Extract text from PDF
Export selectable text to a .txt file.
Extract text from PDF (complete guide)
Text extraction converts the selectable text layer inside a PDF into a plain TXT file. This is useful for searching, copying content into an email or document, building notes, or feeding text into other workflows. If your PDF is a scan (images of pages), there may be no text layer to extract—then you need OCR (not available yet).
How to know if extraction will work
- If you can select and copy text in your PDF viewer, extraction will usually work.
- If you can’t select text (it behaves like an image), it’s likely a scan and needs OCR.
Suggested workflow
- Check the PDF details with PDF info (page count, encryption).
- Extract text and download TXT.
- If you need only part of the document, use Extract pages first and then extract text from the smaller PDF.
- If you need images/figures, use Extract images.
Quality tips
- Expect line breaks and hyphenation differences—PDFs store text in visual order, not always reading order.
- Columns and tables may extract in unexpected sequences.
Privacy & retention
Files are stored temporarily for processing and deleted on scheduled cleanup (typically within 12 hours).
Troubleshooting
- Output is empty: the PDF is likely a scan; OCR is required.
- Garbled characters: the PDF may use custom encodings; try extracting from a different source PDF if possible.
- Encrypted PDF: unlock first with Unlock PDF.
How it works
- Upload a PDF.
- Download the extracted text (TXT).
FAQ
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
Usually no. Scanned PDFs need OCR (not available yet).
Why is the TXT formatting weird?
PDF stores text for visual layout. Columns, tables, and hyphenation may extract oddly.
Can I extract text from only a few pages?
Yes — extract those pages first, then extract text.
Will this change my PDF?
No — it only outputs a TXT file.
Can I also extract images?
Yes — use Extract images.
Is my document retained?
Files are stored temporarily for processing and deleted on scheduled cleanup (typically within 12 hours).
Does this remove metadata?
No. Use Remove metadata for document properties.
Can I extract text from an encrypted PDF?
Only after unlocking it (requires the password).
What if I need searchable text from a scan?
You need OCR; we plan to add it later.
What’s the fastest way to check if it will work?
Try selecting text in your PDF viewer. If you can copy it, extraction will work.
Related tools
Privacy note: files are stored temporarily for processing and deleted on scheduled cleanup (typically within 12 hours).