the tool identifies that page as having no extractable text instead of pretending to have recognized it.

Text Layers and Scans Are Different

A PDF exported from a word processor often contains text objects with character information. PDF.js reads those objects without uploading the document. A photograph or scan can look like text to a person while containing only image pixels. This tool does not run OCR. If the result is empty, try selecting a word in your usual PDF reader to check whether that page has a text layer.

Some scanned PDFs already contain an OCR text layer from an earlier process. That existing layer can be extracted, but its spelling or reading order may contain the original OCR errors. The converter does not correct them. A mixed PDF can contain selectable text on some pages and image-only scans on others; the result identifies the pages where no text was found.

Review Reading Order and Missing Characters

The extractor follows the PDF's text-stream order, retaining explicit line breaks and separating different text baselines. It does not rebuild the visual page layout. Simple paragraphs usually copy cleanly, while multiple columns, tables, rotated labels or positioned text boxes can produce a different sequence from what you see on the page. Review the preview against the PDF before relying on the result.

Fonts without usable character mappings can produce missing or incorrect characters. Standard fonts and PDF.js character maps are served from this site, but supporting resources cannot invent information absent from a PDF. This tool does not translate, summarize or reconstruct a table as a spreadsheet. Keep the source PDF when layout or exact visual appearance matters.

Copy Text or Save a Plain-Text File

The TXT download uses UTF-8 so that available non-Latin characters are preserved. Selected pages follow the range order you enter, with duplicate page requests removed. Page boundaries in the complete output use a form-feed separator between blank lines; plain-text editors may display that separator differently. The result does not add page headings or replace your original PDF.

Copy text uses the browser clipboard. If copying is unavailable, the preview is selected for manual copying and TXT download remains available. A large preview shows the first 200,000 characters to keep editing responsive; automatic copy and download still use the complete extracted result. Changing the page selection clears the older text. Resetting or leaving the page releases the working file held by this tool.

Text Extraction Limits

One PDF up to 50 MB; up to 500 selected pages and 1 million extracted characters per batch.
No OCR or image recognition. Empty pages are reported; an entirely empty result does not offer a misleading blank TXT download.
The text-stream order may differ from visual reading order in complex columns or tables. Formatting and images are not included in TXT.
Password-protected files must be unlocked first. Processing is local, free and does not require an account.

PDF Text Extraction FAQ

Can this extract text from a scanned PDF?

Only if that PDF already contains a text layer. Image-only scans need OCR, which this tool does not perform.

Will the TXT file preserve tables and columns?

No. TXT contains plain text in PDF text-stream order with line and page breaks. Review complex layouts and use the original PDF for visual formatting.

Where is my document sent?

It stays on your device. PDF.js reads it in your browser, and the result is copied or downloaded locally.