PDF to Text
Extract all text from a PDF into a plain .txt file.
Runs in your browser — files never leave your device
or drop files here
How to convert a PDF to text
Pull the text out of one or many PDFs into plain .txt files for editing, searching or feeding into other tools.
Add one or more PDFs.
Check the file list.
Click Extract text and download the .txt files.
What the text file contains
The tool reads the text layer of the PDF and writes it to a plain .txt file, one per PDF, with line breaks kept. Fonts, colours, images and page layout are not part of a text file, so columns are read in order and tables come out as lines of words. That is exactly what you want for searching, word counts, pasting into an email or feeding a document into another program; it is not a way to recreate the formatting.
You can add several PDFs at once. Each becomes its own .txt file, and they download together as a ZIP when there is more than one.
When the result is empty or garbled
An empty file almost always means the PDF is a scan: it contains pictures of pages, not text. Run OCR PDF first to add a text layer, then convert the result. Text with odd characters or missing letters usually comes from a PDF whose fonts do not map cleanly to Unicode, which happens with some older generators; OCR of that file often reads better than its own text layer.
If you want headings, bullet points and numbered lists preserved as structure rather than flattened to lines, use PDF to Markdown instead.
PDF to Text FAQ
The PDF is probably a scan with no text layer. Run OCR PDF first, then extract the text.
Line breaks are kept, but columns and tables become plain text. For headings and lists, try PDF to Markdown.
No. The tool runs entirely in your browser, so your files are processed on your own device and never leave it.
Yes. Every PDFCraftly tool is free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no email required.
Guides
- How to Extract All the Text from a PDFGet the text out of a PDF as a plain .txt file — for editing, quoting, word counts or analysis — and what to do when a scanned PDF has no text.
- How to Convert a PDF to Word Without Uploading ItConvert a PDF to an editable Word .docx in your browser. Keep headings, lists, fonts and images, fix tables afterwards, and handle scanned PDFs with OCR.
- How to Convert a PDF to Markdown for Notes, Docs and AI ToolsConvert PDF to Markdown for notes, GitHub docs or AI tools. Save a .md file, preview headings and lists, and check text order before reusing it.
- How to Copy Text from a Scanned PDFCan't select or copy text in a PDF? It's probably a scan. Use OCR to recognise the text, then copy it or save it all as an editable text file.
- How to Copy Nepali Text from a PDF (Preeti and Scanned Files)Nepali text from a PDF pastes as gibberish or won't copy at all? Learn why Preeti fonts and scans cause it, and get Unicode text with Nepali OCR.
- How to Make a Scanned PDF Searchable with OCRScanned PDFs are just pictures of text. Learn how OCR adds a searchable, copyable text layer, and how to get the most accurate results.