PDF in.
Words out.
Pull the text layer out of any selectable-text PDF — copy it or download a .txt with page markers. All local, nothing uploaded.
How do I extract text from a PDF? Load the file and press "Extract text" — the words appear with page markers, ready to copy or download as .txt. Works on PDFs with selectable text; scanned pages have no text layer and need OCR instead.
PDF to text extractor
Output is plain text in reading order — layout, tables, and columns are flattened. Scanned PDFs (photos of pages) contain no text layer; this tool will tell you when it finds nothing.
How to extract text from a PDF
- Add the PDF — page count is detected locally.
- Press Extract text — every page's text layer is read in order, with page markers.
- Copy or download — paste into notes, translate it, or save the .txt for later.
What it's good for
- Quotes and citations — pull exact wording out of papers and reports
- Notes from e-books and manuals — grab the sections you need without retyping
- Feeding other tools — count words, translate, or check a document's length with the word counter and token counter
When it can't help
Scanned documents are images of pages — there's no text layer to read, and this tool will honestly report "no text found". That's a job for OCR software, which we deliberately don't offer (browser OCR quality is a lottery). If you need the pages as crisp images instead, PDF to PNG renders them at any resolution, and PDF to JPG keeps it lighter.
How do I extract text from a PDF?
Load the PDF, press Extract text, and the full document text appears with page markers. Copy it or download a .txt file — everything runs in your browser.
Why is the text empty or garbled?
That happens with scanned PDFs: they're photos of pages, so there is no text layer to extract. This tool reads selectable text only — scanned documents need OCR, which we don't do.
Does it keep the layout?
No. The output is plain text in reading order — great for copying quotes, notes, and references, but tables and columns come out flattened. For visual fidelity use PDF to PNG instead.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The text layer is read locally by a bundled PDF engine — the document never leaves your device.