Extract text from PDF documents online. Copy text from PDF for free, in your browser.
Click or drag and drop a PDF file
Extracts text from PDF in three ways — choose the right mode.
- Extract text — instant text layer extraction, for regular PDFs
- AI OCR — AI recognizes text from images, for scans (uses AI request)
- Tesseract OCR — browser recognition, free and unlimited
- Files are processed locally (except AI OCR, which sends page images to the server)
Extract Text from PDF — Fast and Free
Online tool for extracting text content from PDF documents. Simply upload a file — and all text will be available for copying or downloading as TXT. Processing happens entirely in your browser — files are never sent to a server, ensuring complete privacy of your data.
How to Extract Text from PDF
- Upload your PDF — click the upload area or drag and drop a file. Documents of any size are supported.
- Wait for extraction — the tool automatically processes all pages and extracts the text layer.
- Copy or download — use the "Copy" button for the clipboard or "Download TXT" to save as a file.
Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Instant extraction | Text is extracted in seconds using the pdf.js library |
| Page-by-page output | Text is separated by pages for easy navigation |
| Copy to clipboard | Copy all text or text from a specific page with one click |
| Download TXT | Save extracted text as a plain text file |
| Privacy | Files never leave your device — processing happens in the browser |
| Works offline | After the page loads, the tool requires no internet connection |
When to Use
- Data extraction — copy text from contracts, reports, and invoices for further processing.
- Content indexing — get plain text from PDFs for search and document cataloging.
- Archiving — convert PDF documents to text format for long-term storage.
- Accessibility — extracted text is easily read by screen readers and other assistive technologies.
- Content repurposing — transfer text from PDF to Word, Google Docs, or any other editor.
Text Extraction vs OCR — Which to Choose
| Parameter | Text Extraction (this tool) | OCR (recognition) |
|---|---|---|
| PDF type | Text-based (created in Word, editors) | Scanned (photos, scans) |
| Speed | Instant | Takes time (depends on volume) |
| Accuracy | 100% — copies the original text | 90-99% — depends on scan quality |
| Requirements | PDF with a text layer | Any image or scan |
| Formatting | Preserves character order | May lose structure |
If extraction returns an empty result or unreadable characters, your PDF is likely scanned — use the OCR tool instead.
FAQ
Why is no text extracted?
If the PDF was created from a scan (photo of text), it contains no text layer. In this case, the tool cannot extract text. Use our OCR tool to recognize text from images and scans.
Why does extracted text show garbled characters?
Some PDFs use non-standard fonts or encodings. If a font is embedded with a custom character table, the extracted text may display incorrectly. Try opening the PDF in Adobe Reader and copying text from there.
Are tables preserved?
This tool extracts plain text without formatting. Tables will appear as a sequence of values. For conversion with table preservation, use PDF to Word.
What is the maximum file size?
There are no limits — processing happens in your browser. However, files over 100 MB may require more RAM.
Are PDFs in different languages supported?
Yes, text extraction works with any language including Cyrillic, Latin, Chinese, and Arabic characters — as long as the PDF contains a text layer.
Also try: Split PDF, Compress PDF, PDF to Word, OCR Recognition.
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