Extract the text layer of a PDF into a plain .txt file. Layout, tables and images are not rebuilt.
Drop your PDF here
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Maximum file size: 25MB. Your file is converted on the server and deleted immediately — we do not keep a copy.
What This Tool Does
Extracts text: Reads the text layer of a PDF and returns a plain .txt file.
Server-side: The file is processed on our server, so this tool needs an upload.
Text only: Layout, images and tables are not rebuilt.
How to Extract Text From a PDF
- Select or drag in a single PDF file.
- Wait while the file uploads and the text is extracted.
- Download the
.txtfile and open it in any editor.
Limits
- One PDF per conversion, up to 25 MB.
- Only digital text PDFs produce useful output.
- Scanned or image-only pages have no text layer.
- Requests are limited to ten per minute from the same address.
What to Expect From the Result
You receive the characters the PDF already stores as text, in reading order as the extractor sees it. Columns may flatten into one stream, and tables become lines of words.
If the download is empty, the file is probably a scan. This page does not run optical character recognition.
Common Use Cases
- Copying wording from a report you only have as a PDF.
- Feeding extracted text into another editor or tool.
- Checking whether a PDF has a real text layer.
Privacy and Processing
The PDF is uploaded so we can extract the text, then discarded. We do not keep a library of uploaded files. Please do not upload documents you are not permitted to share. Our Privacy Policy explains this in full.
Further reading
Pull Text Out of a PDF Without Retyping It.
PDF to Text Converter FAQ
Will the layout be preserved?
No. This tool extracts the text layer only. Columns, tables, images and exact positioning are not rebuilt. You get a readable .txt file, not a designed page.
Can I extract text from a scanned PDF?
Not usefully. A scan is an image of text, so there are no characters to copy. This page does not run optical character recognition.
What is the maximum file size?
One PDF of up to 25 MB per conversion. Requests are limited to ten per minute from the same address.
Do you keep a copy of my PDF?
No. The file is uploaded only so we can extract the text, then discarded. We do not keep a library of uploaded PDFs or extracted files.
Can I convert a password-protected PDF?
Not directly. Remove the password first using our lock and unlock tool, then extract text from the unprotected copy.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
Yes. Extraction runs on our server. The PDF is used only to produce your download. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Related PDF & File
Related tools you may find useful: PDF to Word, PDF to Image, Compress PDF. You can also browse the full PDF & File collection or return to the all tools hub.