PDF to Text

Extract available text from text-based PDF files.

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How to use PDF to Text

  1. Select a PDF with selectable text.
  2. Extract the text and review or copy the result.

Things to check

Image-only scans may not contain extractable text; use OCR PDF for scanned pages.

Example task: Copy paragraphs from a text-based document

Extract text from a PDF where words can be selected in a viewer. Use the result for editing or searching, not for preserving the original page appearance.

Check the result: Compare reading order and paragraph boundaries, particularly for columns. If a page is a scan, use OCR rather than assuming missing text means the page is empty.

Best for

Copying text embedded in a PDF

What it supports

One PDF up to 25 MB; selectable text extraction

What you get

Plain text for copying or TXT download

Common questions and troubleshooting

Why are words missing or arranged in the wrong reading order?

Image-only pages do not contain selectable words, while columns and positioned text can extract in an unexpected order. Check a sentence in a PDF viewer first. Use OCR PDF for scans. For multicolumn pages, compare paragraph order against the original before using the text in a summary or document.

Processing and privacy

Temporary file processing

This tool sends the files you select to Toolza only to perform the requested conversion or edit. Temporary uploads are removed after processing finishes.

Read the Privacy Policy for more information about data handling and service providers.