PDF to Text
This free PDF to text converter reads a PDF and writes plain text entirely in your browser. Pick a .pdf file or drop one in, tune where the line breaks fall, read the text, and download it. Nothing leaves your device, and there is no sign-up.
A PDF does not store lines of text. It stores pieces of text, each with a position on the page — which is why copying text out of a PDF often lands everything in the wrong order. So this page rebuilds the lines: it groups text runs into lines by their vertical position, top to bottom, then left to right within each line. Because that is an inference rather than a fact written in the file, the page tells you what it inferred: how many lines it found, and — most importantly — whether any page had no text layer at all, which means it is a scan and there is nothing to read.
How to use this PDF to text converter
- Choose a
.pdffile, or drag one onto the panel. The sample table on the right is converted on load so you can see what the output looks like. - If the line breaks are wrong, change Line split and Column gap. Line split controls how far apart two runs can be vertically and still count as one line; Column gap controls how the words inside a line are separated. Looser values merge more; tighter values split more.
- Press Extract text, read What the extraction found, then download the
.txt.
What this tool supports
Lines rebuilt from position
Every text run on the page carries coordinates. Lines are formed by grouping runs whose vertical position is within a small distance of each other, then ordering the runs in each line from left to right. Runs that sit on the same line are joined with a space, which is how a wrapped sentence stays one line instead of breaking at the margin.
| Setting | What it changes | When to move it |
|---|---|---|
| Line split | how far apart two runs can be vertically and still count as one line | two lines merged into one, or one line split across two |
| Column gap | how the words inside a line are separated | words from two columns ran together, or one phrase was split |
Pages with no text layer are named, not dropped
A scanned document, a photograph or a screenshot saved as a PDF has no text in it at all — only pixels. Extracting from those needs OCR, which this page does not run. Instead of handing you a short file and saying nothing, it lists exactly which pages have no text layer.
| What is in the PDF | What this page does |
|---|---|
| a real text layer (exported from a word processor, a reporting tool, a text-based export) | extracted, one line per visual line |
| a scan or an image, no text layer | the page number is listed under the output; nothing is invented for it |
| a mix of both | text pages are extracted, image pages are listed |
Every page, in order
All pages are read in order and written into one text block. A section that continues across pages comes out as continued lines, in the order they appeared on the page.
One download
Press Download .txt for a plain UTF-8 text file. There is no spreadsheet and no formatting — just the text, which is what you asked for.
Privacy and limits
The PDF is parsed on your own device by JavaScript running in the page. No file is uploaded, nothing is stored after you close the tab, and there is no account. Because parsing happens in your browser's memory, very large documents (hundreds of pages) take longer; ordinary statements, invoices and reports take a moment. Password-protected files are refused with a clear message rather than being probed.
What this tool does not do
- No OCR. If a page is an image, there is no text to read. The page is named so you know, and nothing is guessed for it.
- No password handling. A protected PDF is refused. Unlock it first, then convert the unlocked copy.
- No layout or table reconstruction. You get plain lines of text, not a spreadsheet. For a table, use PDF to CSV or PDF to Excel.
- No headings, no bold, no columns. Formatting is gone by design — this output is for search, paste, and further processing, not for presentation.
- No merging of files. One PDF at a time, no batch mode.
- No promise of perfection. Position-based extraction is an inference. The report tells you what it inferred so you can check it, not so you can skip checking.
Frequently asked questions
Is this PDF to text converter free?
Yes. No account, no sign-up, no page limit, and no upload — the PDF is read in your browser.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The file you pick is read with the browser's own File API and parsed in the page. There is no request that carries your file or its contents.
Why is my scanned PDF empty?
Because it has no text layer — it is an image. This page does not run OCR, and it says so by listing the page numbers instead of writing empty lines. Use OCR software first, then convert the result.
It says my PDF is password protected. What now?
Open it with the password and save an unlocked copy, then convert that. This page will not attempt to bypass protection.
Everything ran together on one line. What should I change?
Set Line split to Tight so runs that are farther apart become separate lines. If single lines then split in two, move it back toward Normal.
Two lines merged, or one line split in two. What should I change?
Change Line split. Tight splits lines apart, Loose pulls them together. Column gap handles the words inside a line.
Words from two columns ran together.
Set Column gap to Tight so the words from separate columns are joined with more space (or a tab-like gap) instead of one run-on phrase. For a real column split, use PDF to CSV.
Does it handle a multi-page document?
Yes. Every page is read in order and its lines are appended, so a document that runs across pages comes out as continued lines.
How accurate is it?
For PDFs with a real text layer, very good. For scanned pages, nothing at all — they are listed. For anything in between, read the report under the output: it tells you how many lines were found and which pages had no text layer, which is where problems show up first.
Is there a page limit?
There is no imposed limit. Parsing happens in your browser's memory, so very large documents depend on your device. Ordinary statements and reports take a moment.
What if I need another direction or format?
For a table use PDF to CSV or PDF to Excel. For the opposite direction use JSON to PDF.